Michael Jackson Doctor Considers Testifying in His Own Defense
An expert called to the stand in the defense of Dr. Conrad Murray yesterday suggested that Michael Jackson could have risen from his bed, picked up a syringe left by the physician and injected himself with a fatal dose of the anesthetic propofol. Unfortunately for Murray’s defense, Dr. Paul White’s testimony was ridiculed by the prosecution in an aggressive cross-examination that resulted in Dr. White acknowledging that he would have never agreed to give the drug to a patient suffering from insomnia, as Murray did. This use of propofol was “a complete off-label use of the drug,” White told the jury.
As Murray’s trial for involuntary manslaughter in the death of Jackson winds down, there is some question as to whether the doctor will testify in his own defense. “I will still need more time to talk to my counsel about it,” Murray told Superior Court Judge Michael Pastor when asked if he understood his options to either testify or remain silent. Murray said that he will make a final decision sometime today.
Related
• Timeline: The Trial of Dr. Conrad Murray
• Photos: Michael Jackson Remembered
• Photos: Michael Jackson’s Funeral