News
AP
02/09/2010
The doctor authorities say caused Michael Jackson's death has arrived at a Los Angeles courthouse to face arraignment in a manslaughter charge.
News (5)
One person shouted "murderer" Monday as Dr. Conrad Murray walked past a throng of reporters and Michael Jackson fans and into the courthouse adjacent to Los Angeles International Airport.
Murray, a cardiologist who was with Jackson when he died June 25 at his rented Los Angeles mansion, faces up to four years in prison if convicted. Authorities say he caused Jackson''s death by administering a powerful sedative to help him sleep.
The doctor is accused of the single felony count in a five-page complaint filed in Superior Court. According to the complaint, Murray "did unlawfully, and without malice, kill Michael Joseph Jackson" by acting "without the caution and circumspection required."
The complaint contains no details on Jackson''s death but authorities have said the singer died after Murray administered a powerful general anesthetic and other drugs to help Jackson rest. Murray has said he did nothing that should have caused Jackson to die.
If convicted, he faces up to four years in prison.
Soon after the charge was filed, several members of Jackson''s family, including his mother and father; his brothers Jermaine, Randy, and Tito Jackson; and his sister LaToya Jackson arrived in a fleet of Cadillac Escalades at the courthouse adjacent to Los Angeles International Airport, where hundreds of reporters and Jackson fans were gathered outside.
"Looking for justice," was all Jackson''s father, Joe Jackson, said as he walked past a crowd of reporters and into the courthouse.
The charge was expected, and Murray''s attorney, Ed Chernoff, said his client planned to surrender to authorities later Monday.
"We''ll make bail, we''ll plead not guilty and we''ll fight like hell," Chernoff said before the charge was filed.
Jackson, 50, hired Murray to be his personal physician as he prepared for a strenuous series of comeback concerts in London. Officials say the singer died after Murray administered the powerful general anesthetic propofol and two other sedatives to get the chronic insomniac to sleep.
Known as "milk of amnesia," propofol is only supposed to be administered by an anesthesia professional in a medical setting because it depresses breathing and heart rate while lowering blood pressure.
The American Society of Anesthesiologists warned in 2004 that a doctor using propofol should have education and training to manage anesthesia complications, be physically present throughout sedation and monitor patients "without interruption" for signs of trouble. Rescue equipment "must be immediately available," it said.
Los Angeles investigators were methodical in building a case against Murray, wary of repeating missteps that have plagued some other high-profile celebrity cases, most notably O.J. Simpson and actor Robert Blake, both of whom were acquitted of murder.
After reviewing toxicology findings, the coroner ruled Jackson''s death a homicide caused by acute intoxication of propofol, with other sedatives a contributing factor.
Murray appears to have obtained the drug legally and its use is not in itself a crime. To show the doctor was negligent in his care, detectives spoke to more than 10 medical experts to see if his behavior fell outside the bounds of reasonable medical practice.
According to court documents, Murray told police he administered propofol just before 11 a.m. then stepped out of the room to go to the bathroom.
There is some dispute about what happened next. According to court filings, Murray told police that upon his return from the bathroom, he saw Jackson was not breathing and began trying to revive him.
But an ambulance was not called until 12:21 p.m. and Murray spent much of the intervening time making non-emergency cell phone calls, police say. The nature of the calls, which lasted 47 minutes, is not known.
Murray''s lawyer has said investigators got confused about what Murray had told them, and that the doctor found his patient unresponsive around noon.
The investigation included several agencies, including the Los Angeles Police Department, the district attorney''s office and the federal Drug Enforcement Administration.
A large number of witnesses has been interviewed by police, including those who were present during Jackson''s last days, those who worked with him in preparation for his series of comeback concerts, "This Is It," and members of his personal entourage, including his security guard and personal assistant.
Murray, who has a practice in Houston, became Jackson''s physician in May. An executive of concert promoter AEG Live has said Jackson insisted Murray be hired to accompany him to London.
The concerts sold out in anticipation of Jackson''s return as the "King of Pop" after years of odd behavior, trial and acquittal on molestation charges and self-imposed isolation that overshadowed a lifetime in music that reached superstardom with the 1982 album "Thriller" and such hits as "Beat It" and "Billie Jean."
At the time of his death, Jackson was in relatively good health and had no illegal drugs in his system, according to the autopsy report obtained by The Associated Press. Jackson had a strong heart and his kidneys and most other major organs were normal, according to the autopsy.
Jackson''s most serious problem was a chronic inflammation of the lungs that reduced capacity and may have left him short of breath. But the autopsy said it would not have been a direct or contributing cause of death.
Legal experts said the autopsy findings bolstered the case for prosecution and would block a potential defense that Jackson hid serious conditions that increased risk of death from drugs he willingly took.
Comments
top stories
Most watched
Vídeo de El Conquistador | Isa se atrevió con las serpientes
Vídeo Al rescate | Clases de reciclaje con Xabier Mikel Errekondo
Julian Iantzi nos explica en qué consiste el ''Conquistour''
EITB a la carta: La televisión que te gusta, cuando a ti te gusta
Vídeo de la programación especial sobre el final de Copa del Athletic
Video de la pérdida de peso de concursantes | El Conquistador
Vídeo de los concursantes emocionados con sus colores | Conquistador
Vídeo de la batalla de rap, Titín contra McEnroe | Al Rescate
Video de Euskadi Directo | Si gana el Athletic... ¡cena gratis!
Alberto Bocos a su llegada al Athletic Hiria | Audio Boulevard
Cine erótico para mujeres | Cabaret Desire | La Noche Despierta
'Dida': Tzanpionza, Zabier Azkargortarekin eta Mikel Olazabalekin
Audio MQP | 'MQP' entrevista al neuropsicólogo Javier Tirapu
Arqueología del euskera y el patrimonio urbano de las ciudades
Paseo por la ciudad de los íberos y las fronteras del Imperio romano |
Ganbara 25/05: Con Mikel Moreno, Iñaki Iriondo y Juan Mari Gastaca
Entrevista a Leihotikan, que presenta 'Harold | La Jungla Sonora |
Vídeo de final Copa del Rey | Dispositivo especial en Bilbao
Video de Euskadi Directo | Si gana el Athletic... ¡cena gratis!
Vídeo Robos en Bizkaia | Aumentan robos sin reventar cerraduras
Video de ED | 'Rollito Athletic' gana el concurso de Pintxos
Video de los archivos secretos de Christopher Lee | La Noche De
Video de Euskadi Directo | Arrasate es anti 'puerta a puerta'
Vídeo de casos de bebés robados | Reconstrucción del caso de Itsasondo
Vídeo del Athletic y Barcelona | La final de Copa llega al Congreso
Vídeo del himno del Athletic | Final partido Athletic-Manchester
Cientos de ultraderechistas se manifiestan en defensa de la unidad de España
La reforma laboral sufre 26 modificaciones antes de ser aprobada
Modelos casi desnudas y con el cuerpo pintado en el desfile de Cosano
Vídeo de Puyol y Xavi con la ikurriña en la Final de Copa del Rey
Vídeo de final de Copa | Cuadrilla de Getxo en limusina a Madrid
Vídeo pitada final Copa del Rey | Declaraciones de Esperanza Aguirre
Vídeo: Ánimo al Athletic para la final de Copa 2012 con el Barcelona
Vídeo Final Copa del Rey | Aficionados del Athletic, rumbo a Madrid
Vídeo Los aficionados del Athletic tiñen de rojiblanco las calles de Madrid
Vídeo final Copa Athletic-Barcelona | Tristeza en los rojiblancos
Vídeo del Athletic | En Harley Davidson desde Mañaria hasta Madrid
Vídeo del Athletic | Spot de San Miguel para la final de Copa del Rey
Final de Copa del Rey | Athletic-Barcelona (0-3) | Afición rojiblanca
Athletic-Barça: Declaraciones de Guardiola | Final de la Copa del Rey
Video de la final de Copa Athletic-Barcelona | Los jugadores saltan al terreno de juego
Julio Medem presenta un largometraje de siete cortos sobre La Habana
Lauroba taldearen bideoklip berria: ''Sua gara'' | Bideoklipa
Vídeo de conciertos de Doctor Deseo y The Uski's en San Mamés
Vídeo de exposición de David Hockney en el Guggenheim Bilbao
Euskal Eskola Publikoaren bideoa | 'Bale!', aurtengo abestia
Versión del tema de Gotye: cinco personas tocando la misma guitarra
Vídeo de La Noche De | Nikole Kidman sufrió un accidente en un rodaje
Museo de Bellas Artes de Álava recupera la obra de Pablo Uranga
Black or white abestiaren bideoklipa | Gaztearen Bideoklip Lehiaketa
We go together abestiaren bideoklipa | Gaztearen Bideoklip Lehiaketa
Sirokaren Musikaz gozatu abestiaren bideoklipa | Bideoklip lehiaketa
Party Rock Anthem kantuaren bideoklipa | Gaztearen Bideoklip Lehiaketa
Girls just wanna have fun abestiaren bideoklipa | Bideoklipa
Party Rock Anthem kantuaren bideoklipa | Gaztearen Bideoklip Lehiaketa
Mama Luba abestiaren bideoklipa | Gaztearen Bideoklip Lehiaketa
La mandanga abestiaren bideoklipa | Gaztearen Bideoklip Lehiaketa
Serebro taldearen bideoklipa | Gaztearen Bideoklip Lehiaketa
Paradise kantuaren bideoklipa | Gaztearen Bideoklip Lehiaketa
Thriller abestiaren bideoklipa | Gaztearen Bideoklip Lehiaketa
Serebroren Mama Luba bideoklipa | Gaztearen Bideoklip Lehiaketa