Murray's verdict reactions

KURT LODER:
MJ Was a Child Molester

Kurt Loder -- the longtime face of "MTV News" -- says he believes Michael Jackson was a child molester.

Loder appeared on the "Jeff and Jeremy in the Morning" radio show this morning ... when he was asked if he thought MJ's death was a tragedy.

Loder replied, "Its a shame how he grew up ... his childhood was a shame ... there is many sad aspects to his life, ... on the other hand, I think he was a child molester, and that sort of tempers any feelings you might have about him."

When asked why he believed MJ molested kids, Loder claimed he knew about secret payouts to the parents of little boys ... and pointed to MJ's bizarre behavior.

"Having sleepovers with little boys, and you're a 40 year old man??? Uh, NO. You're like a child molester."

Loder continues, "Maybe being a child molester is the product of a pretty terrible childhood he had ... you can see why that might have happened. On the other hand, molesting children is bad."


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Michael Jackson's Family Reacts To Guilty Verdict
'Even though nothing can bring back our son, justice has finally been served!' family says in a statement to TMZ.

Seventeen members of Michael Jackson's family — including his parents, brothers Jermaine and Randy and sister LaToya — were on hand Monday (November 7) in the Los Angeles courtroom when a guilty verdict was read in the involuntary manslaughter case against Jackson's former physician, Dr. Conrad Murray.


While the audible gasp heard when the verdict was read was reportedly that of Kathy Hilton — a close Jackson family friend and mom to Paris and Nicky Hilton — the family remained stoic during the proceedings and did not hold a formal press conference afterward.

Upon exiting the courthouse, Jackson's mother, Katherine, told local news cameras, "Justice was served. I want to thank the jury for doing the right thing," while brother Randy said he was "ecstatic," and Jermaine said the verdict felt "wonderful." Latoya, wearing a black and gold jacket reminiscent of something her late brother would wear, waved her arms at the crowd in celebration and also tweeted: "VICTORY."

TMZ reported that the family later released a statement, reading, "We have been waiting for this moment for a very long time and we couldn't hold back tears of joy in the courtroom. Even though nothing can bring back our son, justice has finally been served! We can't wait to go home and share this day with Michael's children."

Dr. Murray was found guilty on one count of involuntary manslaughter and faces up to four years in jail and the loss of his medical license. He is due to be sentenced November 29.

MTV News will be covering the Conrad Murray case live. Go to MTVNews.com for breaking news, reactions and analysis from Los Angeles or tune to MTV for the latest updates.

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Michael Jackson: La Toya Jackson talks Conrad Murray guilty verdict


The Conrad Murray trial is over, after six weeks, and today, the news was generating headlines, and the verdict was read. Conrad Murray was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter in the death of Michael Jackson. According to a new report, La Toya Jackson shared her feelings about the verdict.

As Us Magazine reports, La Toya Jackson said of the Conrad Murray trial and the guilty verdict: "Michael was looking over us. Absolutely justice was served."

La Toya, Rebbie, Jermaine, Randy and Katherine and Joe Jackson, as well as other Jackson family members were present today in the courtroom when the verdict was reached, and read today. Fans and those closest to Michael Jackson were left devastated when the news was announced on June 25, 2009 that the King of Pop died, and for many, this trial was to represent a lot in regard to the questions that people have had. The world was watching today as the verdict was read, and it is a trial that did indeed capture the interest of the world.

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Michael Jackson: Reverend Al Sharpton reacts to Conrad Murray guilty verdict

The Conrad Murray trial has ended, and the jury has found the doctor guilty of involuntary manslaughter in the death of Michael Jackson. The news have been generating headlines, and the fans have taken to popular social networks such as Twitter and Facebook, and have shared their thoughts on the verdict, and how they are feeling, now that the trial has ended.

Reverend Al Sharpton took to his official Twitter account and wrote of the Murray verdict: "Murray's conviction is just a down payment for the family of Michael Jackson. I will discuss st length on POLITICS NATION W/ AL SHARPTON."

The trial lasted for six weeks, and the first day of deliberation took place on Friday. There are many stars reacting to the news via Twitter, and the fans outside of the courtroom today have reacted as well. Many wondered how many days of deliberation the jury would need in order to reach a verdict, and it was announced today that the jury had reached a verdict.



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Michael Jackson's mother Katherine Jackson talks Conrad Murray guilty verdict

The jury in the Conrad Murray trial found the doctor guilty today of involuntary manslaughter in the death of Michael Jackson. According to a new report, the mother of the King of Pop, Katherine Jackson voiced her thoughts on the verdict.

As TMZ reports, Katherine Jackson said of the verdict: "We have been waiting for this moment for a very long time and we couldn’t hold back tears of joy in the courtroom. Even though nothing can bring back our son, justice has finally been served!"

Katherine Jackson and various other Jackson family members were present in the courthouse today. The jury had its first day of deliberation on Friday, and today, the news was announced that Conrad Murray was found guilty, and the news has generated countless headlines. Many wondered how many days or hours it would take for the jury to reach a verdict, and as it turns out, the jury deliberated a bit today, but then arrived at a verdict.

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Michael Jackson Fans Mob LA Court Precinct



Hannah Thomas-Peter, US reporter, in Los Angeles
"Guilty, guilty, guilty," was the chant from Michael Jackson fans waiting outside the Los Angeles Superior Court.

With 10 minutes to go until the jury in the trial of Dr Conrad Murray revealed its verdict, more and more voices joined in as the excited crowd grew.

"This is it! This is it!" they shouted, referring both to the impending end of the trial and the title of Jackson's planned comeback concerts in London.
As the clock ticked, fans huddled in groups around smartphones and tablets, watching the feed from the cameras inside court.

There was near silence as everybody strained to hear what was going on against the roar of the Los Angeles traffic thundering by next to us.
As soon as the guilty verdict came through, the crowd erupted - the men and women squashed in next to me screaming "Yes!" and hugging each other, holding aloft banners reading "Michael Jackson forever" and "Conrad Murray killed our idol".

A man on my right blew a horn into my ear while dancing on the spot, and a woman called Patti on my left burst in to tears and shrieked, "Michael was the most wonderful person... he didn't deserve to die like that... I loved him.
"If it wasn't for his doctor he'd still be with us today," she said.


Jackson fans stayed outside court during proceedings

There were more cheers and jeers as it became clear Murray was going to be held in county jail until his sentencing.
"Good riddance! I love you Michael!" shouted a tall man dressed in a red and blue sparkly costume, who was clapped by the exuberant crowd.

Nearby, a young woman was overcome by the moment and appeared to faint.
In the crush of cameras and fans, a tall woman called Laurie, who was wearing a black patent leather jacket and a jaunty trilby, produced an iPhone and a decent pair of speakers.
Michael Jackson's Thriller started booming across the tiny patch of pavement his fans have claimed as their own during the trial, and soon four people were doing their best imitation moves.
A few metres away a young boy stood in front of a microphone singing a pretty impressive version of the Jackson 5 song I Want You Back.

Briton Emily Smith stood on the sidelines, watching quietly.



A young Jackson impersonator outside the court

As a Michael Jackson fan, she had been following the trial closely but felt she had to come down to court for the verdict.
"There are quite a lot of people here who are a bit crazy to be honest," she said, adding that she was keen to show there are plenty of "sensible" people, in her words, who idolised the singer.
She said: "I feel like Michael Jackson was let down by lots of people in his life. He was a vulnerable man and in a way it was very sad to hear the details in court about all those drugs he was taking."
Keith Holman, who had worked as an assistant costume designer for Michael Jackson, agreed that although there was now a chance to celebrate the singer's legacy, his family would never recover.

"I don't discuss the trial with the Jacksons - It's just too sad." he said.
Murray's fans were nowhere to be seen.
They had often attended court and stood outside waving placards in support of him but in the aftermath of the verdict, they were outnumbered by the Jackson fans.
One fan told me: "I saw them leave as a group. A few of them were crying. I don't care. I'm glad justice has been done for Michael."

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Michael Jackson: Prosecutor David Walgren reacts to Conrad Murray verdict

The prosecutor David Walgren had an opportunity to speak to the press yesterday after the verdict was reached in the Conrad Murray trial. The jury found Murray guilty of involuntary manslaughter in the death of Michael Jackson. The trial captured the attention of the world, and people have been looking for answers as to what happened to Michael Jackson on June 25, 2009. The world has been watching the Murray trial over the past six weeks, and it is clear that yesterday, fans around the world were tuning in to watch the verdict being read.

During Walgren's opportunity to speak to reporters yesterday as evidenced in the video -- Walgren stated: "Our sympathies go out to the Jackson family for their loss."

There is no doubt that Michael Jackson fans around the world feel that Walgren did a fantastic job in the trial. La Toya Jackson also took to Twitter to thank David Walgren for the job that he did throughout the trial. David Walgren called in a number of witnesses to testify which also included expert witnesses.

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'Piers Morgan Tonight:' Nareg Gourjian talks Conrad Murray verdict

One of the lawyers for Conrad Murray, Nareg Gourjian appeared on Piers Morgan Tonight to discuss the Conrad Murray verdict that the jury agreed upon yesterday. The doctor was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter, and a number of people have reacted to the news, and have been interviewed.

Nareg Gourjian discussed the "I think what went wrong was a lot of the pre-trial rulings were made by the court in reference to some of the evidence we planned to offer for the jury to consider -- I think that it what essentially denied Dr. Murray a fair trial in this case." Piers Morgan asked Gourjian how Dr. Murray reacted to learning that the jury found him guilty. Gourjian replied: "He was clearly devastated. He loved Michael Jackson. Mr. Jackson was one of his closest friends." Gourjian added that it "was devastating to Dr. Murray."

The Conrad Murray trial lasted for six weeks, and the world was following the trial closely. There were a number of witnesses that were called to testify in the trial, including many expert witnesses as well.

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Michael Jackson: Dr. Alon Steinberg reacts to Conrad Murray verdict

The Conrad Murray trial officially ended, and the jury found the doctor guilty of involuntary manslaughter in the death of Michael Jackson. One of the prosecution's witnesses, cardiologist Dr. Alon Steinberg appeared on the Issues with Jane Velez-Mitchell show yesterday. He discussed the trial, and the verdict that the jury reached.

One of the things that Dr. Steinberg said in his interview, is that he feels that the jury did the right thing. Steinberg was one of the witnesses brought in to testify by the prosecution, and the trial was closely watched by people everywhere around the world.

The verdict that was reached yesterday has many people reacting to the news, and over the past two years, everyone knew that eventually, the day would come when a verdict would be reached, but it remained to be seen what that verdict would be. Fans immediately took to popular social networks yesterday like Twitter and Facebook, and expressed their feelings about the verdict, and there have been a number of interviews given to the media by those involved in the trial, such as Steinberg, and Nareg Gourjian -- one of Murray's lawyers.

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Michael Jackson: Jermaine Jackson talks Ellen Show, Conrad Murray verdict

The Conrad Murray trial came to an end yesterday, when the jury agreed upon a verdict. The jury found the doctor guilty of involuntary manslaughter in the death of Michael Jackson, and the world was watching as the verdict was read. The trial lasted for six weeks, and during that time, various Jackson family members were present everyday. According to a new update made via Twitter, Jermaine Jackson discusses the verdict, as well as the fact that he is going to appear on The Ellen Show.

Jermaine Jackson wrote of the Conrad Murray verdict, and also appearing on The Ellen Show: "Just done @TheEllenShow -- audience boogied to 'Dancing Machine' in homage to Michael, music, memories #remembrance." He went on to say: "Yesterday was the right verdict. Nothing will bring Michael back, but someone has now been held accountable for his death...I personally wish to thank those of you who have given us support, strength, love and fight...always. Bless you." Jackson added: "As we look forward, let us now forever remember & focus on the life and goodness -- not the death -- of Michael."

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Michael Jackson Would 'Absolutely' Be Alive If Not for Conrad Murray, Juror Says


By JIM AVILA (@JimAvilaABC) , KAITLYN FOLMER (@ABCKaitlyn) and KATIE KINDELAN
Nov. 9, 2011
Nearly all the 12 jurors chosen to decide the fate of Dr. Conrad Murray in the trial over the death of Michael Jackson had decided on his guilt the first day of deliberations, the first juror in the case to speak out exclusively tells ABC News.

Debbie Franklin, a 48-year-old mother of two from Temple City, Calif., was the juror who, on Monday, rung the buzzer three times in the Los Angeles courtroom where Murray had sat on trial for the past six weeks to alert the judge and the world that a verdict had been reached.

"Our hearts were pounding to go out there," Franklin told "Good Morning America," of the moment she and the other jurors emerged from eight hours of deliberations to issue a guilty verdict for Murray that could send him to prison for up to four years.

The jury convicted Murray of involuntary manslaughter in the 2009 drug-overdose death of the King of Pop. Prosecutors alleged that Murray supplied an insomnia-plagued Jackson with the powerful operating-room anesthetic propofol to help him sleep as he rehearsed for his "This Is It" comeback tour.

Franklin says she and the other jurors believe Jackson, who was 50, would "absolutely" be alive today if not for Murray.

"Conrad Murray did it," she said. "Conrad Murray agreed to be the one to go into the bedroom and do this. He [Jackson] was looking for somebody to say yes, and Conrad Murray said yes."

Prosecutors portrayed Murray, 58, as a negligent doctor who gave the singer what he wanted, the drug propofol, at home in Jackson's bedroom without the necessary safeguards and care when things went wrong.

"I thought they did an excellent job," Franklin said of the prosecution. "They were ready for every witness. The questioning went from beginning to end. Nothing seemed to sidetrack them."

Franklin says there were three factors presented in the trial that led the jury to a guilty verdict for Murray.

"The three biggest things for us were the 911 call, not calling 911. That was a big issue, and not having the medical equipment in the room to put somebody under sedation and leaving the room," she said.

While the jury was nearly unanimous from the trial's start that Murray played a role in Jackson's death, not everyone was convinced the doctor was solely responsible, Franklin said.

Murray, who did not testify in his trial, told police that he administered only a small dose on the day Jackson died. His lawyers blamed Jackson for his own death, saying the singer injected himself with an ultimately lethal dose of the drug while Murray was out of the room.

"Even if Michael Jackson injected himself, which I don't think we believed, but, we felt, even if he did, that wouldn't have mattered because Conrad Murray brought the situation there," she said. "He was the doctor. He was in charge."

Jackson's behavior was barely a consideration, despite the fact that Franklin believes "he had a lot of issues... I believe he had addictions or dependence."

But the argument that the pop singer's addiction led to his own death was not enough to sway Franklin, or the other jurors.

"I really think they didn't have a lot to work with," she said of Murray's defense team. "They tried to do what they could with what they had."

Although the jury came to a verdict fairly quickly, it was not easy for the seven men and five women.

"We took a vote and it was not unanimous, so we said let's think about it over the weekend and talk about it on Monday," she said of the jury's first day of deliberations on Friday. "It was stressful. It was a lot of work. Yelling, everybody was talking."

Franklin says the jury was more easily able to reach a guilty verdict for Murray because of the decision by the prosecution to charge the doctor with involuntary manslaughter, not murder.

The jury was asked to determine only whether Murray was primarily responsible for the singer's death, not whether Murray actually gave Jackson the fatal dose.

"We absolutely agree that he did not mean to do this," Franklin said. "We don't think he even had a motive to do this. We think it was something that he was doing that was careless that got out of hand."

Immediately after Monday's verdict was delivered, Murray was handcuffed and led off to jail without bail to await sentencing Nov. 29.

"I never gave it a second thought," Franklin said of the court's decision to take Murray away in handcuffs. "It didn't bother me."

Murray now faces as many as four years in prison when he is sentenced Nov. 29. The lightest sentence he could receive is probation, since Murray is a defendant with no prior criminal record, a factor that Judge Michael Pastor will be taking into account. Because of jail overcrowding, Murray may spend little or no time in jail despite whatever sentence Pastor metes out.

"I'm glad I don't have to make that decision," Franklin said. "I really have no feeling one way or the other what the sentence is. We did our job."

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Michael Jackson: Joe Jackson talks Conrad Murray civil case

Over the past two years, there have been many questions, and people were looking for answers as to what happened to Michael Jackson. Now that the Conrad Murray trial is over, and the jury found him guilty of involuntary manslaughter in the death of Michael Jackson after six weeks of the trial, a civil case will begin at some point. According to a new report, the father of Michael Jackson, Joe Jackson discusses the fact that a civil case will take place

As ABC News reports, Joe Jackson said on his way out of the courthouse on Monday: "There's more." The civil suit against Conrad Murray was filed.

There is much news today in regard to Conrad Murray. A two-part interview with Murray will air on Today on Thursday and Friday. The interview was done before the verdict was reached. And according to another report, MSNBC will be airing a documentary of Conrad Murray on Friday.


What do you think of what Joe Jackson had to say about the civil suit? Have you been following everything over the past two years since Michael Jackson passed away on June 25, 2009? What do you think of what Joe Jackson had to say? Did you follow the Conrad Murray trial closely? What do you think of the verdict that was reached on Monday?


For the latest in news on Michael Jackson, Janet Jackson and the entire Jackson family, simply click the "Subscribe" button on the top of the page. Notifications of all the latest news will be delivered to your inbox.

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Conrad Murray’s Guilty Finding a Joke, Says Quincy Jones

Two days after Dr Conrad Murray, the personal physician of Michael Jackson, was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter, the star’s record producer and mentor has spoken out against the result.



“It’s a joke,” said Quincy Jones, 78, Jackson’s producer on the hit albums Off The Wall, Thriller and Bad, which together have sold more than 160 million copies.
Speaking in Dubai, Jones said if Murray had not been treating Jackson there would have been another medical practitioner doing exactly the same.

“People of Michael’s stature get whatever they want, it just goes with the territory,” said the producer, who has earned a record 79 Grammy nominations over five decades. “There were 40 other doctors lined up to do the same thing, whatever it is.
“I don’t know why a guy would kill someone who’s giving him $150,000 a month.”

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CONRAD MURRAY
I Want to Commit Suicide


Dr. Conrad Murray has been telling people who have visited him in jail ... he no longer has the will to live and he wants to kill himself.

We're told Murray cannot cope with the fact that he was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter, and even though his lawyers told him he needed to be prepared for the possibility of a guilty verdict, it never computed with him.

Sources tell us, Murray has told various people he wanted to kill himself, including baby mama Nicole Alvarez, his bodyguard Jeff and his lawyers. He's told all of them he's lost his will to live.

We've also learned Murray remains in the medical ward at L.A. County Jail, which is where he's been for more than a week.

Sources directly connected with Murray tell us he has no physical ailments and he is there because he's on suicide watch.

Steve Whitmore, the spokesperson for the L.A. County Sheriff's Dept., tells TMZ they will not comment on why Murray has been in the medical ward, adding, "A person's medical or mental health status in the Los Angeles County Jail is protected under the law."


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Dr. Conrad Murray Wants A New Test On Evidence Vial

LOS ANGELES — A judge denied a request Monday by lawyers for the doctor convicted of causing Michael Jackson's death to have an independent laboratory test the contents of a key vial of evidence.

Just days before the scheduled sentencing of Dr. Conrad Murray, Superior Court Judge Michael Pastor said defense attorneys could have sought the testing months ago or even during the doctor's six-week trial but chose not to.

"You're not involved in fishing, you're involved in foraging," Pastor said.

Murray's attorneys wanted a lab to test a small amount of liquid found in a vial of the anesthetic propofol that authorities contend was used to help Jackson sleep on the day he died.

Defense lawyer J. Michael Flanagan argued the results would reveal the accuracy of a theory by a prosecution expert who testified that Murray left Jackson's bedside while the singer was on an IV drip of propofol and the painkiller lidocaine.

Murray had been giving Jackson nightly doses of propofol to help the singer sleep as he prepared for a series of comeback concerts.

Deputy District Attorney David Walgren contended there was no legal basis for the testing and said Murray received a fair trial.

Pastor examined the propofol vial, which was found in the closet of Jackson's bedroom, before issuing his ruling.

Flanagan said it didn't occur to him that the contents of the vial should be tested until after the conclusion of Murray's trial, which ended Nov. 7 with the conviction of the cardiologist on an involuntary manslaughter charge.

Flanagan said if prosecution expert Dr. Steven Shafer's theory is correct, the small amount of liquid that remained in the vial should contain lidocaine. In that case, "that's the ballgame" and would prove Murray did leave the singer alone on an IV drip, Flanagan said.

Flanagan also argued that Shafer didn't tell jurors that he believed Murray injected lidocaine into the propofol vial until Shafer was called as a rebuttal witness in the final moments of testimony.

Walgren said Shafer and other witnesses acknowledged that they didn't know exactly what happened in Jackson's bedroom before the singer's death on June 25, 2009. Shafer was one of several experts who told jurors that he could only theorize on events based on toxicology results, Murray's statements to police and evidence found at the scene.

"Whether there was lidocaine in that bottle or not is completely irrelevant," Walgren said.

Murray is set to be sentenced on Nov. 29. Walgren said he is finalizing work on a sentencing memorandum and several people may speak during the hearing. He did not say whether members of Jackson's family, several of whom attended the trial daily, would offer statements.

Murray remains jailed and faces a possible sentence ranging from probation to up to four years.


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Conrad Murray judge won't allow new lab tests on evidence in case
November 21, 2011 | 12:54 pm

A Los Angeles judge refused Monday to allow new laboratory tests on evidence used to convict Michael Jackson’s doctor.

In advance of Dr. Conrad Murray’s sentencing next week, his lawyers filed a motion Friday –- nine days after he was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter -- for additional analysis on the drug vial believed to have contained the fatal dose of the anesthetic that killed Jackson.

A lawyer for Murray, J. Michael Flanagan, said lab tests on the residue inside the vial might invalidate a theory proposed by a prosecution medical expert on the final day of the trial. That witness, Dr. Steven Shafer, suggested Murray had removed a small amount of the anesthetic propofol from the vial and then added another drug to prevent a burning sensation before hooking Jackson up to an intravenous drip.

FULL COVERAGE: Conrad Murray trial

At a hearing Monday, Flanagan told Superior Court Judge Michael Pastor that tests on the ratio of the two drugs “could be material to confirm or negate this hypothesis.”

A prosecutor opposed the testing as “neither here nor there.”

“The trial is done. It was a fair trial,” Deputy Dist. Atty. David Walgren said.

The judge agreed, saying the defense should have asked to test the vial before the case went to the jury.

“This is not surprising evidence. This exhibit has been around since the inception of the case,” Pastor said, adding: “There is no justification for the court to respond favorably to this type of extraordinary motion.”

Murray, 58, faces a maximum of four years behind bars when he is sentenced Nov. 29. His lawyers have said he plans to appeal and Flanagan urged the court to preserve the vial carefully, suggesting that the defense might seek to test it as part of an appeal.

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Judge Denies Motion by Michael Jackson Doc's Attorneys
Attorneys in the trial of Michael Jackson's personal physician sought tests involving a key piece of evidence

A request for additional testing on a key piece of evidence in the trial of Dr. Conrad Murray -- the vial of a powerful surgical sedative that authorities contend was used on the morning of Michael Jackson's death -- was denied Monday.

The defense motion came about two weeks after Murray was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in the singer's June 25, 2009 death.

Conrad Murray Trial: Timeline, Images, About Propofol

The defense asked the judge to release to an independent lab the vial of propofol that authorities contend was used on the morning of Jackson's death. Murray adminstered the powerful surgical sedative in Jackson's bedroom at a rented Holmby Hills mansion after the King of Pop finished rehearsing for a series of planned London concerts.

Defense attorneys wrote in a court filing that testing in necessary to analyze prosecutors' theory that the doctor placed Jackson on an IV drip of propofol and the painkiller lidocaine then left the room, according to the Associated Press. Dr. Steven Shafer, the prosecution's key medical witness, testified during the six-week trial that the IV drip is the only plausible scenario that led to Jackson's death.

The defense knew about the vial at the start of the case and could have requested the testing months ago, Judge Michael Pastor said Monday.

Murray is scheduled to be sentenced Nov. 29.


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