The physician’s lead attorney Edward Chernoff has confirmed Murray will hand himself in, saying: “I haven’t received any phone call from anybody asking for the doctor to surrender. If we get the call, we’ll be happy to.”

Michael’s family are said to be furious at the charges, with attorney Brian Oxman claiming they feel it is just a “slap on the wrist”. Involuntary manslaughter has a maximum jail term of four years, and those close to Michael apparently want Murray charged with the more serious second-degree murder.

Oxman claims Murray was “reckless” in the way he gave Michael drugs to help him sleep. “That is just a slap on the wrist, and a slap in the face, because Michael Jackson was someone who we knew was in danger of being brought to his knees, brought to his death, by the use of these medications,” he said on The Early Show yesterday.

Michael died after Murray gave him Propofol, which is normally used to put surgery patients to sleep, and two other sedatives to help him sleep. Murray insists he did nothing wrong and the drugs should not have killed Michael. Giving someone Propofol isn’t illegal, so prosecutors are expected to show Murray went against normal protocols when administering it to Michael.

It has been reported prosecutors want to file a criminal complaint against Murray rather than take the case to grand jury. This would mean the case would be heard in a public hearing, in which a judge would hear evidence and then decide if Murray should be put on trial for involuntary manslaughter.

Meanwhile, a judge has ruled the administrators of Michael’s estate John Branca and John McClain will receive 10% of its profits.

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