Michael Jackson's Doctor Trial: Reactions

Conrad Murray, Michael Jackson's doctor, has been charged with overdosing pop icon Michael Jackson with a drug that led to the death of the singer. If convicted, Murray would be sentenced up to four years prison.

The crux of the defense is going to be that Michael Jackson engaged in a desperate act and took desperate measures that caused his death, one of the three defense attorneys Ed Chernoff informed Judge of Los Angeles Superior Court Michael Pastor on April 6.

In a motion filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, Murray's attorneys said they intend to show the audio-visual recording of Jackson's news conference to support testimony that he was not physically capable of doing the 50 shows to which he eventually agreed.

At the press conference, Mr. Jackson informs the crowd that these 10 shows will be his `final show performances' and that this was the 'final curtain call, written in the document filed by one of the three defense attorneys Nareg Gourjian.

Mr. Jackson reiterates to the crowd that, `When I say this is it, it really means this is it.' The motion said jurors would be able to see Jackson's mental and physical condition. The defense indicates that Jackson was in frail health and was overstrained by the prospect of performing in 50 shows. They said the recorded news conference will prove the testimony from Jackson's makeup artist named Karen Faye that Jackson was furious when he was informed that he would perform 50 shows.

Mr. Jackson told Ms. Faye, 'It wasn't supposed to be this way. This is not what it was supposed to be. Why can't I choose?' the motion said.

Lawyers for Murray have said the Jackson would be calling off the tour if he failed to get sleep. Murray told police he was giving the singer the anesthetic propofol to help him improve his sleep. Murray told Los Angeles police detective named Orlando Martinez that had been noticing Jackson suffered insomnia-plagued for two months in an interview two days after Jackson died.

Superior Court Judge Michael Pastor has set an extent about the kinds of information Murray's defense attorneys can introduce about Jackson within the trial, details of the singer's 2005 child molestation trial ended in acquittal, financial troubles, and witnesses try to imply the singer to be a drug addict are not allowed to submit.

The rulings have drawn praise from fans and court watchers as well, but will not treat the era of blogs and social media in the same way. For some salacious news organizations and the blogosphere, there won't be a check on fairness, Ben Holden, director of the Reynolds National Center for the Courts and Media said.

This is the world of social media, and it directly impacts criminal trials, Thomas Mesereau said, the attorney who helped Jackson get through his 2005 molestation trial. I have no doubt that both sides will hire competent people to explore every aspect of social media to try and find out whatever they can about these jurors, and also to see if these potential jurors have communicated themselves with anyone else about this case.

Any information you can get on a prospective juror is helpful, because you have such a short period of time in which to evaluate who the person is that is ultimately going to be making a very important decision in the case, Richard Gabriel, a jury consultant with Decision Analysis said.

U.S.-based fans, international groups are making efforts watching their intestine media for stories they feel treat the singer unfairly closely. MJ4Justice is such a kind of group with founders come from three country: the United State, Ireland and Canada.

Michael's not here to defend himself, a member of MJ4Justice named Millie Freeman said. It's up to his family and up to his fans.

We don't want Michael Jackson to be put up on a pedestal like he never made any mistakes, Erin Jacobs, a founder of the Southern California-based group MJ4Justice said.

Another group Team Michael has published a press release requiring coverage of the Murray case not to malign MJ. It is NOT Wacko Jacko, It is MICHAEL JACKSON! the release reads in part. It is NOT Pedophile, It is Humanitarian! and It's not Michael on trial, it's Conrad Murray.

Brother of Michael Jackson, Jermaine Jackson told The Associated Press that he expects Murray's attorney to try to smear his brother. They are going to try that, he said, adding that he penned his new book You Are Not Alone in part as a rebuttal to defense arguments that his brother was weakened by an addiction to the painkiller Demerol.

Jackson died of the anesthetic propofol at his rented mansion on June 25,2009. The rehearsals became the basis of a posthumous concert movie, This Is It.