Michael Jackson Manslaughter Trial: Defense Rests as Conrad Murray Refuses to Ta

[all4loveandbelieve]

UPDATE 11:40 a.m.: The defense has rested. Court adjourned early to allow both sides to prepare their closing arguments, which will begin Thursday morning at 9:00 a.m. PT.

UPDATE 11:15 a.m.: Prosecutors recall Dr. Steven Shafer to the stand as a rebuttal witness for White's testimony. He said that Jackson didn't necessarily die at noon, and that it could have easily been earlier. "Michael Jackson could have died at any time with the drug contraception continuing to be high in his blood...The serious risk from propofol is you stop breathing. That is the main cause of injury of propofol." He also, once again, rebutted the hypothesis that Jackson could have self-administered the fatal dose

UPDATE 10:25 a.m.: Despite plans to call Ornelas to the stand, the defense says they will not be calling the Ph.D student and, as no other witnesses remain, will rest. But not before Murray himself was reminded of his constitutional rights and asked by Judge Michael Pastor if he would be taking the stand: "My decision is that I would not testify," he said.

Before the midmorning break was called, Dr. Paul White finished off his testimony, and noted that the final fatal dose of propofol Jackson took had to have included lidocaine. "I've never mixed propofol and lidocaine for an infusion," he said. "If you gave the whole syringe, my estimate is that there would be virtually no lidocaine present at 12 p.m. You would expect to have no measurable lidocaine in the blood at the time of autopsy."

Call it Conrad Murray's last stand.

The Michael Jackson manslaughter trial continues to wind down, with the defense set to call just one more witness to the stand today—Dr. Gabriela Ornelas—and they promise her testimony will be "brief." Since lawyers' words are as good as gold (ahem), we're sure the end will come any minute now.

As for Ornelas, she's the USC Ph.D student who's provided Murray's team with the graphs propofol expert Dr. Paul White was questioned about today. The prosecution is also set to recall Dr. Steven Shafer as a rebuttal witness today, and Murray will finally be asked in open court by the judge if he wishes to take the stand in his own defense.

http://ca.eonline.com/news/Michael_Jackson_Manslaughter_Trial_Defense_Rests_as_Conrad_Murray_Refuses_to_Take_Stand/272692

[all4loveandbelieve]

I wonder why he did not testify, I would think he would want to clear his name.. This is very strange.

[hesouttamylife]

Walgren would have murdered him on the stand.  He did the right thing.  He would have been toast.

[all4loveandbelieve]

Walgren would have murdered him on the stand.  He did the right thing.  He would have been toast.

I guess you are right.. He would have been burnt toast lol

[everlastinglove_MJ]

This news reminds me very much of this article (again many similarities with the 2005 trial):

Michael Jackson will not testify at his molestation trial, and his defense team expects to rest its case by the first week of June, sources close to the case told ABC News. 

http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/LegalCenter/story?id=771054&page=1

[all4loveandbelieve]

This news reminds me very much of this article (again many similarities with the 2005 trial):

Michael Jackson will not testify at his molestation trial, and his defense team expects to rest its case by the first week of June, sources close to the case told ABC News. 

http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/LegalCenter/story?id=771054&page=1

Everything is similar to the 2005 trial.. Murray is Michael ... fighting for their lives..

[PureLove]

I wonder why he did not testify, I would think he would want to clear his name.. This is very strange.

I think defending himself is not in the script. I believe Murray is going to be found guilty but his innocence is going to be proven with Michael's BAM. We'll see how it is going to unfold.

[all4loveandbelieve]

I wonder why he did not testify, I would think he would want to clear his name.. This is very strange.

I think defending himself is not in the script. I believe Murray is going to be found guilty but his innocence is going to be proven with Michael's BAM. We'll see how it is going to unfold.

You are a script writer, so you may be on to something.. cool...

[YouRnotAlone7]

I think it's very sad how people are hating on Murray....but they obviously don't understand what is really happening.  If something spectacular doesn't happen and Murray is found guilty or not, people will hate him for "killing" MJ and I don't think MJ would want that....so we'll have to see what happens.... /judge/ /judge/

[nick_93]

I wonder why he did not testify, I would think he would want to clear his name.. This is very strange.

I think defending himself is not in the script. I believe Murray is going to be found guilty but his innocence is going to be proven with Michael's BAM. We'll see how it is going to unfold.

That would be epic! Someone pass the popcorn!  :lol:

[use_your_illusion]

Walgren would have murdered him on the stand.  He did the right thing.  He would have been toast.

Yep Walgren would have...at the very least...lol

[SpeedDemon1987]

I think it's very sad how people are hating on Murray....but they obviously don't understand what is really happening.  If something spectacular doesn't happen and Murray is found guilty or not, people will hate him for "killing" MJ and I don't think MJ would want that....so we'll have to see what happens.... /judge/ /judge/

I've been thinking about this for a while. I personally believe that he can't be proven guilty because there isn't enough evidence to support it. Michael is alive, so how could they come up with strong evidence against CM to prove that he "killed" Michael. But when I think of what could happen if he's declared innocent, it kinda makes me a little scared. Obviously, if he didn't "kill" Mike, then someone else did, but we don't know who. So the public (maybe even the media) would still peg it on Murray, they will still refer to him as "that guy who killed Michael", until the real "killer" is exposed, or Michael comes back. And now as I think about it, that 11/11/11 date is looking pretty promising. And I, for one, wouldn't be surprised if the trial finishes on Friday, as seven days after that, it's the 11th. Just thinkin out loud here, it all kinda makes sense...

[curls]

Please, no more dates! They all come and go and nothing happens - we won't figure it out! My gut tells me we'll have more than a few random dates pointing towards the Bam, when it happens. MJ will want the whole world watching, not just a few hoaxers talking numbers on a forum!

I'm just watching - that's all I can do these days.

[angelwings]

My prediction.....Conrad Murray goes free on Nov. 9

[SpeedDemon1987]

Please, no more dates! They all come and go and nothing happens - we won't figure it out! My gut tells me we'll have more than a few random dates pointing towards the Bam, when it happens. MJ will want the whole world watching, not just a few hoaxers talking numbers on a forum!

I'm just watching - that's all I can do these days.

Sorry curls, I just feel like something will happen on that day. It may not even be hoax related. But I'll stop talking about it. respect/

My prediction.....Conrad Murray goes free on Nov. 9

This is out of pure curiosity, I'm not looking to contradict you or anything, but why November 9th?  ;D