Preliminary hearing For Conrad Murray Day 1 Opening Statement by Deputy District Attorney David Walgren. 4th January 2011
Compiled and typed up by Sharon Longhurst (Thank you Sharon!)
by Reflections On The Dance, An Honest Look at Michael Joseph Jackson on Monday, January 10, 2011 at 7:54am
Prosecution witnesses
1.Kenny Ortega (co-director,Co-creator, This Is It tour)
2.Michael Amir Williams (Personal Assistant to Michael Jackson)
3.Faheem Muhammad (Head of Jackson's security)
Deputy Dist.Atty David Walgren is the co-prosecutor along with Deborah Brazil.
David Walgren presents the opening statement.
The people will be calling a number of witnesses, 20-30 witnesses who will testify to the relevlant facts around Michael Jackson's death said Walgren. He then laid out the background to what was taking place before Michael's death.
He told the court that the evidence will show that Michael was preparing for the important tour of his life This Is It. It was to begin in London in 2009. It was to be a major world event. Rehearsals began in Burbank. Later they were transferred to The Forum. Then the rehearsals were taking place at The Staples Center.
Michael would rehearse in the afternoon and evenings and when the rehearsals were over he would return to his rented home in Holmby Hills,100 Carolwood Drive.
Dr.Murray was not working under contract with Michael Jackson,but in the months before he was working as Michael Jackson's doctor and he had previously treated Michael's children.
Dr Murray was treating Michael at his home of 100,Carolwood Drive. He would go to Michael's house in the evening. He would stay overnight at Michael's home.
Regarding the propofol Walgren said that it is a powerful anesthetic used for surgery and that there is no indication for it to be used for insomnia as its specifically used for surgery.
On Tuesday,(June 23rd,2009) Michael followed his normal routine to the Staple Center for rehearsals. The rehearsals went fabulous and Michael was optimistic. Everyone was impressed with the energy and optimism that Michael portrayed.
The following day,(June 24th,2009). Michael followed his same routine and arrived at The Staple Center and begins his rehearsal. By all accounts it was a fabulous,energetic rehearsal and Michael left optimistic for the future.
On June 25th Michael returns home around 1am. Dr Murray's car was parked in the driveway. Security dropped Michael off and the security departed for the evening.
The evidence will show the telephone calls and texts Dr Murray made and through the evidence from the paramedics that Michael was already dead at his home prior to paramedics arriving at the location.
Walgren said that piecing together the information there were only two people in that room.
At 11.50 am,a phone call Dr Murray made to an assistant lasted 11 minutes. At some point the phone conversation stopped. The assistant got off the phone and tried to call Dr Murray back. There was a commotion in the bedroom that the person heard.
It is believed that Michael might have stopped breathing and that it was at that time that Dr Murray became aware of the seriousness of his patient.
Dr Murray did NOT call 911, he called one of Michael's security personnel.He told security to call for help right away.He needs help.12.12pm a phone call was placed to Michael Amir Williams,Michael's personal assistant.
Michael Amir Williams was not on location. Michael Amir calls Faheem Muhammad (head of Michael's security) who was not on location either. They both drive back towards the house. Learning that Faheem was not at the house Michael Amir calls someone else. At 12.17pm Alberto Alverez receives a phone call from Michael Amir Williams.
Security was stationed outside the house. They had their own trailer (on the property).
On entering Michael's bedroom Alberto Alvarez sees Dr Murray trying to do CPR on the bed,one handed.
Dr Murray repeats to Alberto Alvarez that Michael had a bad reaction.
Dr Murray instructs Alvarez to collect evidence. 911 has not yet been called or ordered to be called by Dr Murray.
Dr Murray is having Alverez help him collect various bottles of medicine, medical paraphernalia medical bottles,wrappings,and dropping them into a bag. Dr Murray tells Alvarez to grab the bag on the IV that was hanging. Alvarez grabs that bag and places it with the other items. It's only then he is told to call 911. The 911 call was placed at 12.21pm.
Circumstantially it was at 12 noon that Dr Murray may have paid enough attention to Michael Jackson to notice his distress. Paramedics were on site within 4 minutes.
Paramedics found Michael's eyes were fixed and dilated. Wide open. He was cold to the touch. Completely flat lined.
According to the paramedics Michael was dead upon arrival of their treatment. They did NOT observe any standard medical treatment that one would expect to see with propofol such as a heart monitor.
Paramedic Senneth asked about his underlying medical condition. Doctor Murray told him there was nothing and that he was being treated for dehydration. The only thing Dr Murray reveals to the paramedics is the (nordiazepam). He doesn't mention the benzodiazepines or giving Michael propofol.
If the paramedics had the full information they could of acted appropriately.
Dr Murray never told the UCLA doctors or the paramedics about the propofol.
At 1.13pm care is taken over by Dr Cooper and Dr Winn at UCLA. They both also inquired what Michael had been treated with. All they were told was he had given him mirazapam, a valium,and also flomax. He again did not mention anything about the propofol treatment.
They tried all they could to bring Michael Jackson back to life but all efforts failed and at 2.26pm they pronounced Michael dead.
At some point Dr Murray walked out of the hospital and went on his way. LAPD tried to contact Dr Murray but they were unable to reach him. Two days later he was interviewed by the LAPD with his attorney. It was at that interview where it was learned what Dr Murray had given Michael Jackson.
The autopsy concluded that Michael Jackson had died of acute propofol poisoning along with benzodiazepine. The court will learn from these medical experts that there are a number of actions Dr Murray did that deviated from the expected standard of care.
The fact that propofol was given in a home setting instead of a surgical room without the assisting medical equipment.
The fact that no attending staff or assistants were made available for Dr Murray.
The fact that propofol was given in conjunction with several benzodiazepine's.
The fact that he was trying to do CPR with ONE hand on a BED.
The fact that there was a failiure to maintain appropriate medical records and the failiure to advise paramedics or treating medical doctors to the medications/treatment given.
This was the end of the prosecution's opening statement.
Defense Atty Ed Chernoff did not prepare an opening statement.
Sources
and from Erin Jacobs updates on Ustream (Thank you Erin <3)
