Drug that killed Jackson 'outstanding': Expert

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A medical expert told the Michael Jackson trial today that the anesthetic propofol, blamed for the pop star's 2009 death, remains an 'outstanding drug' if properly administered.

Anesthesiologist Steven Shafer took the stand for the prosecution after a break in the trial of Conrad Murray, Jackson's personal physician who has been charged with involuntary manslaughter. Murray is accused of giving Jackson an overdose of propofol while trying to help him sleep.

If convicted, he faces up to four years in prison. The forensic toxicology report two years ago found the cause of death to be acute intoxication of propofol, an anesthetic, but also noted the anti-anxiety drug lorazepam was in the singer's system.

Shafer told the trial in Los Angeles that the death has raised fears about the medication: "Every day, in the operating room, I tell patients what I'm going to do and I'm asked the question: 'Are you giving to me the drug that killed Michael Jackson?' I have this question daily." He maintained that there should not be a fear when the drug is properly used. "Propofol is an outstanding drug," he said.

"I would like, hopefully from my testimony in part, the people to understand that when they are given these drugs by people who know what they are doing, they are good drugs and that what's happened in this case has nothing to do with their experience when they see a doctor for a procedure."

The trial had been suspended for two days on Monday to allow his defense team to assess a new report on what was in the singer's stomach when he died. Judge Michael Pastor agreed to give Murray's lawyers the time to discuss the medical examiner's report with their own experts.

Before the jury arrived, defense lawyers sought to prevent the showing of a video showing the use of propofol in a hospital setting. Attorney Ed Chernoff called it "a terrifying dramatization" aimed at swaying jurors but the judge called it "highly relevant."

Defense lawyers have portrayed Jackson as a desperate addict and at first suggested he could have given himself an extra dose of propofol while the doctor was out of the room. But in a surprise move they later dropped that claim and focused instead on the theory that a fatal cocktail was produced when the late singer administered himself some extra lorazepam.