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Jacksons v AEG Timeline Legal Top Stories
Jury selection begins, media circus not present: Murray trial update
By CMU Editorial | Published on Friday 9 September 2011
The trial of Conrad Murray, the doctor accused of causing the death of Michael Jackson through negligence, got off to a relatively low key start yesterday.
The media circus predicted by Murray’s defence team did not materialise, though the order of the day was the rather tedious process of jury selection, so the big media presence might show up when testimonies begin later this month. As it was, only a few TV cameras and a small gathering of Jackson’s fans were to be found outside the LA court house.
According to reports, Murray, sitting with his attorneys, showed no real emotions as the jury selection process got underway. 160 potential jurors were in attendance, and Judge Michael Pastor started by asking if any of them were not already aware of this case. No one raised their hands. Questionnaires were then dished out to get more information about each potential juror. Similar questioning is expected to take place with up to 480 potential jury members, before a final pool of 100 is selected for questioning by prosecution and defence lawyers later this month.
Pastor told the 160 potential jurors in court yesterday that they must not blog, tweet or otherwise discuss the case on the internet while they were still being considered for a place on the jury. He also told them that, should they be selected, they will be banned from negotiating any financial deal with regards selling the story about their experience on the jury to a newspaper or publisher for 90 days after the trial finishes.
As much previously reported, the prosecution will say that Murray was negligent in the way he administered the drug propofol to Jackson, the surgical anaesthetic that led to the singer’s death. Murray’s defence are expected to claim Jackson self-administered the lethal shot.
