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Jacksons v AEG Timeline Legal Top Stories
Conrad Murray trial rescheduled
By CMU Editorial | Published on Friday 4 March 2011
The start of Dr Conrad Murray’s trial over the alleged involuntary manslaughter of Michael Jackson has been put back by seven and a half weeks, which is no fun at all. Opening statements had been due to be made on 24 Mar.
As previously reported, there was a squabble at a pre-trial hearing last week when it emerged the main lawyer working for Murray had not prepared reports on the witnesses he plans to present during the trial. J Michael Flanagan told Judge Michael Pastor he never prepared notes on likely witnesses for trials like this, that he hadn’t done so for ten years, and that he didn’t have to under California laws.
But Pastor said he wanted the reports to be written, so they could be shared with the prosecution before the trial to avoid any nasty surprises in court. With none of those reports even started, Prosecutor Deborah Brazil said that would mean the start of the trial would have to be postponed.
Pastor initially resisted those calls, but ruled on Wednesday that the start of the trail should be postponed in order to give both legal teams more time to share information. Prospective jurors will still be called on the trial’s original start date of 24 Mar, but the trial itself won’t get underway until 9 May.
