Jackson's Doctor Pleads Not Guilty to Manslaughter
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Michael Jackson (Photo: Getty)
Eight months after Michael Jackson's death last June, the late star's personal physician, Dr. Conrad Murray, was charged Monday with involuntary manslaughter for administering the King of Pop a powerful anesthetic that was a major factor in his death, the AP reports.
Murray entered a not guilty plea in Los Angeles Superior Court just hours after he was charged. He is currently in custody and is being held on $75,000 bail.
Dr. Conrad Murray
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Superior Court Judge Keith Schwartz ordered Murray to surrender his passport, but granted the doctor permission to continue practicing medicine as long as he doesn't administer anesthesia, People reports.
"I'm talking about deep anesthetic, where you put somebody to sleep," the judge said. "You can be in a room where another doctor is doing it, but you can't do that."
The L.A.P.D. and D.E.A. focused their investigation on Murray last August, when a coroner said Jackson died from "acute propofol intoxication," combined with other sedatives, all of which were administered by Murray to help Jackson, 50, with insomnia.
"We'll make bail, we'll plead not guilty and we'll fight like hell," Murray's attorney Ed Chernoff said, according to the AP. Murray could face as much as four years in prison if convicted.
The prosecution is accusing Murray of acting without "the caution and circumspection required" when dealing with drugs as powerful as those he gave Jackson. The anesthetic propofol is only supposed to be given in a medical setting by an anesthesia professional, according to federal regulations.
The upcoming trial is already shaping up to be yet another celebrity drama. Fans crowded the courthouse during the arraignment, chanting and holding signs that read "Justice for Michael."
Much of the Jackson family was there, too, including Michael's father Joseph, mother Katherine, and brothers Jermaine, Tito, and Randy, TMZ reports.
3 Comments
Click here to comment- Posted By Anonymous
02.09.10 1:32 PM
why did they go so easy on a murderer? that's not fair,why is Murray still walking free after he killed Michael Jackson? Michael had never been treated fairly in the media and now in his death, why? the L.A.P.D isn't supposed to be like the media and Sneddon is retired now and he had a vendetta against Michael Jackson,so why are they still treating Michael so unfairly Sneddon had a vendetta on Michael for his own greed he wanted Michael's Never Land so he could grow grapes on for a winery Michael always innocent and they are treating Michael like the criminal and letting Murray get off with a slap on the hand, why? and I have the proof thet Sniddon wanted Never Land it's on the Sneddon vs. Michael Jackson part of the Michael Jackson Case and read the F.B.I. Files where they found no evidence that Michael was ever guilty of molestation, I will post the Michael Jackson case on here and read the Sneddon part, http://mjjr.net/content/mjcase/faq.html
read this it's the facts.
02.15.10 2:05 AM
Well, 2009 was quite a year for "lab coat lunacy," wouldn’t you agree? The final tally charted an eye-popping 2,490 physicians who found it impossible to stay on the legal side of the law. Let me do the math for you: That’s 200 Doctors PER MONTH guilty of serious misbehavior. Does any other profession account for such volume of crime? Not even close.
And so these nut-cases now join 237,000 other physicians on file at the National Practitioner Data Bank, viewed as either “Dangerous” or “Questionable” by the Health Research Group. We actually pay trillions to experience a “Health Care” system with practitioners so dedicated to their craft, that thousands of them gleefully commit relentless health care fraud, murder, child molestation, drug-running like common street thugs, and rape.
Physicians who commit murder serve a little time, regain their licenses and yes, their back in business yet again. Is anybody paying attention?
Injecting fake Botox became a popular new hobby, and secretly filming nude patients hit an all-time high in the “boys will be boys” category of carnal entertainment.
The only aspect of physician crime more despicable than the acts themselves, is the unconscionable enabling of the misbehavior, both by their otherwise ethical peers, as well as state medical boards, which could be putting thousands of these delinquents out of commission, but don’t.
Conrad Murray, MD prostituted his profession. He ignored his Oath. He dealt in drugs as any street criminal would, under the guise of “treatment.” His $150,000 per month salary to provide drugs to his famous boss was a despicable perversion. He will likely be found partially guilty for that famous death, have his license pulled for a time, and will be back practicing medicine before the decade is over.
The sobering reality is this: No profession in American society spawns more idiocy, more self-worship, pilfers more individual & national treasure, nor inflicts more egregious suffering on the citizenry, than errant physicians. It happened in 2009. It will continue to happen in 2010 and beyond.
Why? Because beyond all reason, we allow physicians to police themselves.
Take a peak at Medical Maniacs website for an education.