Lawyer for Jackson’s doctor: No plea deal

April 17, 2010 at 12:00a.m.

Associated Press

LOS ANGELES

The lawyer for Michael Jackson’s doctor says there will be no plea bargain in the involuntary manslaughter case, though he worries whether an impartial jury can be seated for a trial in the death of one of the world’s most famous and idolized entertainers.

The case against Dr. Conrad Murray is complicated, involving drugs, dosages, medical protocols and other complex issues. Defense lawyers and prosecutors are crafting their legal strategies ahead of a summertime preliminary hearing where much of the evidence may become public.

Potentially damaging information about Murray has been revealed.

An autopsy report found Jackson died from an overdose of the powerful anesthetic propofol. In a statement to police, Murray acknowledged giving Jackson the drug and other sedatives to help him sleep, then briefly leaving his bedside. Cellular-phone records show he made at least three personal calls around the time Jackson was stricken.

A Jackson employee who said he was in the room while Murray worked to save the pop star told police the doctor interrupted CPR to collect drug vials.

Murray maintains his innocence, and his lawyer, Ed Chernoff, has said nothing that he gave Jackson “should have” killed him. Chernoff noted the Jackson employee gave a different version of events to police.

“You may find after you are done watching the trial that it is not nearly as cut and dried as has been presented,” Chernoff told The Associated Press in a recent interview. “One thing that simply will never be the truth is that Dr. Murray pumped a bunch of drugs into Michael Jackson and walked out of that room.”

The King of Pop was 50 when he died June 25 in his rented Bel Air mansion, on the brink of a series of comeback shows in London. Murray, a 57-year-old cardiologist with practices in Houston and Las Vegas, was hired by the superstar to look after his health during the rigorous rehearsals and planned to accompany Jackson to London.