The doctor who has been charged with involuntary manslaughter in the death of Michael Jackson has an assigned court date for August 23, although Los Angeles criminal defense attorneys, prosecutors, and Judge Michael Pastor have all agreed that the August date might be delayed as the case progresses.
Reuters reports that the defendant Conrad Murray and his lawyers appeared in court on Monday, where Judge Michael Pastor ruled that the doctor could keep his California medical license. The judge said that he did not have the authority to suspend Conrad Murray's license because a previous judge had already issued a ruling saying that he could practice medicine as long as he did not issue sedatives. The Los Angeles Superior Court Judge said that if California officials wanted to pursue the matter further, they could appeal his ruling.
Conrad Murray's Los Angeles criminal defense attorneys had argued that the California Medical Board did not have enough evidence about the alleged crime to suspend the doctor's medical license. Defense attorneys also argued that if their client's license was suspended, then he would suffer financially and may not be able to pay for his criminal defense team. Dr. Conrad Murray primarily practices medicine in Houston and Las Vegas, but other state's may have followed in California's footsteps if the doctor had his California medical license suspended.
It's likely that we'll be seeing Michael Jackson fans crowd the downtown Los Angeles courtroom for the preliminary hearing that will protest in favor of a conviction for the pop star's doctor. All the action may happen as early as August 23.
Related Resources:
- Conrad Murray, Michael Jackson's Doctor, Charged with Manslaughter (FindLaw's Courtside Blog)
- Find a Los Angeles Criminal Defense Attorney (FindLaw)
- What is Involuntary Manslaughter (FindLaw)
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