"That man sitting there is the best doctor I've ever seen. He also explains everything he's going to do. He makes sure you're OK during the procedure," said Andrew Guest, a former patient.
The defense on Wednesday called five character witnesses to the stand with the hopes of portraying Murray as a committed, thorough and life-saving physician.
"I'm 66. I have gone to a lot of doctors, a lot of doctors, and I've never had one who gave me the care he did," said Dennis Hix, a former patient.
"He's not greedy. I mean, he doesn't charge me my deductibles or nothing," said Gerry Causey, a former patient.
After Causey's testimony, he walked up to Murray, shook his hand and kissed his forehead before Superior Court Judge Michael Pastor could intervene. The stunned judge said, "No, that's not necessary," while prosecutors shook their head in disbelief.
Deputy District Attorney David Walgren pointed out that none of the former patients ever received treatment from Murray for insomnia, and none of them had ever received in-home care.
But the positive stories prevailed, stories of the doctor offering free treatment in a low-income neighborhood in Houston.
"If this man had been greedy, he never would have come to an area or community of Acres Home, 75 percent of them poor, on welfare and Social Security," said Ruby Mosely, a former patient.
Michael Jackson's family, including LaToya, Janet and Randy, heard the witness testimony in court. For weeks, they heard shouts from fans condemning Murray, but on Wednesday, Murray's defenders said he was innocent.
"What I know right now and what I feel, he didn't do it," Causey said.The jury was sent home early for the day after the character witnesses because of another scheduling conflict.
Outside the presence of the jury, Pastor advised Murray of his constitutional rights to take the stand in his own defense if he chooses to do so. A decision must be made this week.
The defense plans to call two expert witnesses to counter the prosecution's expert witnesses who claimed that Murray abandoned Jackson, and that he died because of an unstable IV drip that delivered too much propofol into the singer's body.Murray is on trial for involuntary manslaughter for Jackson's sudden death on June 25, 2009, at the age of 50. Prosecutors allege Murray tried to hide the fact that he had been giving propofol to Jackson.
Murray, 58, has pleaded not guilty and has denied any wrongdoing. If convicted, he could face up to four years in prison and lose his medical license.
The trial is expected to last five weeks, with Oct. 28 being the estimated last day.
View photos from the involuntary manslaughter trial of Conrad Murray.
