Dr. Conrad Murray Charged with Involuntary Manslaughter of Michael Jackson

By Kamika Dunlap on February 08, 2010 | Last updated on March 21, 2019

After long delays, criminal charges were filed against Dr. Conrad Murray in connection to the death of singer Michael Jackson.

As reported by the AP, Murray was charged today with involuntary manslaughter. He entered a plea of not guilty. His bail was set at $75,000 which is three times the standard for involuntary manslaughter cases.

The criminal charges can be read at FindLaw's Courtside

The cardiologist to the King of Pop, Murray turned himself in at a courthouse, CNN reports. His appearance in court is the culmination of a seven-month investigation by police and federal agents.

The judge also forbade Murray from prescribing heavy sedatives, namely propofol, to his patients.

Prosecutors had been negotiating with defense lawyers for Murray to surrender voluntarily, before appearing in court, without handcuffs or shackles.

As previously discussed, there were talks for Murray to surrender last week but no agreement was reached by prosecutors and Murray's chief defense lawyer, Ed Chernoff.

Murray, 56, was treating Jackson for insomnia when the singer died on June 25. He has acknowledged administering propofol to Jackson. Propofol is an anesthetic used to render patients unconscious before major surgery.

The coroner has ruled Michael Jackson's death at age 50 was a homicide, caused by a cocktail of painkillers and painkillers and sedatives.

Murray traveled from his home in Houston to Los Angeles last week and used part of his time to visit the pop star's resting place at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California.

Brian Oxman, Joe Jackson's attorney, said some family members were disappointed that the physician was charged only with involuntary manslaughter.

Involuntary manslaughter is the act of unlawfully killing another human being unintentionally. In California, an involuntary manslaughter conviction carries a potential sentence of two to four years in prison.

The doctor told police he was worried that Jackson was becoming addicted to the drug and tried to wean him off it.

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