The Latest Legal Crime Involving Michael Jackson Where LA Justice Is On Trial

Dr Conrad Murray recently informed Steve Cooley, the LA DA, that he was not guilty of killing Michael Jackson because he gave the pop star "nothing that should have killed him." And that he will never accept a guilty plea, because Jackson killed himself.

This defense would be brilliant strategy if the DA continues to pursue the singer's death as an accident.  But lets get real here, both Murray and Cooley appear to be following a script where, barring any unforeseeable slip-ups, outcome has already been decided. 

Instead of involuntary manslaughter, any rookie DA would have charged Murray with one count Premeditated Murder and at least one count of Conspiracy to commit Murder.  If Murray was faced with a life sentence, he would not only be willing to accept a plea for a reduced sentence, but he would name names as well, like who's in it with him. 

In 2005, Michael Jackson was charged with child molestation by Santa Barbara DA Tom Sneddon, who was determined to get the mega star some jail time.  He issued a 13-page indictment, but unlike Murray's DA, Sneddon didn't have any evidence on which to hang any his charges!  He charged Jackson with four counts of felony child molestation, one count of attempting a lewd act with a minor, four counts of administering alcohol to the boy, and conspiracy to molest a child under the age of fourteen. 

Conspiracy is a hard charge to defend against, but it's safe to say people who molest children are perverts and as such are not known to conspire with other perverts before taking advantage of a kid.   The 2005 trial had the distinction of being the first in California history to combine those two counts, Child Molestation and Conspiracy, which just don't go together.  True to his unsavory character, Sneddon's charges were so complex it was possible for Jackson to be acquitted of all molestation charges but still convicted on conspiring to abduct the boy and his family -- whisking them away on private jets, holding them captive at resorts and luxurious hotels ...

Here however, with a prosecutor up for the task, Murray would be hard pressed to defend against Murder One and a charge of Conspiracy -- which is entirely appropriate for this case.   Tom Sneddon had claimed Jackson conspired with 5 or 6 associates in his inner circle, none of whom were formally charged, but merely named in the indictment as "unindicted co-conspirators" to child molestation.  And unless they became witnesses for the DA, anything they said regarding the case, whether to the news media or defense counselors could be used against them in future proceedings as co-conspirators to child molestation. 

Also unlike the molestation case where evidence had to be manufactured by the DA's office, in the Murray case there is ample circumstantial evidence to connect the murder and conspiracy dots:

 * Murray's attempt to clean up and remove evidence from the death scene before calling paramedics; his lies to hospital admission staff regarding what drugs he had given Jackson immediately preceding his death, and the actual status of the singer's health.

 * The AEG agreement to pay Murray $150,000 a month under the guise of getting Jackson ready for his world tour; its questionable contract that increased the number of concerts Jackson was to perform from 10 to 50, requiring the ailing singer to work harder when they knew he had serious health problems.  

 * The questionable John Branca will that had been ordered by Jackson to be destroyed in 2003, at the time when he terminated Branca for embezzlement, who had also joined with Sony and scammed him out of ownership of the masters for his music. 

* Sony in the deal with Branca had deprived Jackson for over 7 years of the rights to all his own songs and he is murdered just days before he was to receive ownership.

Yet the DA conducts no investigations and only pursues involuntary manslaughter (accidental death).  If found guilty, Murray would be sentenced a maximum of 4 years, and out in two, a very wealthy man.

But with Cooley and Judge Pastor in control and given Murray's "clean" record, he will more than likely not receive a day of jail time.

Whereas in 2005, Michael Jackson stood to received a maximum of 4 years if he had been convicted on a single conspiracy charge of sexual abuse, and it's highly unlikely the mega star would have come out a wealthy man.