Michael Jackson's Doctor To Be Charged Monday

Dr. Conrad Murray will be formally charged in relation to Michael Jackson’s death on Monday.

The physician is at the centre of a manslaughter probe after the pop icon died on June 25 last year after taking several different drugs including the powerful anaesthetic Propofol.

Jackson’s original death certificate said the superstar died of “acute Propofol intoxication”. Last month, it was amended by the Los Angeles County Coroner’s office to include the words “by intravenous injection of another”. The cause of death was also changed to “homicide”.

The district attorney’s office has announced Murray will be charged on Monday, but is yet to confirm the exact charges Murray will face - although it is expected to be involuntary manslaughter. If found guilty, the doctor faces a maximum sentence of four years in jail.

“The district attorney says information on the charges and the arraignment at Airport Court will be released after charges are filed,” gossip website TMZ reports.

It had been thought Murray would surrender to be charged yesterday, but legal wrangling has set the case back. Source claim the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) and prosecutors have failed to agree on the manner the charges should take place, and whether Murray should be arrested or allowed to hand himself in.

The LAPD want Murray to be handcuffed and chained and brought to court, while prosecutors and Murray’s lawyers are keen for him to surrender without the cuffs.

It has been alleged a deal has been made which will see Murray arrive at court by himself. “Dr. Conrad Murray will walk into court on his own free will Monday and face the judge after being charged with involuntary manslaughter in the death of Michael Jackson ... law enforcement sources tell us,” TMZ claims. “Our sources say counsel for Murray spoke by phone with members of the L.A. County District Attorney's Office and the D.A. agreed Dr. Murray could surrender without being arrested.”

It is claimed a bail bondsman will accompany Murray to the arraignment, apparently being held at 1.30pm in Los Angeles. Bail is expected to be set at $25,000, which he will immediately post. Murray will then be told to go to a police station to be booked.

Michael died after Murray gave him Propofol, which is normally used before patients undergo surgery, 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.

Murray’s legal team are getting increasingly irritated with the investigation, and were set to show in court yesterday even if charges weren’t filed. They eventually decided against it, but are keen for the process to begin. “It seems ridiculous to us that it's been dragging on this long. We've been here all week long, for God's sake. What's the holdup? To us this is showmanship and we are just done,” defence team spokeswoman Miranda Sevcik said. “We know he's going to be charged with involuntary manslaughter and we are ready with a counter argument. He's not guilty - that's our argument.”

Michael’s family are also upset, believing the involuntary manslaughter charge is too lenient. They would prefer Murray to face the more serious second-degree murder.

Michael’s brother Jermaine Jackson told Entertainment Tonight: “I just feel like it took so long to arrest this guy. And to just let this linger on, it is putting daggers in our hearts and my mother's. I think he Murray should be cuffed, he should be fingerprinted, he should have his mugshot taken. It could be first-degree murder, it could be whatever - Michael's not coming back, so where's the closure? Where is the closure? I should have been smarter about what he administered to my brother outside a hospital setting.”