Week 2 of the manslaughter trail against Michael Jackson's doctor begins today with an alumnus of UC Davis at centerstage.
One of two prosecutors who have presented the case against Dr. Conrad Murray is David Walgren, a graduate of the University of California, Davis King Hall School of Law.
Associated Press coverage: Michael Jackson manslaughter trial enters 2nd week
Photo gallery: Conrad Murray on trial in Michael Jackson death
It's not fhe first time the Los Angeles County Deputy District Attorney has been called upon to handle a high-profile case. A thumbnail sketch of Walgren:
-- Graduted from UC Davis, King Hall School of Law, 1995
-- Started as a Los Angeles Deputy DA immediately out of law school
-- Worked multiple assignment (misdemeanors, felonies, juvenile)
-- Hardcore Gang Unit: 2000-2005
-- Major Crimes Unit: 2005-Present
-- Notable cases: People v. Roman Polanski and People v. John Rutter.
The Rutter case involved a photographer who took topless photos of actress Cameron Diaz when she was 19 and tried to sell them back to her for $3.5 million after she became famous. Rutter was sentenced to prison for forgery, attempted grand theft and perjury.
In the case against Polanski, Walgren wrote the argument in opposition to the movie director's effort to dismiss a sex case involving a minor against him.
-- What others are saying about him: Last week on the Joy Behar Show after Walgren gave an opening statement, Marcia Clark, former O.J. Simpson prosecutor, said of Walgren: "I think he did great. I think he did a great job."
-- Students in UC Davis Law Professor Jack Chin's class talked about the trial last week. Chin related highpoints of the discussion in an e-mail:
"The students were fascinated by the complexities of a case like this, where the victim was, like Elvis Presley before him, getting drugs from different sources.
We talked about the fact that the defense attorney made a lot of commitments to the jury, in particular that Michael Jackson injected himself while Dr. Murray was out of the room. If the defense can show this, then the prosecutor is going to have a real challenge in showing that the death was Dr. Murray's fault.
We also talked about how the charge, involuntary manslaughter, can be proved. On the one hand, the case law requires proof of gross negligence, not simple negligence. On the other hand, a number of the cases involving involuntary manslaughter involve mistaken administration of drugs that caused death. (Some of the cases, oddly, were by cosmetologists who used harmful chemicals)."
PHOTO CREDIT: Deputy District. Attorney. David Walgren, shows a monitoring device to the jury during Conrad Murray's involuntary manslaughter trial in downtown Los Angeles, Thursday, Sept. 29, 2011. Murray has pleaded not guilty and faces four years in prison and the loss of his medical license if convicted of involuntary manslaughter in Michael Jackson's death. Al Seib, Associated Press.
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