The defence attorney who represented Michael Jackson in the King of Pop's child molestation trial in 2005 has urged the jury members in DR. CONRAD MURRAY's upcoming manslaughter trial not to be swayed by allegations the dead pop star may have killed himself.
Murray stands accused of administering the dose of anaesthetic Propofol which killed the Thriller hitmaker and his lawyers will hit the courtroom on Tuesday (04Jan10), claiming Jackson was responsible for his own death - and may have committed suicide.
But the superstar's former attorney Thomas Mesereau insists that's just a ploy to keep their client from a conviction.
He says, "The defence lawyers have to do something and what they're gonna try and do is reflect attention away from their client and onto Michael Jackson. The reality is Michael Jackson was not suicidal, he was not self-destructive in the way they're trying to say, and hopefully their defence will not succeed.
"I'm sorry that the defence is going to have to bash Michael Jackson to try and divert attention from their guilty client. The reality is he was a nice, kind, decent individual; he wanted to change the world in a positive away... and unfortunately I think the defence is gonna try and attack his character, and hopefully it will not work."