Key Moments from Michael Jackson Death Trial
As closing arguments begin in Conrad Murray's trial, a recap of key moments.
Nov. 4, 2011— -- intro: Judgment day is nearing for Dr.Conrad Murray in the Michael Jackson death trial as the jury is about to begin its deliberations.
Judge Michael Pastor told the jury to find Murray guilty, they must determine that he committed a lawful act with criminal negligence or failed due to criminal negligence to perform a legal duty.
Criminal negligence involved acting in a reckless way that creates a high risk of death or serious injury or acting in a way that a reasonable person would not.
The prosecution scored a huge victory when the judge agreed over defense objections to allow the jurors to convict Murray even if they believe the defense theory that the singer injected himself after the doctor left the room.
Murray is still criminally liable, the judge said, "if the defendant should have foreseen the possibility of harm that could result from his act."
Over the six-week trial, the jurors heard from 49 witnesses, listened to a tape of a drugged-up Michael Jackson, and saw photos of a dead Jackson on a hospital gurney. They did not, however, hear from Murray, who on Tuesday invoked his constitutional right to remain silent
Click through to see some higlights from the trial.
quicklist: 1category: title: Michael Jackson Death Photourl: text:
On opening day of the trial, Deputy District Attorney David Walgren showed the court a picture of Michael Jackson on June 24, 2009 dancing on a rehearsal stage and looking healthy.
He then showed a graphic image of the singer on June 25, 2009, dead on a hospital gurney. In the image Jackson's mouth is open, his eyes are closed and there is tape over the space between his lips and nose.
As the images flashed Latoya Jackson passed tissues to her sister, Janet, as they sat in the gallery with Michael Jackson's parents and other siblings.
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quicklist: 2category: title: Michael Jackson's Slurred Audio Recordingurl: text:
On Day 7 of the trial, jurors listened to a drugged Michael Jackson saying he hurts and that he had no childhood.
The audio was the second portion of a recording made on Murray's iPhone that was first played for jurors during opening statements.
Michael Jackson's Drugged Phone Call
"My performances will be up there helping my children and always be my dream. I loved them. I love them because I didn't have a childhood. I had no childhood. I feel their pain. I feel their hurt. I can deal with it," Jackson said in the recording.
"'Heal the World,' 'We Are The World,' 'Will You Be There,' 'The Lost Children'... These are the songs I've written because I hurt, you know, I hurt," he mumbled.
Jermaine Jackson listened with a pained face and Randy Jackson put his hand over his mouth when their brother is heard saying, "I hurt."
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quicklist: 3category: title: The Weapon: Propofolurl: text:
Jackson's death has landed the powerful sedative in the spotlight.
The singer reportedly used the drug, which he called his "milk," as a sleep aid.
Propofol is a sedative that is usually administered to patients who are undergoing surgery or another medical procedure. It is a fast-acting drug, with most patients receiving it losing consciousness within a matter of seconds.
The potency of propofol as an anesthetic is so widely known that in anesthesiology circles, the drug, a white liquid, is nicknamed "milk of amnesia."
In lieu of calling fingerprint experts, both sides agreed that Murray's fingerprints were found on the propofol bottle that allegedly provided the fatal dose while Jackson's fingerprints were not found on any of the vials or medical equipment.
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quicklist: 4category: title: First Witness: Kenny Ortegaurl: text:
Prosecutors called Kenny Ortega, the choreographer and Jackson's friend, as the first witness.
Ortega testified that on June 19, 2009, less than a week before Jackson was found dead from a drug overdose, the singer arrived at rehearsal unwell.
"My friend wasn't right," Ortega said of Jackson. "There was something going on that was deeply troubling me."
Ortega said Jackson appeared lost and incoherent. He rubbed Jackson's chilled feet and fed him food when it was clear he hadn't eaten.
Worried, Ortega sent an e-mail to the concert promoter and an emergency meeting was called in which Murray told them not to worry.
"He said I should stop trying to be an amateur doctor and psychologist and be the director and allow Michael's health to him," Ortega testified.
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quicklist: 4category: title: Alberto Alvarezurl: text:
Also testifying for the prosecution, Jackson's bodyguard Alberto Alvarez called 911 as Murray tried to revive Jackson.
Alvarez later told police that Murray told him to stash various medicine bottles and a saline bag containing a bottle of propofol into a blue bag, evidence that Murray knew he had done wrong and wanted to cover it up, prosecutors claimed.
The defense tried to discredit Alvarez' damaging account, pointing out that Alvarez did not leave fingerprints on the saline bag he allegedly stashed
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quicklist: 5category: title: Detective Scott Smithurl: text: Another key prosecution witness, LAPD Det. Scott Smith, conducted the interview with Murray on June 27, 2009, two days after Jackson's death.
Through Smith, prosecutors played the two-hour audiotape of Murray's account for the jury. In it, Murray admitted that he had been giving Jackson propofol repeatedly for the two months he served as Jackson's doctor in Los Angeles.
Murray said he was trying to wean Jackson off of propofol by using other sleep medicines.
On June 25, Murray had injected Jackson with doses of the sedatives lorazepam and midazolam, but Jackson still could not sleep. After Jackson complained that he would not be able to rehearse and his concerts were in jeopardy, Murray said he relented and gave Jackson a 25 mg dose of propofol.
Murray said he left Jackson's side for only two minutes to use the bathroom, and that he returned to find the singer had stopped breathing. Murray said he did everything he could to revive Jackson but his patient never regained consciousness.
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quicklist: 5category: title: Dr. Steven Shaferurl: text:
The state's key medical expert, Dr. Steven Shafer, analyzed the levels of propofol in Jackson's blood.
He concluded that the most likely scenario was that Murray had set up a continuous IV drip of propofol that continued seeping into Jackson even as his breathing and heart stopped.
Shafer listed 17 ways in which Murray deviated from accepted standards of medical care -- including not calling 911 immediately upon finding Jackson in distress; not having emergency medical equipment and personnel available in the bedroom; and leaving Jackson unmonitored while Murray used the bathroom and made phone calls.
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quicklist: 6category: title: Dr. Richelle Cooper/Dr. Thao Nguyenurl: text:
Dr. Richelle Cooper and Dr. Thao Nguyen were the two UCLA doctors who treated Jackson when he arrived at the hospital.
They worked on Jackson for over an hour before officially pronouncing him dead.
Both doctors said they asked what drugs Jackson had taken that day. Murray mentioned lorazepam, but never told them he had given Jackson propofol.
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quicklist: 7category: title: Martin Blount/Richard Senneff (pictured)url: text: Martin Blount and Richard Senneff, the two Los Angeles County Fire Department paramedics called to the Jackson bedroom, testified that Murray looked "frantic" and "flustered."
Neither paramedic saw any signs of life in Jackson throughout the efforts to resuscitate him.
They said that Murray admitted giving Jackson lorazepam to aid in sleep, but that Murray never mentioned administering propofol.
Senneff said he saw Murray stashing something in a bag, and Blount added that he saw Murray stashing lidocaine bottles in a black bag.
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quicklist: 8category: title: Nicole Alvarezurl: text:
In the hours preceding Jackson's death, Murray was reportedly communicating with four women: Sade Anding, Nicole Alvarez, Michelle Bella and Bridgette Morgan.
Phone records show he made several calls during the critical period during which Jackson should have been closely monitored, prosecutors argued.
Three of the women testified for prosecutors, but perhaps the most colorful was Alvarez, an actress and former cocktail waitress and the mother of one of Murray's children.
On the witness stand, she described her acting duties as "taking care of my instrument" while motioning to her own body.
While living with Murray, Alvarez also received packages in the mail that prosecutors believe were shipments of propofol.
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quicklist: 9category: title: Dr. Robert Waldmanurl: text: The defense painted Jackson as an addict and blamed his friend and dermatologist Arnold Klein
Addiction medicine specialist Dr. Robert Waldman looked over the records of Jackson's numerous visits to Klein.
Characterizing Klein's demerol dosing as "large," Waldman concluded that Jackson was dependent on demerol and that insomnia was a probable withdrawal symptom.
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quicklist: 11category: title: Ruby Mosleyurl: text: Five of Murray's patients testified on his behalf but Ruby Mosley probably charmed the room most while bringing the usually composed Murray to tears.
Mosley, a tiny gray-haired woman with a cane, struggled to the witness stand to defend Murray.
She spoke of knowing his father, also a doctor, in the poor community of Acres Home outside Houston and said she met Murray when he opened a clinic dedicated to his father's memory.
"If this man was greedy he never would have come to the community of Acres Home," she said, testifying that most residents are senior citizens on fixed incomes.
Aked if she thought Murray was money hungry: "Do I think? No."
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quicklist: 12category: title: Dr. Paul Whiteurl: text: Defense witness, Dr. Paul White, the so-called "father of propofol" convincingly undercut the opinions of prosecution expert Dr. Shafer.
White analyzed the drug levels in Jackson's blood and the evidence at the scene and concluded that the most likely scenario is that Jackson swallowed eight lorazepam tablets around 7 a.m. and then self-injected a 25 mg dose of propofol between 11:30 a.m. and noon, just before he died.
White conceded that Murray should not have administered propofol and then leave his patient unattended.
Though the defense cannot argue that Murray did not deviate from the proper standard of care, his attorney will likely focus on the idea that Jackson caused his own death.
Watch the full story on "20/20" tonight at 10 p.m. ET.
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