"A judge has ordered the personal physician of Michael Jackson to stand trial for involuntary manslaughter in the death of the pop superstar," the AP reports.
The ruling against Dr. Conrad Murray comes after a six-day preliminary hearing in Los Angeles. Earlier today, the the Los Angeles Times reported that L.A. county's chief coroner said the dose of the anesthetic propofol administered to the pop singer amounted to "homicide."
"Based on the quality of the medical care, I would still call this a homicide even if the doctor did not administer the propofol to Mr. Jackson," Dr. Christopher Rogers told the paper.
The AP adds some detail on what's in the future for Dr. Murray:
Murray, 57, has pleaded not guilty, and his attorneys have said he did not give Jackson anything that should have killed him. Murray could face up to four years in prison if tried and convicted.
During closing arguments at the hearing, Murray's defense attorney, Joseph Low IV, argued the case should be dismissed because prosecutors didn't adequately prove how Murray caused Jackson's death. He also said Jackson's health may have been a contributing cause.
"In contrast to Mr. Low's comment, let me just say, it was not Michael Jackson's time to go," Deputy District Attorney David Walgren said. "Because of Dr. Murray's actions, Michael's children are left without a father."
Copyright 2020 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. 9(MDAxNDQ2NDAxMDEyNzU2NzM2ODA3ZGI1ZA001))
