Last night, while I was typing skitter on Twitter, a soft spoken doctor - born and raised in the Caribbean - was found guilty of manslaughter. He was a man who moved to America from Trinidad and opened a free clinic in Houston, Texas in honour of his father.
The people in the surrounding area lauded him, saying such things as "Dr Murray is a dedicated public servant and wherever his help is requested and much-needed, he will provide it - whoever it is who is asking" and "I don't know why he got involved with Michael Jackson. Dr Conrad is a good man. Michael Jackson was not. The whole of America knew that. He has been brought down because he wanted to help his friend."
He also didn't want to lose his $150k a month job offered to him by Jackson, 'cause he'd already remortgaged the house he shared with his wife and two children three times, and was behind on the child maintenance he had to fork over for fathering "four other children with various women".
But who am I to judge, that's already been done by the jury of seven men and five women after nine hours of deliberation. SKY News reports: "They ruled Murray gave the King of Pop a fatal overdose of the dangerous anaesthetic propofol. Jackson's sister La Toya, who was in court with other members of the family, whooped with delight when the verdict was read out. She later tweeted: "VICTORY!!!!!! The singer's mother Katherine told a reporter: "I feel better now." Outside the court, more than 100 Jackson fans erupted in cheers, some even fainted... Los Angeles Superior Court heard he gave the father-of-three propofol to help him overcome his chronic insomnia. But prosecutors said the use of the drug as a sleeping aid violated standards of care. They said Murray, who was due to be paid £150,000 a month, should not have administered propofol without proper medical back-up and equipment. Prosecutors said Murray botched resuscitation efforts and lied to other medical personnel about his actions. They depicted him as a reckless physician who abandoned his patient when he needed him most. Murray, who did not give evidence during the trial, admitted giving the singer a small dose of propofol to help him sleep. But his lawyers argued Jackson was dependent on the drug and that he probably gave himself an extra, fatal dose of the powerful anaesthetic when Murray left the room. They also suggested he had swallowed a handful of sedatives."
The Guardian adds: Murray, with heavy bags under his eyes, squirmed uncomfortably in his seat in the moments before the verdict but showed no visible reaction as he absorbed the bad news. Judge Michael Pastor ordered him remanded in custody without bail pending his sentencing, which was set for 29 November. Even before the court session ended, sheriff's deputies leaned over Murray's seat, pulled his hands behind his back and handcuffed him in his pinstriped charcoal grey suit. 'This is not a crime involving a mistake in judgment, it's not about the administration of drugs per se … the offence charged and proven in this case is a homicide,' Judge Pastor ruled. 'The reckless conduct in this case poses a demonstrable risk to the safety of the public if Dr Murray remains out of custody on bond'."
During his closing statement, lead prosecutor Dave Walgren said: "This is bizarre, unethical, unconscionable behaviour. Michael Jackson trusted Conrad Murray. He trusted him with his life; he paid with his life... Conrad Murray did not call 911 because he had other things on his mind - to protect Conrad Murray,"
So that's one down... Funny how this yoke will never stand trial.