Michael Jackson's doctor 'should be' prosecuted

Prosecution is needed so that the Jackson family can move on, the singer’s former defence lawyer Tom Mesereau has claimed. Photo / AP

Dr. Conrad Murray "should be" prosecuted over the death of Michael Jackson so his family can move on, the singer's former defence lawyer Tom Mesereau has claimed.

Mesereau - who defended the late pop legend in his 2005 child molestation case, which ended with Michael being acquitted of all charges - believes the physician should face punishment if the accusation of involuntary manslaughter caused by a Propofol anaesthetic overdose is true.

He exclusively told BANG Showbiz: "I have mixed feelings about the trial. On the one hand I'd like to see the Jackson family get justice, I think what the doctor allegedly did was outrageous and based on everything I've heard he acted very recklessly, very foolishly and should have stood up to whoever he had to stand up to and say, 'This is dangerous, this doesn't belong in the home, we don't have proper equipment and we don't have proper help.' That's the way he should have behaved as a medical professional...

"I think he should be prosecuted to help vindicate the family and also to send a message that physicians should not behave this way."

Although he wants to see justice done, Mesereau is not looking forward to Murray's defence lawyers trying to destroy his former client's reputation when the trial starts on September 8.

He added: "I suspect the defence is going to try and dirty up Michael's reputation and I don't look forward to that at all. I don't look forward to seeing autopsy pictures and things like that ... I'm glad the District Attorney's office is prosecuting him, but my concerns are the defence lawyers are going to try to devalue Michael and try and throw a lot of dirt at the wall and see what sticks."

Mesereau appears in David Gest's upcoming documentary 'Michael Jackson: The Life of an Icon' - which contains interviews with more than 50 of the King of Pop's closest friends and family members - and he speaks in detail about the 2005 trial.
The 61-year-old attorney insists the film, which is being released on DVD on October 31, is a wonderful tribute to Jackson - who died in June 2009.

He said: "It's a beautiful documentary it's very original, it's very sensitive and it has a number of interviews with some of the old Motown greats about what this child prodigy was like. I haven't seen any other documentary that does it as well as David Gest's documentary. It's beautiful, it's sensitive, it's informative and I think everyone should see it."

- BANG! Showbiz