Michael Jackson's doctor, Conrad Murray, was brought to tears by five former patients' testimonies, Wednesday (October 26). The "character witnesses" praised Murray's skills as a physician -- though prosecutor David Walgren was able to score points against the Houston cardiologist in a fiery cross-examination.
(ABOVE: Five of Murray's former patients, who testified as character witnesses, Wednesday.)
LOS ANGELES — Five former heart patients of Michael Jackson's $150,000-a-month personal doctor praised him at his homicide trial Wednesday as capable, caring and anything but greedy.
But prosecutor David Walgren sought to score points against defendant Conrad Murray in scathing cross-examination of the defense witnesses.
Walgren attempted to show they were biased and that Murray's care of Jackson was far lower in quality than how he treated them.
Lawyers for Murray, 58, summoned the five to testify to the cardiologist's good character in his Houston and Las Vegas medical practice. He has pleaded not guilty to a charge of involuntary manslaughter in the death of Jackson in June 2009 via "acute propofol intoxication" and gross negligence of a doctor. If convicted, he faces a maximum of four years in prison and the loss of his medical license.
Prosecution medical experts had testified that Murray improperly used propofol as a sleep aid and "abandoned" Jackson by leaving him unmonitored in his bedroom while sedated.
The physician said he only left Jackson's bedside for a "two minutes," although his own attorneys have suggested it might have been longer. Phone records show Murray made or received several calls in the hour before Murray summoned help.
Murray delayed calling 911 for over 20 minutes after finding Jackson unresponsive, according to his interview with police.
Murray's legal team contends that Jackson gave himself the fatal propofol in the doctor's absence. The defense has yet to show evidence of how their self-administration theory would have worked. Several prosecution experts have said the self-administration defense was improbable, and a key expert said he ruled it out completely, arguing the more likely scenario was that Murray gave Jackson a much higher dose than he has acknowledged.
Dr. Steven Shafer (a Columbia University professor and renown anesthesiologist) testified on October 20 that whether Jackson gave himself the drug or not, Murray was just as responsible.
"Is it your opinion that Conrad Murray was a direct cause, not just a substantial factor but a direct cause of Michael Jackson's death?" prosecutor David Walgren asked.
"Yes," Shafer replied. "He is responsible for every drop of propofol in that room."
Michael Jackson's fingerprints were not on any syringes, drug vials or other medical evidence taken from his mansion after his death, according to lab results presented in court on October 6. Technicians found only a single fingerprint, matching Murray's index finger, on a vial of the anesthetic removed from an intravenous stand at Jackson's bedside.
(ABOVE: Conrad Murray, seen acknowledging a former patient that served as a character witness, Wednesday.)
Murray's former patients -- serving as "character witnesses" on Wednesday (October 26) -- said the non-board certified doctor had performed operations on them, installing stents to open blocked heart arteries and counseling them through years of "thorough" follow-up visits.
Gerry Causey, 68, of Cedar City, Utah, told lead defense attorney Ed Chernoff that Murray "cares for you" and "makes you feel the love he has for you." Causey said that Murray didn't charge him his deductible for his treatment. He said the doctor last treated him in 2008.
Andrew Guest, 48, a locksmith at a Las Vegas casino-hotel, nodded to Murray and said "that man sitting there is the best doctor I've ever seen." He called Murray "a great guy."
Lunette Sampson, a heavy-set San Diego resident with diabetes and a long history of heart problems, said "I have never had a doctor that was more caring."
Dennis Hix, 66, of Banning, Calif., said that another physician had told him his heart condition couldn't be fixed, but that Murray "said 'I can fix that,' and he did."
Murray treated Dennis Hix by putting 14 stints into arteries around his heart 11 years ago, Hix testified. (WTF?! 14 stints?! That can't be legal . . . is it?!)
"I'm 66, I've gone to a lot of doctors, a lot of doctors and I've never had one that gave me the care that he did," Hix said.
Ruby Mosley, 80, of Houston's low-income Acres Home district, walked into the courtroom on a cane. She said Murray opened a clinic there in 2006.
If Murray had been greedy, the woman said, "he never would have come to Acres Home, where 75% of the people are poor, on welfare and Social Security." (FYI, Murray was billing the state -- he didn't do anything for "free," as some of the other witnesses implied. He was getting paid either way. *shrug*)
An earlier witness -- an attorney for AEG Live, the concert promoter of Jackson's "This Is It" tour -- testified that Murray had originally demanded $5 million to care for Jackson. He settled for a fee of $150,000 per month, to be paid even during the months that the singer was not slated to perform.
On cross-examination, prosecuting attorney David Walgren got Causey to acknowledge telling defense lawyers that Murray was "my best friend." Murray didn't treat Causey for a sleep disorder that involved a "drug dependency issue," as he had treated Jackson, Walgren established. And when Murray operated on Causey, four health care professionals were in attendance with sophisticated monitoring equipment — unlike the scene in Jackson's bedroom where doctor and patient were alone with minimal equipment, Walgren also established.
“Every patient deserves that level of care?” Walgren later asked another witness.
“Yes,” he responded.
(ABOVE: Prosecutor David Walgren, seen questioning a witness, Wednesday.)
Walgren took another turn at Causey, asking: "I want you to assume that Conrad Murray acted with gross negligence and caused the death of Michael Jackson. You would still be here, giving that testimony, for your best friend?"
"I would still be here," Causey replied.
Walgren asked Guest: "Dr. Murray never gave you propofol in your bedroom, did he?" Guest answered, "No, sir."
Walgren then asked Sampson if she knew about a disciplinary letter that Las Vegas' Sunrise Hospital sent Murray in 2005, lambasting him for not coming to the hospital to consult about a patient with blood-clotting risk until three hours after he was first telephoned. The witness said she knew nothing about it — but the jury heard Walgren read the blistering letter.
Hix told Walgren that the letter Murray sent his patients when he left his practice to treat only Jackson mentioned he was taking a "sabbatical," making no mention of the celebrity. Asked by Walgren when he learned that Murray was going to be Jackson's doctor, Hix laughed and said, "I didn't even know it until I seen it on TV."
Mosley told Walgren she knew Murray only from clinic appointments, not in his personal or social life. Asked by Walgren if she had ever met "one of his female friends, Sade Anding," Mosley said no. Anding, a Houston cocktail waitress, was one of four girlfriends of Murray who testified as witnesses for the prosecution.
Murray cried at several points during the witnesses' testimony.
Jurors were excused for the day by 10:30 a.m. Tuesday because of problems scheduling the next defense witnesses.
On his way out of the courtroom, Gerry Causey shook Murray's hand and kissed him on the forehead.
Murray's lawyers said they expect to call two scientific experts, possibly recalling a third scientific witness, when they wrap up their case Thursday. The lawyers didn't mention Murray as a witness.
Superior Court Judge Michael Pastor told Murray that before the defense rests its case, he will formally advise him of his "absolute constitutional right" to testify or not testify, despite what counsel may be advising.
Pastor asked the defendant if he understood this right.
"I do," Murray murmured.
The case could reach the jury of seven men and five women early next week, after any prosecution rebuttal witnesses and closing arguments by the attorneys.
Sources - 1, 2
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Click the links below to read about the trial so far:
DAY 1 summary -- Prosecution & defense give opening statements
DAY 2 summary -- MJ's personal assistant & security chief testify
DAY 3 summary -- MJ's bodyguard & personal chef testify about frantic morning of his death
DAY 4 summary -- Paramedics testify that Murray lied & was seen hiding potential evidence
DAY 5 summary -- Fierce female doctors testify that Murray lied, never mentioned propofol
DAY 6 summary -- Murray's "girlfriends" testify re: propofol shipments & critical phone calls
DAY 7 summary -- Court hears the full, four-minute MJ audiotape
DAY 8 summary -- The coroner investigator and toxicologist take the stand
DAY 9 summary -- Court hears the the first half of Murray's two-hour police interview
DAY 10 summary -- MJ's autopsy photo is shown & coroner deals a major blow to the defense
DAY 11 summary -- Murray's med. peers blast him in court & the defense drops critical theory
DAY 12 summary -- A UCLA sleep expert calls Murray's actions "unethical, disturbing"
DAY 13 summary -- Propofol expert Dr. Shafer lists 17 "egregious" violations Murray committed
DAY 14 summary -- Dr. Shafer dismisses defense theories & demonstrates how he thinks MJ died
DAY 15 summary -- The defense challenges Dr. Shafer on cross examination
DAY 16 summary -- The prosecution rests. Defense calls former MJ doctor and nurse to stand
DAY 17 summary -- Former MJ nurse resumes testimony & defense calls CEO of AEG Live
The trial begins airing live at 11:45 EST every weekday. You can watch along online, commercial free, HERE.
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