Five Biggest Surprises From the Michael Jackson Trial Opener

From the prosecution's shocking intro to Conrad Murray's emotional output, here's what we took away today

By Natalie Finn Sep 28, 2011 1:00 AMTags
Dr. Conrad MurrayAl Seib-Pool/Getty Images

Nothing like starting things off with a jolt to get the peanut gallery gunning for justice.

Monday marked day one of Dr. Conrad Murray's trail on an involuntary manslaughter charge for allegedly causing Michael Jackson's death two years ago.

While we were expecting a media circus (check!) and Jackson's family to be a steady presence in the courtroom (check!), certain developments from the day in court threw us for a loop, and here they are:

1. Very Candid Camera: Deputy District Attorney David Walgren launched his case by showing a blown-up photo of Michael Jackson's dead body. (Trust us, it was as shocking as it sounds.) If the prosecution wanted to upset Jackson's family—and thereby upset anyone who might be thinking about what Jackson's death did to his family—he probably succeeded.

2. Voice From Beyond: Walgren also played a recording from Murphy's iPhone of a groggy, allegedly under-the-influence Jackson talking up his planned This Is It concert series.

"We have to be phenomenal," the singer said slowly, slurring his words at points. "When people leave this show, when people leave my show, I want them to say, 'I've never seen nothing like this in my life. Go, go! I've never seen nothing like this. Go, it's amazing! He's the greatest entertainer in the world! I'm taking that money, a million children, children's hospital, the biggest in the world, Michael Jackson's children's hospital...'" Yeah, there could've been some substances involved in that.

3. Waterworks: Conrad Murray did not hide his emotions as attorney Edward Chernoff tried to impress upon the jury the doctor's history of helping people, not negligently causing their demise. The Texas-based cardiologist silently wept and wiped his eyes several times during his lawyer's opening remarks. At least one Jackson family friend wasn't impressed. "Those are tears of nothing," Las Vegas magician Majestik Magnificent told E! News after court today. "Compared to the tears that Katherine Jackson had...No sympathy. I ain't buying it." Not surprisingly, Murray wasn't the only one who shed tears today: Rebbie and Janet Jackson cried and passed tissues as they listened to the recording of their brother speaking. La Toya Jackson dabbed at her eyes with a tissue and Katherine cried as prosecutors played a video taken June 23 of Jackson singing "The Way You Make Me Feel," and then "Earth Song" on June 24, the last footage ever shot of him singing.

4. Steady Stream: Who needs TruTV?! La Toya Jackson tweeted up a storm! Since there are cameras in the courtroom, it's not as if she was spilling any confidential secrets, but her run of commentary was interesting nonetheless, from "It sickens me to see what they did to my brother!! Seeing his lifeless body laying there on the gurney is heart wrenching!" to her last tweet, "What an interesting day!" (FYI, people are not allowed to have their phones on when court is in session, and La Toya was present for all of the day's statements and testimony, diligently taking notes throughout. But we analyzed the timestamps and she conceivably could have been tweeting during their lunch break and various recesses.)

Al Seib-Pool/Getty Images

5. D.A. McDreamy: The likely star from the legal world to arise from this trial is Deputy D.A. Walgren. There is already quite a bit of buzz about the handsome prosecutor and, if people are going to find a distraction or something to fixate on to better stomach these morbid proceedings, it might as well be Walgren's suits, haircut and mannerisms!

Court concluded today after opening statements from both sides and testimony from prosecution witnesses Kenny Ortega and This Is It promoter Paul Gongaware from AEG Live. The judge instructed the jury to return Tuesday at 8:45 a.m.

—Reporting by Claudia Rosenbaum

E! Online will be livestreaming from the courthouse and following the action inside the courtroom starting Wednesday at 8:45 a.m. PT