Jury clears promoter of liability in Michael Jackson's death

MURRAY WAS 'COMPETENT'

In explaining the verdict outside court, jury foreman Gregg Barden said jurors had concluded that Murray was competent for the job he was hired to do.

"We felt he was competent to do the job of general practitioner," said Barden, who works for the Los Angeles Unified School District. "Now that doesn't mean that we thought he was ethical, and maybe had the word ethical been in the question, it could have been a different outcome."

Juror Kevin Smith, 61, who works for Los Angeles County Department of Public Works, added: "If AEG had known what was going on behind closed doors it would probably have made a world of difference, but they didn't."

Murray, who was caring for Jackson as the singer rehearsed for his series of 50 comeback "This Is It" concerts, was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in 2011 for administering the propofol that killed the star. He is in a California prison and is expected to be released later this month.

Jackson family lawyer Kevin Boyle said outside court that attorneys and the family were "of course not happy" with Wednesday's verdict.

"We will be exploring all options, legally and factually," Boyle said.

Jackson fan Julia Thomas, who has been at the courthouse every day for the past five months, said she thought the jurors did not properly understand the second question on the verdict form, which asked if Murray was "unfit or incompetent to perform the work for which he was hired."

"Most of us are shocked," Thomas said. "It's almost like a dream. I think the question went way over their heads. I think it was a trick question."

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