Michael Jackson’s Doctor Appears in Court

Michael Jackson's relatives are attending a court appearance by the doctor accused of giving him a lethal dose of a powerful anaesthetic, reports BBC News.

Dr Conrad Murray, 57, has pleaded not guilty to involuntary manslaughter.

During a brief procedural hearing in Los Angeles, Dr Murray's case was assigned to Judge Michael Pastor who adjourned the case until mid-June, when he is expected to rule on whether to revoke Dr Murray's medical license pending the full trial.

Members of the Jackson family turned out in force for the largely procedural hearing, led by his parents Katherine and Joe. His siblings Janet, Randy and Jermaine were also present. Dozens of journalists and fans also packed the downtown courthouse.
California's attorney general has asked the judge to suspend the cardiologist while he faces the charges. Dr Murray's lawyers are fighting that move, saying he needs to practice medicine to pay for his defense.

"He is, without fear of overstatement, hanging on by a thread," they said in court documents.

Dr Murray has previously been ordered not to administer any anaesthetics as a condition of his $75,000 USD bail. He is alleged to have administered a lethal dose of Propofol and other drugs, which resulted in the pop star's death on June 25, 2009.

According to US reports, Dr Murray's legal team is to argue that Jackson accidentally killed himself by injecting himself with Propofol. At the preliminary hearing, scheduled for June 14, Judge Pastor will decide whether there is enough evidence to go forward with a jury trial.

If convicted, Dr Murray faces up to four years in jail.