Missing witness in Murray's trial found

The missing witness in the involuntary manslaughter trial of Conrad Murray was found over the weekend and will be available to testify, the prosecutor told the court Monday.

Pharmacist Tim Lopez testified at Murray's preliminary hearing in January that he shipped more than 15 liters of the surgical anesthetic propofol to the apartment of Murray's girlfriend over the three months before June 25, 2009.

Deputy District Attorney David Walgren told the court last week that it is believed Lopez, the owner of a wholesale pharmacy in Las Vegas, has moved to Thailand.

A hearing had been set for Monday so Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Michael Pastor could decide if prosecutors could rely on the transcript of his previous testimony. The resolution of that and several other issues made for a short hearing.

"Well, I'd like to believe that I was responsible in some measure, but we have excellent counsel," Pastor said Monday.

Murray's lawyers announced they were dropping from its witness list a Texas medical examiner who toured the Los Angeles county coroner's lab. Prosecutors had objected to his testimony, calling it irrelevant.

Pastor delayed consideration of the prosecution's request to exclude the testimony of Jackson's makeup artist as the Deputy District Attorney David Walgren asked the judge to instruct counsel and that she is instructed by Murray's lawyers on the fact that her testimony needs to be limited to her own observations. Murray's lawyers want Karen Faye to repeat statements given in interviews about what she described as Jackson's ill health in the weeks before June 25, as he was rehearsing for his comeback concerts.

The prosecution told the judge in a hearing Thursday that much of what Faye has said in the past was based on what she heard others say, not her own recollections.

The next hearing is set for Wednesday afternoon, when lawyers for each side will offer their "for cause" challenges of prospective jurors, based on their answers to written questions.

Lawyers will conduct face-to-face questioning of potential jurors on Friday, September 23 as they choose 18 Los Angeles citizens to hear the case (12 jurors and about six alternatives).

Opening statements for the trial, which will be televised, are scheduled for September 27. The judge told members of the jury pool he expects their service will be over on or about October 28.

Full transcript of today's hearing at teammichaeljackson.com

MJFS - source: cnn.com