During the six-week trial, prosecutors had agreed that Murray was guilty of gross negligence in administering propofol (which is a surgical anesthetic) as a sleep-aid to Michael Jackson, and the doctor also failed in monitoring Jackson on the drug. Evidence also showed that Murray delayed in calling emergency assistance when the pop star stopped breathing and that he did not tell medical personnel that he had given propofol to Michael Jackson.
The defense said that Murray had given a very small dose of propofol to the singer to help him sleep. They argued that the singer was already dependent on the drug and it is possible that he added a fatal dose and another handful of sedatives without the knowledge of Murray.
Attorney J. Michael Flanagan, who visited the doctor in the Los Angeles County jail, told the media that the doctor was “adapting fairly well for a person who is serving time and who is actually innocent.” Murray’s attorneys continue to deny that Murray was guilty of any criminal negligence. However, their arguments were not substantiated by Murray who failed to take the witness stand in his own defense. Today, he regrets that decision.
According to Flanagan, Murray’s lead attorney, Ed Chernoff insisted that Murray should not take the stand despite Flanagan’s disagreement on the issue. Murray ultimately followed the advice of the more senior lawyer and landed up in jail. Flanagan said, “Murray now realizes that he should have testified… Now he says that the biggest mistake he made in the trial of the case was not testifying … We had so many gaps in the case that needed to be filled, that could only be supplied by Dr. Murray.”