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Dr Conrad Murray sits in court - Source: Reuters -
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The doctor hired to care for Michael Jackson was charged with
killing the pop star after a lengthy investigation that found a
lethal cocktail of drugs in the singer's system when he died last
year.
Dr Conrad Murray, who lives in Las Vegas, pleaded not guilty to a
charge of involuntary manslaughter in the death that officials have
ruled was due mainly to an overdose of the powerful anaesthetic
propofol, among several drugs.
Murray was heckled by Jackson fans chanting murderer as he entered
a Los Angeles courthouse in a crisp grey suit and red tie.
Once in court, he faced angry members of Jackson's family,
including mother Katherine and brother Jermaine.
The doctor remained stoic during the proceeding and when addressed
by the judge, spoke softly.
He was admonished not to leave the country and not to give any patient an anaesthetic.
He posted bail of $US75,000 and was allowed to leave.
To reach a guilty verdict for involuntary manslaughter - meaning
Murray killed Jackson but he did so without malice - jurors must
believe that whatever the doctor did to Jackson went beyond an
accident and was criminally negligent.
Murray, 56, faces up to four years in prison if convicted.
He is still allowed to practice medicine, although prosecutors
filed a motion to revoke his license.
"This has been a nightmare for him for many different reasons. One
of the reasons is he lost a friend" in Jackson, Murray's attorney
Ed Chernoff told reporters outside the courthouse.
He said Murray was headed home to Las Vegas.
Murray, a cardiologist, was hired in May 2009 to care for Jackson
as he prepared for a series of comeback concerts aimed at reviving
a career sidelined by the singer's 2005 trial and acquittal on
charges of molesting a 13-year-old boy.
The singer was a member of Motown singing group the Jackson 5 and
was a hugely successful solo artist, whose 1982 smash hit Thriller
is still the world's best-selling album.
Battle of medical experts
The doctor has been the focus of a police probe for months since
the Los Angeles coroner's office ruled that Jackson's June 25 death
was a homicide.
Coroners said Jackson's death was caused by propofol and the sedative lorazepam.
Painkillers, sedatives and a stimulant also were found in his
body.
Murray has admitted giving the 50-year-old singer propofol to help
him sleep, and authorities found bottles of the anaesthetic in his
doctor's bag and on the bedside table of Jackson's home, according
to court records unsealed last year.
The doctor and his lawyers have insisted he did nothing wrong.
Murray has told investigators he was not the first doctor to
give Jackson propofol, according to court records.
Lawyers outside the case say a trial will involve each side lining
up experts to bolster their arguments.
"It's clear this case will be a battle of medical experts," said
noted New York defense attorney Joseph DiBenedetto.
Legal experts said the likely reason police took seven months to
investigate was because prosecutors wanted to get the facts
straight, but some suggested it hinted at a weak case.
Outside court, Katherine Jackson told celebrity magazine People
that Murray is a monster, and Brian Oxman, lawyer for father Joe
Jackson, called the charge a slap on the wrist.
