CHARGES FILED
The charges against Michael Jackson’s doctor Conrad Murray have been officially filed. He has been charged with involuntary manslaughter and if convicted would possibly face a maximum of four years in state prison. As we have heard from the defense and our sources on the prosecution side of things, this has been expected for some time and both sides agree this will likely be a long case and a tough one.
The filing says in part “In violation of Penal Code Section 192(b), a Felony, was committed by Conrad Robert Murray, who did unlawfully, and without malice, kill Michael Joseph Jackson, a human being, in the commission of an unlawful act, not amounting to a felony; and in the commission of a lawful act which might have produced death, in an unlawful manner, and without due caution and circumspection.”
The defense team says they have not yet seen the charges and cannot comment until they see some of the claims by the DA. They look forward to defending their client and proving that he is innocent. So far Michael’s parents have arrived here along with two of his brothers and one of his sisters.
The media and fans have already lined up outside the back of the courthouse waiting for the arrival of Dr. Murray and his defense team, at the same time we are expecting an official statement from the DA’s office at any moment.
Deputy District Attorney from the Major Crimes Division will prosecute this case and we know Ed Chernoff will be the lead defense attorney. Arraignment is scheduled for later this afternoon here at the LAX courthouse.
MONDAY MIDDAY
Representatives from the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office have arrived at the courthouse and were seen entering the clerk’s office. We are told they are here to finally formally file the charges against former MJ doctor Conrad Murray. We are also told that 10 seats have been reserved in the small courtroom just for the Jackson family, so now we can expect craziness surrounding their arrival. Some fans are already here wearing t-shirts and holding hand made signs. One of the defense lawyers has also been seen inside the building. Also, we are now being told an arrest warrant will be issued about 30 minutes after the paperwork has been completed filing the charges against Murray. The defense team also tells me they still plan on surrendering Murray at 1:30pm local time and that no one from the DA’s office has contacted them at this point.
MONDAY UPDATE
As the sun starts to ricochet off of the LAX courthouse, the media has already lined up outside waiting for the arrival of charges and eventually the doctor accused. By the sheer nature of the length of this investigation it is clear this will not be an easy one to prosecute. There will be medical experts on both sides and then a jury of common people with likely no medical experience will have to wade through the months of testimony, much of it advanced even for those in the medical field.
As for what is going to happen today….I just got off the phone with the defense team and they expect to arrive here at the courthouse at 1:30pm local time. Charges are expected by the District Attorney’s Office by then and most believe those charges will be Involuntary Manslaughter. However in the spirit of Michael Jackson, this case has been anything but normal and anything could happen. If for today it goes as planned, charges would be filed about 1:30, then the defense team would surrender the doctor, an arraignment would then take place, the doctor would likely be released on bail since he is not a flight risk and then both sides would give a presser on the courthouse steps. Of course like we saw on Friday that plan can go out the window at any time and for any darn reason.
FRIDAY UPDATE
The defense team is beyond upset at this hour. The tell me the Deputy District Attorney and Ed Chernoff had an agreement and now it appears law enforcement is going back on that agreement. Chernoff’s team says they are going forward as if nothing has changed.
“We don’t want him in handcuffs and have offered to surrender him since last July. They have drawn this thing out, they have made this into a ridiculous show and now they are making it a mess,” says the team to me over the phone.
They continue, “It’s all about the handcuffs and we are not going to do that. Dr. Murray has rights and he has been as compliant as anyone could be expected to be. It’s insane and it’s showmanship. He is innocent until proven guilty and has never been, nor never will be a flight risk.”
Their plan is also fiscally irresponsible according to the defense team and thousands of taxpayer dollars are being waster by this “boondoggle”.
According to multiple sources, the LA DA has been out of town on vacation and wouldn’t let anything happen with case until he returned on Thursday. Dr. Murray has also been moved from his original location here in LA due to death threats and security concerns.
FROM THURSDAY
“We want to get in there and take care of this, we have been waiting for a week and even offered to surrender the doctor last summer!” That word coming from Dr. Conrad Murray’s defense team.
Dr. Murray was with Michael Jackson the night he died last summer and has been allegedly responsible for giving MJ the fatal dose of medication. The doctor’s defense team is really frustrated right now, as attorney Ed Chernoff has been here in Los Angeles for a week waiting and negotiating a potential surrender. No one in the DA’s office or with the LAPD will give them a plan and no one will talk to him about any final final plan to arrest Dr. Murray.
I am also told that even though Doctor Murray has been “the easiest suspect ever”, he has gotten multiple death threats from people who feel he is responsible for Jackson’s death.
Right now, Ed Chernoff has been “hanging out” at his hotel for a week waiting for someone to make this decision. Murray’s team says this is an overdramatic and unnecessary process. They claim to have been transparent from the beginning and have always welcomed investigators into offices and homes that Murray owned or used. They even said they wouldn’t need a search warrant, that Murray would let them in, but investigators still got the warrants and went in forcefully anyway.
Apparently this is a battle between the LAPD and the DA. The DA has been out of town and returned to the office today and wanted to be here for the arrest. Also, the DA wants this quick and easy, but LAPD wants a perp walk with Murray in cuffs walking in front of camera’s. The two agencies are not getting along right now I am told by multiple sources.
A clerk at the small courtroom near LAX tells people the arraignment is set for Friday at 11am local time, yet the attorney’s for Dr. Murray have been told nothing and are very frustrated. As for investigators, I have been told they didn’t really want this case and have called it a “loser case” because it is so difficult to prosecute.
As one told me, “both sides are gonna have doctors testify. Both sides are gonna have medical experts with opposite opinions. Now we are going to have a jury of common people off of the street with no medical background try and wade through this stuff??”
Also, multiple federal agencies remain only in a support role. Last fall it appeared that they would get more involved, but as this case has progressed, they have “decided to only support and stay out of it.” I am told “why waste our time” on one guy, who could afford what he wanted and knew he was being injected, when we have so many other cases hurting a lot of innocent people.” Those cases are our priority”