Conrad Murray Trial

Dr. Nadar Kamangar had some harsh words for Dr. Conrad Murray's treatment of Michael Jackson -- calling it "inconceivable," "unethical," and "disturbing."

* Dr. Kamangar told the court insomnia is a common problem in the ICU ... he said he uses Propofol on a daily basis.
* Kamangar said Propofol should be used with extreme caution because it can be unpredictable, especially when used with other sedatives.
* He said Murray's treatment of Michael Jackson amounted to "gross negligence."
* According to Kamangar , Murray should have never given MJ any sedatives because he was dehydrated ... which means his blood pressure was already low.
* He also said Murray's failure to call 911 was an "unconscionable deviation of care" adding, Murray wasted critical time calling MJ's assistant instead of calling 911.
* Kamangar told the court Murray broke one of the first rules of medicine -- putting your patient first -- when he witheld information from ER docs.
* He also said Murray behaved unethically when he chose to ignore "clear signs" of MJ's drug addiction.

Dr. Conrad Murray's attorneys are trying to change doctor's story, trying to convince jurors that Michael Jackson had way more than 2 minutes to self-administer the fatal dose of Propofol.

Murray's attorney J. Michael Flanagan suggested in court today -- perhaps the 2-minute window Murray described in his infamous police interview wasn't so accurate. Murray told cops he left to pee, and when he came back Michael wasn't breathing.

The problem with Murray's statement -- it's improbable that during the 2-minute window, MJ woke up, grabbed the Propofol and shot it into the port in his leg.

Dr. Conrad Murray's lawyer announced in court this AM that Murray is abandoning the argument that Michael Jackson accidentally killed himself by orally self-administering Propofol.

Michael Flanagan said in court today that an independent study by the defense showed swallowing Propofol would not produce fatal results.

Associated Press initially reported that Murray's lawyers were dropping the claim that MJ self-administered the fatal dose, but that is not accurate.

Dr. Alon Steinberg -- one of the leading cardiologists for the California Medical Board -- just told the jury ... Dr. Conrad Murray demonstrated an "extreme deviation" from standard practices in his care for Michael Jackson.

* Dr. Steinberg made it clear he is a cardiologist... not an anesthesiologist.
* Steinberg testified he reviewed Murray's case relying solely on transcripts from his police interview because he wanted "to judge Dr. Murray onhis very own words."
* He found 6 separateand distinct deviations of standard of care – each one amounting to "gross negligence."
* Steinberg said Propofol should only be used for procedures in a hospital and should never be used for sleep.
* According to Steinberg, Murray lacked basic equipment to keep the singer alive in case of emergency.
* Murray should have had an assistant at all times.
* Murray should have called 911 immediately.

Prosecutors just showed an image of Michael Jackson's dead, naked body sprawled on a gurney -- taken hours after the singer died.

The date on the tiles beside his body appears to read August 25th, 2009 -- but MJ's autopsy doctor Christopher Rogers claims the date is wrong ... it should read June 25th.

The doctor who declared Michael Jackson's death a homicide claims it's extremely unlikely the singer killed himself with a deadly dose of Propofol -- insisting Dr. Conrad Murray is more likely to blame.

Dr. Christopher Rogers just testified -- Murray's description of the final moments leading up to Michael's cardiac arrest just doesn't add up.

Murray claims he left for two minutes to go to the bathroom -- and when he returned, Michael wasn't breathing. The defense will argue MJ self-administered a deadly dose of Propofol in that time.

But Rogers insists ... Murray's scenario is nearly impossible -- because in that two minute window, MJ would have had to wake up (under the influence of several powerful sedatives) and skillfully administer the deadly dose ... which would then have had to travel to his brain, causing him to stop breathing.

What's more likely, according to Rogers -- Murray administered several doses of Propofol in the hours leading to Michael's death without properly measuring them out ... resulting in an overdose.

4:05 PM: Rogers seemed to soften his initial position during cross-examination -- claiming it's unlikely MJ injected himself with a deadly dose of Propofol ... but it's still possible.

Dr. Conrad Murray's attorney Ed Chernoff cited a TMZ story this morning during his cross-examination of LAPD Detective Scott Smith -- a story about how Murray screwed himself over by talking to police.

In the story "Jackson Doc Talks Himself into a Corner" -- published on July 16th, 2009 -- we reported Murray raised red flags with the LAPD during his infamous 2-hour police interview ... after making several incriminating disclosures about his involvement in MJ's death.

Dr. Conrad Murray told police ... he had no clue what medications Michael Jackson had been prescribed by other doctors -- and although he knew it was going on ... Murray says MJ never told him he was seeing other doctors.

In the police interview from June 27th 2009 -- two days after MJ died -- Murray cites Dr. Arnold Klein as one doctor who regularly prescribed MJ drugs behind Murray's back.

According to Murray, MJ's production team often complained about the singer's visits to Klein -- insisting Michael's worst days on set were after he had been to Dr. Klein's office ... about three times a week.

During the taped interview -- played in court today -- Murray told police ... "When [Michael] came back [from Klein's office], he was basically wasted and required 24 hours for recovery."

Murray claims the only evidence of doctor-shopping he saw was a smattering of prescription pill bottles by the singer's bedside, bearing other doctors' names.

Michael Jackson's autopsy doctor, Christopher Rogers, told the jury Dr. Murray is to blame for the singer's death.

Rogers testified there was no way Jackson could have self-administered thedeadly dose of Propofol during the two minutes Murray told police heleft MJ's bedside.

"In order for Mr. Jackson to administer the Propofol to himself, youhave to believe that he... woke up, although he was at least to someextent under the influence of other sedatives," Rogers said.

Rogers testified no white substance resembling Propofol was found inMJ's throat, stomach, or esophagus ... suggesting the singer could NOT have taken the drug orally without Murray knowing about it.

Rogers -- the Los Angeles county medical examiner -- believed the lack of measuring devices in the singer's bedroom -- means Murray could have easily given the singer too much Propofol.

According to the Rogers, the King of Pop -- who was 5-feet-9 and weighed 136 lbs. -- was well within the normal weight range. The arteries around MJ's heart were free of any fat or cholesterol, showing the singer's heart was healthier than most people his age.

The autopsy showed the 50-year-old singer suffered from an enlarged prostate, Vitiligo, and a chronic inflammation and swelling of the lungs. He also had a polyp in his colon, as well as an area of "irregular pigmentation" on his scalp -- most likely the result of his hair catching fireduring the filming of a Pepsi commercial in 1984.

Fun fact: a radiology exam showed MJ had an extra rib.

Rogers told the court he believed a combination of sedatives -- including Propofol -- eventually caused MJ's heart to stop.

Defense attorney Ed Chernoff came out swinging in court today ... insisting LAPD Detective Scott Smith took shoddy notes during his search of the medical bags found in Michael Jackson's closet.

Smith -- who introduced Murray's 2-hour police interview tape on Friday -- continued his testimony today, admitting his notes did not mentioned finding a Propofol vial inside the IV bag.

Smith also confirmed MJ's house was never locked in the days following the singer's death -- which, the defense will argue, may have contributed to evidence-tampering.

The tape continues -- Dr. Conrad Murray's explosive 2-hour interview with police on June 27th, 2009 ... two days after Michael Jackson died.

The jury only heard half of Dr. Conrad Murray's dramatic 2-hour interview with police today -- in which Murray admitted he pumped Michael Jackson full of sedatives before he died -- and now, here's the other half ... you have to read it to believe it.

Among the highlights ...

-- Murray details an emotional encounter with Katherine Jackson just moments after she hears the news -- she asks him if he knows how Michael died. Murray says he doesn't.
-- Murray claims Joe Jackson never showed up at the hospital the day MJ died.
-- And ... Murray explains why security cameras caught him exiting the hospital at 4:30PM.

Dr. Conrad Murray's interview with LAPD detectives reveals a huge inconsistency that could weigh heavily with the jury.

In the tape, Dr. Murray says he left Michael Jackson's room for only 2 minutes to go to the bathroom, and when he came back Michael Jackson was not breathing. Murray says he immediately began performing CPR.

But according to Sade Anding, Murray's Houston girlfriend who was on the phone with Murray, she says she was talking to him for a while when suddenly it appeared Murray dropped the phone and the emergency commenced.

“I have to sleep, Dr. Conrad, I have these rehearsals to perform.” That’s what Dr. Conrad Murray told investigators Michael Jackson said to him in the early morning hours of June 25th, 2009. Hours later, Jackson was dead.

In what's been the most anticipated evidence in the trial, the prosecution played the jury Dr. Murray's 2-hour interview with LAPD detectives, recorded 2 days after MJ died.

Murray told detectives he arrived at Jackson’s rented mansion at 12:50 AM on June 25, and headed straight to Michael’s room to wait for him to come home after rehearsals. According to Murray, Jackson arrived at 1:05 am saying he was tired and fatigued. Murray rubbed a cream on Michael’s body to treat his Vitiligo ... then gave Michael a 10 mg Valium pill. Michael couldn’t sleep, so Murray says he then gave him 2 mg of the anti-anxiety drug, Lorazepam.

Dr. Conrad Murray admitted to police ... he administered dose after dose of multiple, powerful sleeping aids -- including Propofol -- over several hours .... before Michael Jackson died.

Prosecutors just played a portion of Dr. Murray's explosive 2-hour interview with police on June 27th, 2009 -- in which Murray claims Jackson "was unable to sleep naturally."

Murray told police, beginning around 1:30 AM, he gave MJ multiple doses of Lorazepam and Medazolam over the course of 9 hours on June 25th, 2009 to help the singer sleep -- but the drugs had no effect -- and then gave him other drugs as well.

Around 10:40 AM -- less than two hours before MJ's security guard called 911 -- Murray said he gave MJ 25mg of Propofol to put him to sleep ... claiming, "I took all precautions that were available to me."