Case against Jacko's doc goes to jury

The seven-man, five-woman panel listened intently on Thursday as prosecutors and defence attorneys argued over whether Murray should be convicted of involuntary manslaughter for Jackson’s death in June 2009.

The physician’s attorneys attacked prosecutors and their witnesses, saying they had over time developed stories and theories that placed the blame for Jackson’s death squarely on Murray.

Jackson died from a fatal dose of the anesthetic propofol, which Murray acknowledged giving Jackson to help him sleep.

The real reason Jackson died, defence attorney Ed Chernoff argued, was because he craved the powerful anesthetic so much that he gave himself a fatal injection when Murray left his bedside.

“They want you to convict Dr Murray for the actions of Michael Jackson,” Chernoff said. “Poor Conrad Murray,” prosecutor David Walgren replied in his final speech to jurors.

“Michael Jackson is dead. And we have to hear about poor Conrad Murray and no doctor knows what it’s like to be in his shoes.”

Walgren noted that several doctors who testified — including two who were called by Murray’s attorneys — said they would have never given the singer anesthesia in his bedroom.

Murray is solely to blame for Jackson’s death, Walgren argued, saying Murray had purchased more than 15 litres of propofol to administer to Jackson and had been giving him nightly doses to help him sleep.