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The jury is in place: Murray trial update
By CMU Editorial | Published on Monday 26 September 2011
So the jury is in place and opening remarks are presumably already scripted, as the long awaited trial of Conrad Murray – the medic accused of causing the death of Michael Jackson by negligently administering the dangerous anaesthetic propofol – kicks off properly tomorrow.
Selecting a jury – for the second time, an earlier jury was dismissed after various delays in getting the trial going – has taken much of the month. A pool of almost 400 potential jurors had been cut down to just 84 by last Friday, mainly as a result of the answers said candidates had given to a written questionnaire. On Friday lawyers for both the prosecution and defence questioned the final 84, cutting more candidates out of the equation as they went.
By the end of the day a twelve person jury had been agreed on. The jury will consist of seven men and five women, from an eclectic mix of backgrounds. Ethnically speaking, six are Caucasian, five Hispanic and just one African-American. Unsurprisingly, all admitted to having prior knowledge about Jackson’s lifestyle, controversies and death, though they will have to try to put those past preconceptions to the side once testimonies begin later this week.
As much previously reported, Murray, who is pleading not-guilty to the manslaughter charges, will claim Jackson self-administered the fatal shot of propofol, possibly by drinking the liquid drug, either in a misguided attempt to induce sleep, or as part of a suicide bid. While media interest in jury selection has been modest, the full media circus is expected once the trial kicks off proper.
