Judge Michael Pastor denied Dr. Murray probation and gave him the maximum sentence, saying Murray has “absolutely no sense of remorse…and is, and remains, dangerous.”

Before sentencing, Brian Panish, an attorney and friend of the Jackson family, was allowed to read a statement on behalf of the family: 

“I am the attorney and friend of the Jackson family. There’s no way to adequately describe the loss of our son, brother, friend and father. We still look at each other in disbelief. Is it really possible he’s gone? As his parents…it is simply against the natural order of things. As his brothers and sisters we will never be able to perform, laugh with Michael.”

The family asked the judge to give Murray a sentence which “reminds physicians they cannot sell their services to the highest bidder. As we all know from this tragedy, doing so can have fatal results.”

David Walgren said on behalf of the prosecution: 

“This is not a crime involving mistake of judgment, this is a crime where the end result was the death of a human being. I think that eloquently sums up the nature and seriousness of the crime.”

Walgren continued:

“At the point where Dr. Murray knew his actions caused the death of Michael Jackson, he didn’t, as one would hope a doctor would do, immediately begin to cure the situation…he looked out for himself.” 

The defense then asked that “the court consider the entirety of a man’s book of life as opposed to just one chapter. The month that Conrad Murray was treating Michael Jackson, he shouldn’t have done it.”  The defense added, “What about before Michael Jackson asked for Propofol? What about that? He spent fifty-six years…he never committed a crime…he raised a family.”

About Murray, the defense stated: “If we’re going to start with four years of prosecution, does any of that matter? For 58 years, Dr. Murray, he was born in Grenada. Illegitimate mother. He didn’t know his dad. They weren’t just poor, they were literally dirt poor…but he took that impossible situation…he made his way to the United States, a poor unsupported Black man from the Caribbean. He put himself through college, three years Magna Cum Lade. Put himself through medical school. University of Arizona after that. Does any of that matter that that’s exactly what we want our neighbors and citizens to aspire to? Does any of that matter to the court at all?”

After hearing all the parties, Judge Pastor declared his sentence, saying:

“There are those who feel Dr. Murray is a saint. There are those who feel he’s the devil. He is neither. He’s a human being…The court declines to grant probation in this case…he unquestionably violated the trust and confidence of his patient, Michael Jackson, on a repeated nightly basis.”