Michael Jackson's Doctor Charged with Involuntary Manslaughter

[Vandole]

Michael Jackson's personal physician, Dr. Conrad Murray, was charged Monday with involuntary manslaughter for allegedly giving Jackson lethal levels of an anesthetic while treating the pop singer at his bedside for insomnia.

An afternoon court hearing is set where the doctor is expected to voluntarily turn himself in, enter a not guilty plea, and post bail. Murray, 57, has denied any wrongdoing.

The charge filed by the Los Angeles District Attorney alleges Murray “did unlawfully, and without malice, kill Michael Joseph Jackson." The county coroner says Jackson was given an overdose of the hospital-strength anesthetic propofol last June.

Although prosecutors have repeatedly declined to discuss the matter, the investigation was law enforcement's worst-kept secret. Police and DEA agents in California, Nevada and Texas searched Murray's and Jackson's homes, Murray's clinics, his storage unit and even the pharmacy where Murray may have obtained the drug.

An Addiction to Propofol?
In court documents, police claimed Murray told them that Jackson referred to propofol as his "milk" and that he was giving Jackson 50 mg of the drug "every night via intravenous drip (IV) to assist Jackson in sleeping." He also claimed, according to the documents, that he suspected Jackson had formed an addiction and tried to "wean Jackson off the drug." The documents suggested Murray had been deceptive about the extent to which he administered propofol, and that he was the subject of a homicide investigation.

But prosecuting doctors for a patient's death is difficult, according to legal insiders. The prosecutor will have to show that Murray not only was negligent – an offense that would, on its own, merit administrative action by a state medical board and possibly lead to the doctor losing his license – but that he went too far outside the standard of care and acted with extreme negligence.

"They have to show that a reasonable doctor would not have taken the risk and [Murray] should have known he shouldn't have taken the risk," says Loyola Law School Professor Laurie Levenson, who expects that Murray's attorneys will argue that accidents and terrible tragedies happen, that Murray did care about Jackson's well-being, and that Murray was only giving Jackson something other doctors administered as well without problems.

Died on the Doctor's Watch
Levenson suggests that Murray's biggest error was "that legendary pop star Michael Jackson died on his watch. A case under other circumstances might have fallen under the radar screen and wound up in civil court."

That said, potential penalties range from probation to four years, which isn't nearly as stiff as if the prosecutors had gone for second-degree murder, a charge that's seldom brought against doctors and much less frequently proven to a jury's satisfaction.

Even if Murray is acquitted, the family can sue Murray for millions.

"This is absolutely a slam-dunk malpractice case simply because of the alleged use of propofol," says Bill Newkirk, an L.A.-based attorney specializing in medical malpractice. "If the drug was indeed in his system, no competent doctor could justify why it was used. You can bet the Jackson family will be filing a civil claim soon against any doctors implicated in Jackson's medical care."

http://www.people.com/people/article...341232,00.html


well.... this sucks

[Abandon]

This isn't really new, they've been speculating that it was manslaughter for a while now. Glad they finally did something about it, though.

[kuronosan]

Kinda funny when you think about it. A cardiologist, one of the most prestigious residencies a physician can specialize in, thought you should perform CPR on a dying man on a bed. Then they thought after 2 hours of waiting that he would still be able to be resuscitated.

Either Michael's not really dead, or there are some pretty fucking stupid people in LA.

[Titanss]

wow it did finally happen.. there were saying they were going to bring him in all last week

[Tankjr]

Can you even call this MANslaughter? Everyone knows that MJ was replaced by a replicant before the 'Bad' album was released.

Thriller, man. THRILLER

The doctor should get charged with crimes against humanity.

THRILLER

[Abandon]

shut up.

[ZarakiKujata]

I don't get why this is not murder, forget manslaughter, propofol has an almost 100% death rate amongst addicts. Did this quack not realize that administering quite possibly the strongest anesthetic by someone who is not an anesthesiologist outside of an operating room, let alone a hospital is fucking retarded? As much as I dislike Joe Jackson, I hope he takes this guy for all that hes worth. Fucking more incompetent than the guy who killed Kanye's mom.

[Titanss]

I don't get why this is not murder, forget manslaughter, propofol has an almost 100% death rate amongst addicts.

huh? where did you come up with this %? because he is the only documented person addicted? the only way to get the shit is to be a MD it can even be prescribed..

that is why he always had a doc around it was the only way to get the shit.. not to mention the other pharmacy of drugs he had doctors prescribe him.

if I had his means I would have OD'd looong ago

[Tankjr]

shut up.

The doctor shouted, "FOR GREAT JUSTICE." when he pushed the plunger in.



allegedly

[kuronosan]

huh? where did you come up with this %? because he is the only documented person addicted? the only way to get the shit is to be a MD it can even be prescribed..

that is why he always had a doc around it was the only way to get the shit.. not to mention the other pharmacy of drugs he had doctors prescribe him.

if I had his means I would have OD'd looong ago

People like you are always addicts.

I digress - regardless, as an MD he is required to be ethical in patient treatment. That means (being the cardiologist he was) that he would realize that propofol (and any anesthetic, for that matter) is extremely dangerous as a sedative or sleeping medication, whether Michael was desperate, hooked, or otherwise.

At best, it's negligent homicide for facilitating an addiction to an illegal narcotic. Just because he's an MD doesn't mean he has the right to administer drugs in a case that it's unnecessary for.

That's like giving chemo to a flu patient.

[Titanss]

People like you are always addicts.

I digress - regardless, as an MD he is required to be ethical in patient treatment. That means (being the cardiologist he was) that he would realize that propofol (and any anesthetic, for that matter) is extremely dangerous as a sedative or sleeping medication, whether Michael was desperate, hooked, or otherwise.

At best, it's negligent homicide for facilitating an addiction to an illegal narcotic. Just because he's an MD doesn't mean he has the right to administer drugs in a case that it's unnecessary for.

That's like giving chemo to a flu patient.

I don't really understand how any of this applys to what I said except for your 1st sentence there (bingo btw but it wouldn't take a rocket scientist)

And if you are agreeing with the 100% overdose rate of a propofol addict that is really just ridiculous

[ZarakiKujata]

huh? where did you come up with this %? because he is the only documented person addicted? the only way to get the shit is to be a MD it can even be prescribed..

that is why he always had a doc around it was the only way to get the shit.. not to mention the other pharmacy of drugs he had doctors prescribe him.

if I had his means I would have OD'd looong ago

He is not the first person to become addicted to this by a long shot, and the 100% death rate is from non MD addicts of this drug from an article that came out last summer after he died. The rate amongst MD addicts is lower if only because anesthesiologists are the MDs who get addicted and their entire job revolves around dosing the drug so they know a bit more. The 100% is largely though because of how small of a statistical pool of non MD addicts there are for this drug, Jackson is not the only one by far but the 39-50% mortality rate amongst MD/resident/nurse anesthetists who abuse is still quite alarming.

You need an MD to get oxycontin, ambien, or any of the other prescription drugs people get addicted to, and up until Jackson died propofol was only slightly harder to get than some of those because of really relaxed FDA regulations. And considering how common it is as an anesthetic like 70% of hospitals did not really safeguard it. Now thankfully its status has been upgraded to a higher tier of narcotic.

And it doesnt matter that MJ always had an MD present because this was being done at his house. Administering this drug anywhere outside of an hospital/OR where a qualified anesthesiologist is present to oversee dosage is fucking retarded/irresponsible on any doctors part.