Jackson doctor to face manslaughter charge
Published:Thursday | February 4, 2010 | 12:00 AM
LOS ANGELES (AP):
Prosecutors plan to charge Michael Jackson's doctor with manslaughter, a law enforcement official told The Associated Press on Tuesday.
Prosecutors will file a criminal complaint against Dr Conrad Murray instead of taking the case before a grand jury, which is done in private, the official said.
The person is not authorised to speak publicly about the case, and only spoke on condition of anonymity.
The complaint would be the prelude to a public hearing, in which a judge would weigh testimony from witnesses to decide if there is probable cause to try him on an involuntary manslaughter charge.
Jackson died June 25 from an anaesthetic overdose. Murray maintains nothing he gave Jackson should have killed him.
Murray arrived in Los Angeles last weekend in anticipation of a charging decision from the district attorney's office, a spokeswoman said Tuesday.
"Dr. Murray is in Los Angeles for a dual purpose - on family business and to be available for law enforcement," said spokeswoman Miranda Sevcik. "We're trying to be as cooperative as we can."