Jacksons v AEG Timeline Legal Top Stories

Jackson doc could be charged with manslaughter today

By | Published on Wednesday 3 February 2010

A spokesman for the late Michael Jackson’s personal medic Dr Conrad Murray has confirmed he is in LA and is prepared to give himself up to the authorities, who are reportedly now ready to charge him with involuntary manslaughter.

As much previously reported, the LAPD have been investigating Murray for months, amid allegations he was negligent in administering the anaesthetic drug which killed Jackson. Jacko seemingly requested the drug – normally only used in surgery – in a bid to overcome chronic insomnia. There is also some question as to how Murray and Jackson had access to the prescription medication. Murray maintains that he did not behave negligently prior to Jackson’s untimely death.

According to the Associated Press, prosecutors plan to charge Murray and then push for a public court hearing to assess whether there is enough evidence to take the case to a full trial. This would skip the grand jury stage of the proceedings, a review of the evidence in private that is customary in cases such as this in the US, but not compulsory at a state level.

A spokesman for Murray told reporters: “Dr Murray is in Los Angeles for a dual purpose – on family business and to be available for law enforcement. We’re trying to be as co-operative as we can. We continue to maintain that Dr Murray neither prescribed nor administered anything that should have killed Michael Jackson”.

If and when criminal proceedings are launched against Murray, it remains to be seen if the Jackson family will consider launching a civil case for damages also. And if so, whether such a case would also name AEG Live as a defendant, given they hired Murray as part of their deal with Jackson ahead of his never-to-happen O2 residency. Although, of course, it was Jackson himself who requested Murray be appointed as his personal doc.



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