Jury starts to weigh Jackson doctor case
LOS ANGELES -- Jurors considering the case against Michael Jackson's doctor ended their first day of deliberations Friday without reaching a verdict or asking any questions indicating how far along they have gotten in their discussions.
The seven-man, five-woman panel was given highlighters and blank forms to request evidence.
They were set to resume discussions Monday. The jury must reach a unanimous verdict to convict or acquit Dr. Conrad Murray of involuntary manslaughter in Jackson's June 2009 death.
Jackson died from a fatal dose of the anesthetic propofol. Murray has acknowledged giving Jackson propofol to help him sleep.
The jury is not sequestered and will deliberate during the court's regular hours. A verdict will be read the same day it is reached.
During closing arguments of the six-week trial, attorneys for the cardiologist, who has an office in Las Vegas, attacked prosecutors and their witnesses, saying they had over time developed stories and theories that placed the blame for Jackson's death squarely on Murray.
Prosecutors countered that Murray was an opportunistic and inept doctor who left Jackson's three children without a father. They said that Murray giving Jackson propofol as a sleep aid violated standards of care and amounted to a secret experiment in which the doctor kept no records.
