Michael Jackson case could be 'most publicized trial in history'

In asking for a sequestered jury in the upcoming trial of Michael Jackson's doctor, Conrad Murray's attorneys made a bold prediction about the public interest in the case.

In their filing, Murray's lawyers predicted that viewership of the trial on the Internet and television would exceed that for Casey Anthony's trial, given Jackson's global fame.

"There is reasonable expectation that Dr. Murray's trial will be the most publicized trial in history," they wrote.

The attorneys noted that in an aborted attempt at jury selection this spring, a process scuttled by unrelated delays, only one potential panelist said she had never heard of the case.

"And she could not speak English," they added in a footnote.

A spokeswoman for the district attorney's office declined to comment. A hearing is set for Aug. 25.

The judge for Murray's manslaughter trial, which is set for next month, has said previously that he does not believe round-the-clock isolation of jurors is necessary.

Murray is accused of causing Jackson's 2009 death from an overdose of surgical anesthetic. He maintains that Jackson administered the fatal dose himself.

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-- Harriet Ryan

Photo: Michael Jackson. Credit: Getty Images