Jury begins deliberating fate of Jackson doctor

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The fate of the doctor accused of involuntary manslaughter in the 2009 death of Michael Jackson was put in the hands of a Los Angeles jury on Friday.

The jury of seven men and five women began their deliberations after hearing six weeks of evidence in the trial of Dr. Conrad Murray.

Murray, 58, who was hired to care for Jackson as he prepared for a series of planned comeback concerts in 2009, has pleaded not guilty to involuntary manslaughter, or gross negligence in his care of the singer. He did not testify at the trial and could face up to four years in prison if convicted.

Jackson was found lifeless at his Los Angeles mansion on June 25, 2009, age 50. He was later ruled to have died from an overdose of sedatives and propofol, which is normally used in surgery.

Murray admitted giving Jackson a dose of propofol to help him sleep but his lawyers argued at trial that the "Thriller" singer caused his own death by taking an extra, fatal dose of the drug, along with a handful of sedatives, without Murray's knowledge.

Prosecutors say Murray is guilty of gross negligence for administering the powerful drug in a home setting, failing to monitor Jackson, delaying calling emergency services, and omitting to tell medical personnel he had given the singer propofol.

(Reporting by Jill Serjeant; Editing by Bob Tourtellotte and Eric Beech)