Michael Jackson Manslaughter Trial Moves Forward

Finalizing the jury was not an easy task. Going in to the selection process,prosecutors and defense attorneys were well aware of the challenges they faced. Jackson has been in the public eye his entire life. He has been fair game for public scrutiny since the success of the Jackson Five and through his rise as a solo artist. Allegations of child molestation and the controversy surrounding his death further added to media coverage of the singer.

In addition to finding a jury without preconceived notions about the singer,attorneys also had to eliminate spotlight-seeking jurors. "A stealth juror is the prosecution's worst nightmare and the defense's worst nightmare," said defense attorney Mark Geragos,who has handled a number of high profile cases.


In an early effort to weed out unsuitable jurors,145 panelists were asked to complete a 113-question form earlier this month. Potential jurors were asked to reveal whether they have followed other high profile cases or posted or viewed any blogs related to Jackson or Murray. They were also asked if they currently,or previously,considered themselves to be fans or admirers of either Michael Jackson or the Jackson family.

On Friday,bailiffs guided 84 prospective jurors into the courtroom for questioning and within six hours the jury panel had been selected. Each side was granted only 20 minutes to question the first 27 candidates.

Deputy District Attorney David Walgren compared the process to courtroom speed dating because the goal is "to get the most information in a short time.”

While the names of the 12 panel members will not be released,it is known that there ages range from 32 to 57. Within the group,there is a letter carrier,a management consultant,a school bus driver,a paralegal,a former animator,and a college professor. Six alternate jurors were also chosen but one was immediately released for undisclosed reasons.

Although little information is available on the jury panel,Friday's questioning session did reveal the arguments that each side is likely to bring forth in the involuntary manslaughter trial,which will commence on Tuesday,September 27,2011. The defense has pitched the theory that Jackson was a drug addict who may have given himself the final dose of surgical anesthetic propofol .The prosecution's line of questioning focused on whether jurors could find Murray guilty of manslaughter even if Jackson was partially at fault for his own death.

Walgren asked panelists if they could find a driver guilty for running a red light and killing a pedestrian if that pedestrian was partially at fault for failing to check for cars before stepping out. All panelists said that they could find the driver guilty; however one was released after asking if the hypothetical pedestrian used a crosswalk.

Defense attorney Ed Chernoff later asked the jurors to consider a situation in which an individual parachutes off a plane and lands in front of a car on the road. Chernoff argued that the driver would only be responsible for the pedestrian's death if it was "a natural and probable consequence of his actions.”

Dr. Conrad Murray was charged with involuntary manslaughter in February of 2010. Prosecutors contend that he was negligent in administering propofol in the singer's rented home,where he had no access to the appropriate life-saving equipment.

Murray has pleaded not guilty and his lawyers have argued that the Houston-based doctor did not give Jackson a high enough dosage of the drug to cause any issues. If convicted,he faces up to four years in prison and the loss of his medical license.