Conrad Murray Moved to Tears by Patients' Testimony

Los Angeles - Jurors in the trial of Michael Jackson's personal physician heard today from five people who had been treated by him in Nevada and Texas, with two of them calling the cardiologist the "best doctor" they have ever seen.

Testifying in the involuntary manslaughter trial of Dr. Conrad Murray, Andrew Guest told the seven-man, five-woman jury, "I'm alive today because of that man."

The 48-year-old Las Vegas locksmith said he had done an earlier media interview praising the doctor because he believed that Murray -- who had inserted stents in him after he reported arm and chest pain and headaches in April 2002 -- "is not getting a fair shake."

"That man sitting there is the best doctor I've ever seen," Guest said of the doctor, sitting across the courtroom from him.

Deputy District Attorney David Walgren asked, "Nothing would change your mind about that man?"

"That is correct." Guest responded.

Gerry Causey, another man who was treated by Murray, described the doctor as his "best friend."

The Cedar City, Utah, man said he met Murray while being treated for a heart attack 11 years ago while he was living in Las Vegas.

When defense attorney Edward Chernoff asked if he believed Murray had the type of character to abandon his patients -- as the prosecution contends the doctor did while treating Jackson -- Causey responded, "Never. He wouldn't do that."

He said he had done interviews with the media because he knew of Murray's "love, compassion, feeling for his patients."

"He's the best doctor I've ever been to," he said, noting that he thought Murray had been wrongly accused.

Lunette Sampson, who now lives in San Diego, said she became a patient of Murray's after moving in November 2002 to Las Vegas, where she suffered three heart attacks.

"I have never had a doctor that was more caring, never ... He is a very thorough doctor ...," she said.

When asked if he was greedy, she responded, "Dr. Murray is not greedy or money-hungry ... He's taking care of patients pro-bono ... He helps anyone that needs help."

Dennis Hix, who previously lived in Las Vegas and now lives in Banning, said he met Murray after buying a home next door to where the doctors' children lived and later went to see him for treatment of heart issues.

"I'm 66, gone to a lot of doctors ... I've never had one who gave me the care he did," Hix said. "I had the type of insurance that didn't hardly pay for anything," Hix said, noting that Murray still treated him.

The defense's last character witness, Ruby Mosley, used a cane to walk up to the witness stand and told jurors that Murray had established a clinic in the Acres Home area of Houston, Texas, in his father's honor after his death.

"Do you think Dr. Murray's greedy?" Chernoff asked the woman.

"No," she responded. "If this man had been greedy, he never would have come to an area ... 75 percent of them poor, on welfare and Social Security, where he was making less than where he was in Vegas," she said, noting that she and her husband had each been treated by Murray.

Mosley -- described by Chernoff in his opening statement as being 82 years old -- told jurors that patients at the Texas office do not see a sign asking for payment, and instead see the doctor first.

"There was never no rush and other patients were waiting," she said before being helped down from the stand by a bailiff.

After about 90 minutes of testimony in the defense's third day of its portion of the case, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Michael E. Pastor informed jurors that there was a scheduling issue and excused them for the day.

Outside the jury's presence, Chernoff told the judge that the defense expects to call two more witnesses, an addiction specialist and Dr. Paul White, the defense's expert on the powerful anesthetic propofol. Chernoff said the defense may also recall toxicologist Michael Henson, who testified Tuesday about defense-commissioned testing on Jackson's stomach contents and urine samples.

The judge told Murray that he would ask him at the end of the defense's case if he had made his own "personal decision" on whether to testify or not, with the judge telling him that the right belongs to him alone.

"If you want to testify, you will testify," Pastor told Murray.

The 58-year-old cardiologist faces up to four years in prison if convicted of the felony charge stemming from Jackson's June 25, 2009, death.

Prosecutors allege that the cardiologist who was treating Jackson at his rented Holmby Hills estate, gave the singer a fatal intravenous dose of propofol, then spent about 45 minutes on the phone or sending emails without monitoring him.

In his opening statement, Chernoff countered that the evidence would show Jackson swallowed eight two-milligram tablets of the sedative lorazepam "when Dr. Murray was not around" and "self-administered a dose of propofol" after Murray left the room, all of which "created a perfect storm" and "killed him instantly."

Jackson was in Los Angeles rehearsing for a series of London 50 concerts dubbed "This Is It."

On Tuesday, a nurse practitioner who treated Jackson testified the singer told her about two months before his death that propofol was the only medication that helped him fall asleep right away.

Cherilyn Lee told the jury that Jackson requested Diprivan -- a brand name for propofol -- while she was at his rented estate on April 19, 2009. He said he had tried everything else, but propofol would allow him to quickly fall asleep, she testified, adding that she advised him about the potential side effects.

"He told me that doctors have told him that it's safe and that we would not have a problem," she said, although Jackson also said he needed to be monitored during the process.

Under cross-examination by Deputy District Attorney David Walgren, Lee said she had advised Jackson that propofol was not a medication to be used to treat insomnia and that it was not safe to use at home. She said she never gave Jackson any propofol.

Lee was the second medical professional to testify that Jackson requested intravenous sleep medication.

Dr. Allan Metzger told jurors Monday that Jackson had long experienced problems with sleeping and asked him about intravenous sleep medication on April 18, 2009 -- one day before he requested propofol from Lee.

"I did not provide any intravenous medication for Michael Jackson," Metzger testified, asserting that no amount of money would have impelled him to do so.

On cross-examination, Walgren asked Metzger if he had explained to Jackson that intravenous sleep medication was dangerous and should not be administered outside a hospital.

"That's correct," said Metzger, who had periodically treated Jackson.