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The Verdict is In: Dr. Conrad Murray GUILTY of Involuntary Manslaughter in Michael Jackson's Death [UPDATED]
After less than a day and a half of deliberation, the jury in the involuntary manslaughter trial for Michael Jackson's doctor, Conrad Murray, has reached a verdict: GUILTY.
Cries, presumably of happiness, erupted and were immediately shushed as the clerk read the verdict.
Judge Michael Pastor read the final instructions to the jury, and thanked them for their service, and granted them the right to discuss the case with anyone. They are, however, unable to profit from discussing the case for a period of at least 90 days, under California law.
The jury, comprised of seven men and five women, included eight jurors who had previously served on juries. Outside the court building, as the Jackson family trickled into the courtroom ahead of the scheduled 1 p.m. verdict reading, the chant of "Guilty! Guilty!" filled the air, and the usual crowd was said to have grown to several times its usual size.
Murray was ordered to stand trial in the high-profile case back in January. The doctor was first charged in February of 2010, and a lengthy pre-trial phase ensued, during which time Jackson fans issued a rally cry for justice for the King of Pop and the Murray defense said Jackson was a desperate drug addict who committed suicide.
When the trial got underway, prosecutors opened with a shocking image of Jackson's corpse. Murray's ex-girlfriends took turns on the stand, as did former patients, and medical experts. Dr. Murray, however, did not testify.
UPDATE: The prosecution asked for Murray to be remanded into custody without bail ahead of his scheduled sentencing on November 29th. Not surprisingly, the defense refuted the request and said there was "no reason" to remand him. Pastor, emphasizing that Murray has been found guilty of a felony and that there is no statutory provision for bail, said that he believed public protection dictates that the defendant be remanded. Ultimately, after explaining a series of legal considerations, Pastor ordered Murray remanded, without bail, until sentencing, and the doctor was handcuffed in the courtroom.
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