Houston's Conrad Murray On Trial

Michael Jackson doctor trial opens with explosive photos of the dead pop star:His siblings quietly watch

Prosecutors opened by showing this picture of Michael Jackson just after hedied.
Photo via ABC News.com
The involuntary manslaughter trial of Dr. Conrad Murray started Tuesday in LosAngeles.
Photo via ABC News.com
Prosecutors also played an alarming recording of Jackson speaking to Murray inheavily slurred tones.
Photo via ABC News.com

Media watchers like HLN have bet on the trial of Dr. Conrad Murray becoming a tabloid spectacle, and in the first day of the trial, the prosecution delivered plenty of fodder.

The Houston-based doctor is charged with involuntary manslaughter in the 2009 death of his patient, pop star Michael Jackson. For his opening statement, Los Angeles prosecutor David Walgren displayed a never-before-published photo of Jackson dead on a hospital gurney, and later compared the photo with one taken 12 hours earlier as Jackson rehearsed for his upcoming "This Is It" concert series.

"What you will learn through the evidence is that what happened during that time frame is that the acts and omissions of Michael Jackson's personal doctor, Conrad Murray, directly led to his premature death at the age of 50," Walgren told the jury. Prosecutors also played a tape of Jackson recorded by Murray just over a month before Jackson's death, in which the singer's speech was almost unintelligibly slurred.

Jackson's death was ruled a homicide by the Los Angeles County coroner's office, caused by lethal levels of the anesthetic propofol in his system, working in conjunction with two other sedatives. The defense opened by arguing that Jackson gave himself the fatal dose while Murray was away in the bathroom.

"Dr Murray provided propofol for sleep for two months for Michael Jackson. For those two months, Michael Jackson slept, he woke up, and he lived his life. He went to work, and he continued with what he felt he needed to do," said defense lawyer Ed Chernoff. "The evidence is not going to show you that Michael Jackson died when Dr Murray gave him propofol to sleep. What he evidence will show you, is that Michael Jackson died when Dr Murray stopped."

If convicted, Murray could face up to four years in prison and the loss of his medical license.

Jackson's parents and siblings LaToya, Janet, Jermaine, Randy, Rebbie and Tito quietly attended the hearing. Jackson's children were not present and are not expected to testify.

-------------

Prosecutors introduced a voice recording of Jackson that Murray made on May 10, 2009, showing the singer under the influence of "unknown agents":

unspecified

Thanks, Queen Bey

Pop icon Beyoncé donates $100,000 to University of Houston Law School

Photo by Erza Shaw Getty Images

undefined

Pop megastar Beyoncé Knowles-Carter has donated $100,000 to the University of Houston Law Center Criminal Justice Clinic through her BeyGOOD Foundation. The gift will allow the clinic to hire fill-time faculty to head it, benefiting the students who study there.

“I am delighted that the BeyGOOD Foundation has made this very generous gift to the UH Law Center,” said Leonard Baynes, dean of the UH Law Center. “Not only will this funding help establish a full-time criminal justice clinic that provides pro bono legal services in our community, but it will also supercharge our already excellent criminal law and justice programming.”

The clinic is one of nine at UHLC. It helps students learn to navigate the criminal justice system, especially on behalf of clients that are underserved by skilled attorneys. People of color are affected disproportionately by a lack of good, ethical representation.

Beyoncé, the most decorated artist in Grammy history and easily the biggest musical star native to Houston, has a long history of advocating for criminal justice reform. She was a staunch supporter of the police reform following the deaths of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile, asking law enforcement to “stop killing us” in a web post. In 2020, she penned an open letter to the Kentucky attorney general asking for justice in the death of Breonna Taylor.

Through her BeyGOOD Foundation, established in 2013, Beyoncé has focused mostly on expanding the prospects of Black-owned business and offering education opportunities to students. Forwarding the cause of legal representation in Texas while also helping out marginalized communities compliments her other philanthropic work.

“At UH Law, we envision a legal profession where ‘everyone has the opportunity to prosper,’ as BeyGOOD envisions, and we will achieve this vision by providing access to strong and effective legal representation in criminal proceedings,” Baynes said. “And together, through this gift, the BeyGOOD Foundation and UHLC will shepherd the next generation of criminal justice attorneys in the city of Houston, the state of Texas and the nation.”