Trial opens in Michael Jackson physician Dr. Conrad Murray case

Dr. Conrad Murray,

(Credit:
AP Photo/Irfan Khan)

(CBS/KCBS/AP) LOS ANGELES - The trial of Dr. Conrad Murray, the physician
charged in Michael Jackson's death, opens Tuesday with a bit of star power and
the one thing the King of Pop enjoyed throughout his life - a worldwide
audience. The case will enter a crucial final act in a packed Los Angeles
courtroom with opening statements and the start of testimony.

Pictures:
Who's who in the trial of Dr. Conrad Murray

While much is known about Jackson's June 2009 death, the trial will reveal
new information and provide a detailed record of the singer's final hours. Dr.
Conrad Murray's trial is expected to be the first time that the public hears -
in the defendant's own words - his account of what happened in the bedroom of
Jackson's rented mansion.

Prosecutors plan to call the pop superstar's friend and choreographer, Kenny
Ortega, as their first witness in the case.

During the next five weeks, prosecutors will rely on Ortega and other
witnesses to detail Jackson's final days and hours. They will explain to a jury
of seven men and five women exactly how the King of Pop died. Defense attorneys
for Dr. Conrad Murray, who faces four years in prison and the loss of his
medical license if convicted of involuntary manslaughter, hope to poke holes in
the prosecution's case and present jurors with their own theory that the singer
was culpable for his own death.

Ortega testified at a hearing earlier this year that Murray warned him not to
try to act as Jackson's physician or psychiatrist after Ortega sent the singer
home from rehearsals for his final concerts because he appeared to be sick. He
is also likely the best witness to walk jurors through footage of Jackson's
final rehearsals that were used for the film "This Is It," which will be played
in part for jurors. Ortega served as choreographer for the aborted shows and
director of the theatrical film. For most of the jury, it will be their first
exposure to the footage. Only two indicated on questionnaires filled out before
the trial that they had seen any portion of "This Is It."

Prosecutors plan to play a recording of the physician's interview with police
conducted two days after Jackson's death. This is when he revealed that he had
been giving the entertainer the anesthetic propofol as a sleep aid. The
disclosure led to Murray being charged in February 2010 with involuntary
manslaughter and nearly 20 months of legal wrangling over how the trial will be
conducted.

Much of that testimony will focus on propofol, which is normally administered
in hospital settings. Authorities contend Murray administered a lethal dose of
the drug along with other sedatives, and lacked the proper lifesaving equipment
to revive Jackson. Defense attorneys will present an alternate theory - that
Jackson ingested or somehow gave himself the fatal dose.

After weeks of testimony, dozens of witnesses and final arguments, the jury

will have its say.

Complete
coverage of the Michael Jackson - Dr. Conrad Murray case on Crimesider