Alon Steinberg

Alon A. Steinberg is a cardiologist and medical researcher. He serves as chief of cardiology at Community Memorial Hospital of San Buenaventura in Ventura, California, and has conducted research on in-custody deaths and the physiology of prone restraint.

In 2011, Steinberg gained wider public attention as an expert witness for the prosecution in the involuntary manslaughter trial of Conrad Murray, testifying on the medical care of Michael Jackson prior to his death. He has worked with the Medical Board of California, reviewing cases concerning standards of care, and has also served as an expert witness in lawsuits involving law enforcement use of prone restraint. In a 2021 study, Steinberg proposed the concept of prone restraint cardiac arrest, which states that many prone restraint deaths, particularly in cases involving law enforcement, are caused by cardiac arrest rather than positional asphyxia.

Education Steinberg received his Doctor of Medicine from University of Texas Medical Branch. He completed his medical internship at Jackson Memorial Hospital through the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. In 1995, he completed his residency in internal medicine at Jackson Memorial Hospital. He completed his fellowship at the University of Florida. He has been designated as a Fellow of the American College of Cardiology (F.A.C.C.).

Conrad Murray trial

Following the death of Michael Jackson on June 25, 2009, Steinberg provided a review for the Medical Board of California of the care administered by Jackson's physician, Conrad Murray. The review was based largely on Murray's own account as given in a two-hour interview with Los Angeles Police Department detectives.

On October 12, 2011, Steinberg testified as an expert witness for the prosecution in the trial of Murray, who was charged with involuntary manslaughter in connection to Jackson's death. Murray pleaded not guilty to delivering a lethal dose of propofol. Steinberg testified that Murray’s care fell significantly below the standard of care, citing "six separate and distinct extreme deviations."

Administering propofol for insomnia when it is meant for anaesthesia. Administering the medication outside of a monitored medical setting. Lack of emergency preparation, including additional medical personnel and equipment. No proper measures taken to revive Jackson when he stopped breathing. Failure to call for emergency help in a timely fashion. No proper keeping of records. Steinberg further testified that, based on these deviations, the outcome was preventable, stating that "if [they] would not have happened, Mr. Jackson would have been alive."

Selected publications Articles Steinberg has authored and co-authored peer-reviewed articles in the fields of cardiology and forensic medicine, including:

Letters