Trial of Jackson doctor begins today
The doctor charged over Michael Jackson’s death will make an initial court appearance today with Los Angeles police preparing to deal with crowds of the singer’s fans.
More than a dozen members of Jackson’s family are also expected at the hearing for Dr Conrad Murray who has pleaded not guilty to involuntary manslaughter.
Today’s case in Los Angeles Superior Court is aimed at assigning a judge and setting a preliminary trial date.
Normally such a routine hearing would draw few spectators. However, with Jackson’s death as the backdrop, crowds of fans and media are expected.
Jackson family members are committed to attending all court proceedings against Murray. Some of them have suggested the charge of involuntary manslaughter is not severe enough.
If convicted Murray would face a maximum sentence of four years in prison.
A spokeswoman for the district attorney’s office, said the Jackson family notified officials of their plans because seats need to be reserved for them in the court.
“There will be more than a dozen, possibly as many as 15,” she said.
A court spokesman said a big media presence was also expected and the sheriff’s department was preparing for a crowd.
“It’s basically a housekeeping hearing, but it will be the housekeeping hearing heard around the world,” said Loyola University law professor Laurie Levenson. “I’m already getting emails from France. There is no detail too minute for the international media.”
Among items to be addressed by supervising Superior Court Judge Peter Espinoza is Murray’s fight to keep his medical licence.
The California Attorney General, representing the state medical board, has moved to revoke his license pending trial. Murray says that if he cannot continue practising medicine he will be unable to pay for his defence.
The doctor has a history of serious financial problems and his lawyers said in a court filing that the effect would be devastating to Murray.
“He is, without fear of overstatement, hanging on by a thread,” they wrote. “His ability to pay for his own defence depends almost entirely on his ability to continue to treat patients.”
Murray (aged 57), a cardiologist, has clinics in Las Vegas and Houston and also has a licence to practice in California. Should that be lifted, his lawyers suggest there would be a “domino effect” with other states doing the same.
Nevada has already filed a formal complaint against Murray saying he twice failed to mention lapsed child support payments on applications to renew his licence.
Jackson was 50 and about to launch a series of comeback shows in London when he died last June after being rushed to a hospital from his Beverly Hills home.
Murray, who signed on in May at $150,000 (€111,407) per month to keep Jackson healthy through the comeback tour, told police he had been treating him for insomnia.
The pop star was found to have died from acute intoxication with the hospital anaesthetic propofol and other sedatives as a contributing factor.
The defence is expected to complain today that prosecutors have been slow turning over the case records to them.
