Conrad Murray trial: Odds ‘heavily stacked’ toward guilty, expert says

A legal expert who has been following the trial of Dr. Conrad Murray said the odds are "heavily stacked" toward a guilty verdict in the death of Michael Jackson.

"But who knows?" said Loyola Law School Professor Stan Goldman. "Anything can happen and we've seen stranger things."

Goldman praised the district attorney's decision to charge involuntary manslaughter rather than second-degree murder.

VERDICT: Dr. Conrad Murray guilty in the death of Michael Jackson

"It would have been slightly overarching and could have resulted in confusing the jury," he said. "As intelligent as these people may be, they are not lawyers. Why give them all sorts of legal technicalities to spend their time arguing over?"

The verdict is scheduled to be read at 1 p.m. The jury deliberated for nine hours.

Jackson's family has been present for much of the trial. His sister La Toya Jackson tweeted: "Verdict is FINALLY IN!!! I'm on my way! I'm shaking uncontrollably!"

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-- Andrew Blankstein

Photo: Defense attorney J. Michael Flanagan, Dr. Conrad Murray and defense attorney Ed Chernoff listen during rebuttal in the prosecution's closing arguments in Los Angeles last week. Credit: Kevork Djansezian / Pool photo