[ 2011-11-29 ]

Dr Conrad Murray

Michael Jackson's doctor jailed four years in prison
Conrad Murray, the US doctor convicted of the
involuntary manslaughter of Michael Jackson, has
been sentenced to four years in county jail.

Murray was found guilty earlier this month after a
six-week trial.

Judge Michael Pastor told the court that while
Murray was legally eligible for probation, he did
not think his actions showed he was suitable,

He said the evidence in the case showed a
"continuous pattern of lies and deceit" by Murray.


Prosecutors and defence will return in January
2012 to discuss the prosecution's request for
restitution to Jackson's family.

While the prosecution successfully argued for the
maximum term, Murray's lawyers asked that he be
kept on probation, saying he is serving "a
lifetime sentence of self-punishment".

Defence lawyer Ed Chernoff said he would already
be punished for life by being known as "the man
who killed Michael Jackson".

In addition, Murray could still lose his licence
to practise medicine.

'Trust abused'
As the sentencing hearing began a family friend of
the Jackson family, lawyer Brian Panish, read a
statement on behalf of the family.

Expressing their sense of loss for their "son,
husband, brother and father", the statement said
the court should impose a suitable sentence.

"We respectfully request that you impose a
sentence that demonstrates that physicians cannot
sell their services to the highest bidder and lose
sight of their Hippocratic oath," Mr Panish read.


In a sentencing memorandum delivered to Judge
Michael Pastor in advance of Tuesday's hearing, Mr
Walgren said Murray had shown no remorse for
Jackson's death.

Defence lawyers argued that Murray had done a huge
service to the community throughout his life,
including donating supplies to Caribbean doctors
and opening a clinic in the poorest area of
Houston, Texas.

"I do wonder though to what extent the court
considers the entirety of a man's book of life, as
opposed to one chapter," Mr Chernoff said, adding
that Murray could better serve the community on
probation.

'Prison is warranted'
Michael Jackson died on 25 June 2009 from an
overdose of the powerful anaesthetic propofol.

He had been out of the public eye for several
years but was preparing for a series of comeback
performances at the O2 arena in London.

The defence argued that Jackson was a drug addict
who caused his own death by giving himself an
extra dose of propofol while the cardiologist was
out of the room at the star's rented mansion in
Los Angeles.

However, lawyers for Dr Murray dropped a key
argument midway through the trial - that the pop
superstar had drunk the propofol. But they
continued to argue that Jackson had somehow dosed
himself otherwise.

There is no law against administering propofol,
but the prosecution's case rested on the argument
that Dr Murray was grossly negligent by doing so
outside a hospital setting and without the proper
monitoring equipment.

Calling for a four-year prison sentence, Mr
Walgren said Conrad Murray had demonstrated a
level of "planning and sophistication" in
procuring and using propofol to treat Michael
Jackson.

He had abused the trust placed in him by his
patient, Mr Walgren said.

"It is the people's position that prison is
warranted."

Source - BBC

... go Back