Jackson doctor seeks to have jury sequestered

LOS ANGELES -- The doctor charged in Michael Jackson's death has asked a judge to sequester jurors in the physician's upcoming involuntary manslaughter trial, citing coverage of the Casey Anthony case and the threat of information leaks on social media.

The filing Thursday by attorneys for Dr. Conrad Murray said information from such sources could interfere with the right of Murray to receive a fair trial.

It cited the increased ratings for HLN and commentator Nancy Grace, who featured the Anthony case on her show on a nightly basis and believed Anthony was guilty.

The filing also said her show and others are likely to include discussions of Murray's case that aren't limited to testimony or evidence presented in the courtroom, with expert commentary and information.

Jurors will be prohibited from accessing those media reports, but the defense fears the coverage will be so pervasive that exposure to some of that information is unavoidable.

"There is sincere danger that a well-meaning juror will be more impressed with an 'expert' on television than one presented by the parties at trial," the filing said.

A Florida jury that was sequestered acquitted Anthony of killing her daughter.

Superior Court Judge Michael Pastor has been reluctant to sequester the jury in Murray's case, saying it is an extreme measure last used in Los Angeles during O.J. Simpson's 1995 murder trial.

District attorney's spokeswoman Sandi Gibbons declined comment, saying prosecutors would respond to the motion in court. A hearing on the issue is scheduled Thursday.

The filing also cites the danger of jurors learning about the case through social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter. Both sites are blocked by the court's public wireless network inside the criminal courthouse, but the motion said that jurors could access the sites on their phones or outside the courthouse.

"The possibilities are endless for jurors to find and communicate information from the many websites on the Internet such as Facebook, Twitter and Google," the motion said.

Murray, a Houston cardiologist who has an office in Las Vegas, has pleaded not guilty. He could face up to four years in prison if convicted.

He is accused of giving Jackson a lethal dose of the anesthetic propofol and other sedatives in the bedroom of his rented mansion in June 2009.

Jury selection in Murray's case is scheduled to start on Sept. 8, with opening statements slated to start on Sept. 27.