Update 7:55 p.m.
It was a battle of medical experts in court on Thursday, as witnesses debated whether or not Michael Jackson could have administered a fatal dose of a heavy sedative by himself.
Dr. Paul White put a crimp in Dr. Conrad Murray's legal defense against manslaughter charges on Thursday. The anesthesiologist said that he only suggested, but never concluded that Michael Jackson might have ingested Propofol.
He did say that the amount of the drug Murray claims he administered to the singer would not be toxic.
Earlier in the day, addiction expert Dr. Robert Waldman speculated that doses of Demerol administered by the signer's dermatologist were substantial enough to have made Jackson dependent on the drug, but he might not have been an addict.
Murray's attorneys have backed away from their initial attempts to prove that the pop icon may have killed himself by drinking the narcotic while the doctor was out of the room — largely because medical experts have refuted claims that ingesting Propofol can be deadly.
With over 400 peer reviewed articles, White has studied Propofol for over twenty years. He said he was hesitant to get involved in such a headline grabbing case.
"I really wasn't sure I wanted to get involved in a high-profile celebrity case involving the death of an icon," White said on the stand.
"I don't enjoy all the attention," he added.
Previously
Update 12:13 p.m.
The court is on lunch break, which comes as addiction expert Dr. Waldman finishes a very contentious morning of testimony.
Waldman spent much of the morning sparring with prosecutor David Walgren after Waldman testified that the amounts of Demerol Michael Jackson had been given by dermatologist Dr. Arnold Klein — "stiff doses," as he repeatedly called them — would lead to a dependency on the drug in most people.
Waldman repeatedly refused to answer Walgren's cross-examination questions and ask that they be rephrased, with Judge Michael Pastor having to weigh in several times on objections from both sides.
Waldman's testimony is part of the defense team's attempt to present to jurors an alternative to laying the blame for Jackson's death on Conrad Murray.
Previously …
Update 10:35 a.m.
The court goes to mid-morning break after testimony by addiction specialist Dr. Waldman, who testified about the high doses of Demerol Michael Jackson had been given by Beverly Hills dermatologist Dr. Arnold Klein in the months before MJ's death.
Waldman said that after reviewing Klein's records and considering the high doses of Demerol he administered to Jackson, Waldman believes anyone would become dependent on the drug in those amounts.
But during a tense cross-examination by prosecutor David Walgren that will continue when court resumes, Waldman admitted that he would not definitively label Jackson as dependent on Demerol based solely on Klein's records.
Previously …
Anesthesiologist Dr. Paul White is among the defense team's final two witnesses as day 19 of proceedings in the Conrad Murray involuntary manslaughter trial begins today.
White, who is scheduled for a contempt of court hearing for calling another witness a "scumbag," is expected to contradict the testimony of that witness, Dr. Steven Shafer.
Read more: Conrad Murray Cries as Patients Cite Free Care, Call Him 'Best Friend' (Live Feed) — Update
The Los Angeles County coroner ruled Michael Jackson died of "acute propofol intoxication," and that sedatives were also a factor. Prosecutors contend Murray is criminally liable for Jackson's June 25, 2009 death because he recklessly administered the propofol, a potent surgical anesthetic drug, and was negligent in properly monitoring Jackson.
Shafer's testimony supported that finding. The defense attorneys assert Jackson administered the fatal dose of drugs to himself.
Read more: Michael Jackson, Conrad Murray and the Stripper
On Wednesday, the court session was cut short because of scheduling conflicts, and after five former Murray patients testified that he was a good doctor who had saved their lives and in some cases provided free medical care.
CNN reports the trial is expected to go to the jury for deliberations at the beginning of next week. Murray faces up to four years in prison and loss of his medical license if convicted, though a new California law could mean his sentence would be reduced to two years and be served in a county jail.
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