Discover Yahoo! With Your Friends

Explore news, videos, and much more based on what your friends are reading and watching. Publish your own activity and retain full control.

To get started, first

YOUR FRIENDS' ACTIVITY

    Judge takes up bid for bail by Jackson doctor

    LOS ANGELES (AP) — With Michael Jackson's doctor in solitary confinement, his lawyer planned to implore a judge to release him on bail as the appeal of his involuntary manslaughter conviction winds its way through the courts.

    Attorney J. Michael Flanagan was to appear Friday to argue a motion he has filed saying that Conrad Murray should be released either on his own recognizance or on bail with an electronic monitoring ankle bracelet. Murray is in a Los Angeles County jail,

    He submitted a declaration from Valerie G. Wass, the lawyer handling Murray's appeal, who said she will present "at least one argument raising a substantial legal question" which could lead to reversal of Murray's conviction. If he remains jailed, they said, he could serve his entire sentence before the appeal is decided.

    Flanagan suggested that the four-year sentence imposed on Murray was excessive.

    "It is difficult to understand how a 58-year-old man with no prior record, who was convicted of one count of a crime that does not involve intended consequences or malice could be given an upper term sentence," he wrote in his motion.

    Murray actually turned 59 on Sunday.

    Prosecutors David Walgren and Deborah Brazil said in their reply motion that Murray was properly sentenced in the star's death and would be a flight risk and a danger to the community if released. They said he practiced "dangerous and experimental medicine" on Jackson leading to his death.

    Murray was convicted Nov. 7 of involuntary manslaughter after a trial focusing on use of the anesthetic propofol. Jackson died of an overdose of the drug in June 2009 while in Murray's care.

    Murray's four-year jail sentence is the highest penalty that could be imposed for that crime. Under current sentencing guidelines he will probably serve half of that term.

    Flanagan has said Murray knows he cannot work as a doctor but would find other employment. He said Murray is extremely sorrowful about Jackson's death.

     

    34 comments

    • J  •  3 mths ago
      It's not at all difficult for me to understand his 4 year sentence. And I'm not a lawyer.
      What I am perplexed about is how the state has the gaul to charge him so minimally while nationwide they are handing out decades long/life sentences to low-level drug dealers who sales resulted in death. That, to me, defies comprehension. But, as I said, I'm no lawyer, Thus, I obviously know very little about what justice is.
      • Cambria 3 mths ago
        i agree 4 years is nothing when compared to how they would have treated him if he was a drug dealer who had killed someone instead of a dr.
      • Satan Sammich 3 mths ago
        You don't have to be a lawyer to know the facts did not merit charging him with anything more than involuntary manslaughter, or negligent homicide - he did not intend to kill MJ but is still responsible. Four years is the maximum sentenced proscribed by the CA penal code.

        I'm not defending Murray in any way, but his lawyer makes a good point, it's unusual that someone with no prior criminal history gets the max. Most people would get probation in the absence of aggravated circumstances.
      • Eric 3 mths ago
        well said SSammich
    • First L  •  Naples, Florida  •  3 mths ago
      He killed a man. Why would they release him?
    • jack  •  Rocky Mount, Virginia  •  3 mths ago
      Whether anybody likes it or not Murray could be out of prison earlier than expected. He could also be practicing medicine in another country whether Jackson's fans like it or not. There are a shortage of doctors in many countries and he could procure a position easily.
    • charles  •  Columbus, Ohio  •  3 mths ago
      handle with prayer
    • Justice Seeker  •  3 mths ago
      For the record, I am White.... Just like in my picture...
      And for the record, Dr. Conrad Murray, should not spend 1 more day in jail.... He did not murder Michael Jackson, any more than I did.... Michael was a drug addict, just like Whitney Houston.... Is her Doctor under arrest??? Is her Doctor facing Murder Charges??? No???

      Well, neither should Dr. Conrad Murray.....

      In the face of Justice, you must release him a.s.a.p.
      I Vow to get politically involved in this case if it is not overturned.
      You either arrest each and every Doctor that ever had a patient die from a prescription overdose, or you let that man go now......

      The Jacksons needed to find an escape-goat, to put the blame on someone else as to not bring anymore shame to the "Family Name"...

      As, I see it, Joe Jackson is as much to blame for Michaels Death as Michael was.... Joe is probably one of the main reasons that Michael tried to escape, and why he tried so hard to stay childlike..... The whole Jackson Family is totally disfunctional, we all get that.... We accepted that.... Michael was a generously gifted musical artist. But, that did not mean that he did not have "Mental Problems"... He sure did.... And, how.....

      Again, I say, "Free Doctor Conrad Murray"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    • Peter  •  3 mths ago
      Let's see. If someone at home was experimenting with giving their family member propofanol to help them sleep and they died...how long do you think they would get? 4 years or 40? This is ridiculous. This "doctor" should shut up and serve his sentence with glee.
    • dan  •  Champaign, Illinois  •  3 mths ago
      Let's face it: he got a high sentence because he killed the king of pop. If he had killed a "lesser" human, he would have got a slap on the wrist. Celebrity culture disgusts me.
    • Cambria  •  Charlotte, North Carolina  •  3 mths ago
      He is lucky he got as little as 4 years in my opinion. I'm glad he won't be allowed to practice medicine ever again as well. Weather he thinks its fair or not he played a hand in killing one of the biggest celebrities of our generation and he deserves to pay for that 4 years isn't that long considering MJ is gone forever and his children are fatherless now. Just do your 4 years and stop crying about it every action has a reaction
    • Mike  •  Seattle, Washington  •  3 mths ago
      haha, great kicker , "extremely sorrowful".
    • Kat  •  Union, Washington  •  3 mths ago
      was convicted of one count of a crime that does not involve intended consequences or malice my foot. What do you call all those drugs that he brought into the house? Leave the piece of garbage in jail for the full term, nothing less!
      • Cambria 3 mths ago
        agreed!! malice or not someone died under his care. i hate how they try and twist it like it was a speeding ticket or something. "One count of a crime" it was murder just say it you were convicted of murder.
      • Satan Sammich 3 mths ago
        So much stupid here...
      • Cambria 3 mths ago
        Ditto "Satan Sammich"
    • Satan Sammich  •  Kansas City, Missouri  •  3 mths ago
      What so many commenters don't get is that Murray was charged with the most serious crime possible and given the maximum sentence allowed by CA law. Most first time offenders get probation. That MJ was famous is completely irrelevant.
      • D 3 mths ago
        maybe in Missouri they get probabtion but not California.
      • dojolaser 3 mths ago
        some people will never be reasooned with -- they grew up "rebelling" i guess...grow up and listen fools
    • rushtown  •  Irvine, California  •  3 mths ago
      He needs to work in a doctors office as a janitor.
    • Sam Brinley  •  Tucker, Georgia  •  3 mths ago
      Murray... unintentionally... did the world a favor as far as I'm concerned. MJ was a child molester, plain and simple. It doesn't get much worse than that.
      • Cambria 3 mths ago
        With people like you in the world i beg to differ it does get worse than that. Educate yourself before you make stupid comments. The kids involved in those cases come forward and said they were lying to get money out of him. Now tell me why they would say they were straight up lying if he had really done something?
      • Rebecca 3 mths ago
        He was acquitted on ALL 14 counts, including misdemeanors. That's virtually impossible if there is the shadow of *any* doubt in the juror's minds. This was a clean cut case of attempted extortion of MJ. Even the littlest bit of research into the case reveals this.
      • Sam Brinley 3 mths ago
        So people pay $23 mil for doing nothing wrong right? He was a sick human being, his music was great, but good riddance. FREE CONRAD!!! Jacko was going to kill himself one way or another anyway.

        On January 25, 1994,[81] the Chandlers' lawsuit was settled out of court with $15,331,250 to be held in a trust fund for Jordan,[82] $1.5 million for each of his parents and the family's lawyer slated to receive $5 million for a total of approximately $23 million[83] (although another source showed Feldman was to receive $3 million based on a September 1993 retainer, for a total of $21 million).[84]
    • obama sense  •  Charlotte, North Carolina  •  3 mths ago
      he had the choice not to work for micheal he also had the choice to help him he was a doctor giving mj profofol wasnt helping him.an if he couldnt help him he should have turned the job down.not administer lethal drugs into his system when that has nothing to do with his field of practice he is a heart surgeon not a very good one at that so far he killed the man.
    • Dave  •  Brownsburg, Indiana  •  3 mths ago
      I was not a fan of Jackson but this Murray was a dope. If he gets out on bail, I believe he will run. On the other hand, if he does himself in, that is alright by me.
    • David  •  3 mths ago
      The doc should get a cash reward for service to the community at large. A doper child molesting POS is dead. Thank you.
    • Sal  •  Iowa Falls, Iowa  •  3 mths ago
      It is my opinion that michael jackson killed himself.
    • Harry Groinalarea  •  Irvine, California  •  3 mths ago
      lawyers are such piles of poop
    • tim  •  3 mths ago
      Whacko Jacko killed himself. let the doctor go!
    • michel  •  3 mths ago
      does this POS still have a medical license.
    [ [ [['Connery is an experienced stuntman', 2]], 'http://yhoo.it/KeQd0p', '[Slideshow: See photos taken on the way down]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['Connery is an experienced stuntman', 7]], ' http://yhoo.it/KpUoHO', '[Slideshow: Death-defying daredevils]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['know that we have confidence in', 3]], 'http://yhoo.it/LqYjAX ', '[Related: The Secret Service guide to Cartagena]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['We picked up this other dog and', 5]], 'http://yhoo.it/JUSxvi', '[Related: 8 common dog fears, how to calm them]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['accused of running a fake hepatitis B', 5]], 'http://bit.ly/JnoJYN', '[Related: Did WH share raid details with filmmakers?]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['accused of running a fake hepatitis B', 3]], 'http://bit.ly/KoKiqJ', '[Factbox: AQAP, al-Qaeda in Yemen]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['have my contacts on or glasses', 3]], 'http://abcn.ws/KTE5AZ', '[Related: Should the murder charge be dropped?]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['have made this nation great as Sarah Palin', 5]], 'http://yhoo.it/JD7nlD', '[Related: Bristol Palin reality show debuts June 19]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['have made this nation great as Sarah Palin', 1]], 'http://bit.ly/JRPFRO', '[Related: McCain adviser who vetted Palin weighs in on VP race]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['A JetBlue flight from New York to Las Vegas', 3]], 'http://yhoo.it/GV9zpj', '[Related: View photos of the JetBlue plane in Amarillo]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['the 28-year-old neighborhood watchman who shot and killed', 15]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/photos/white-house-stays-out-of-teen-s-killing-slideshow/', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/cv/ip/ap/default/120411/martinzimmermen.jpg', '630', ' ', 'AP', ], [ [['Titanic', 7]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/titanic-anniversary/', ' ', 'http://l.yimg.com/a/p/us/news/editorial/b/4e/b4e5ad9f00b5dfeeec2226d53e173569.jpeg', '550', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['He was in shock and still strapped to his seat', 6]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/photos/navy-jet-crashes-in-virginia-slideshow/', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/cv/ip/ap/default/120406/jet_ap.jpg', '630', ' ', 'AP', ], [ [['xxxxxxxxxxxx', 11]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/photos/russian-grannies-win-bid-to-sing-at-eurovision-1331223625-slideshow/', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/a/p/us/news/editorial/1/56/156d92f2760dcd3e75bcd649a8b85fcf.jpeg', '500', ' ', 'AP', ] ]
    [ [ [['did not go as far his colleague', 8]], '29438204', '0' ], [ [[' the 28-year-old neighborhood watchman who shot and killed', 4]], '28924649', '0' ], [ [['because I know God protects me', 14], ['Brian Snow was at a nearby credit union', 5]], '28811216', '0' ], [ [['The state news agency RIA-Novosti quoted Rosaviatsiya', 6]], '28805461', '0' ], [ [['measure all but certain to fail in the face of bipartisan', 4]], '28771014', '0' ], [ [['matter what you do in this case', 5]], '28759848', '0' ], [ [['presume laws are constitutional', 7]], '28747556', '0' ], [ [['has destroyed 15 to 25 houses', 7]], '28744868', '0' ], [ [['short answer is yes', 7]], '28746030', '0' ], [ [['opportunity to tell the real story', 7]], '28731764', '0' ], [ [['entirely respectable way to put off the searing constitutional controversy', 7]], '28723797', '0' ], [ [['point of my campaign is that big ideas matter', 9]], '28712293', '0' ], [ [['As the standoff dragged into a second day', 7]], '28687424', '0' ], [ [['French police stepped up the search', 17]], '28667224', '0' ], [ [['Seeking to elevate his candidacy back to a general', 8]], '28660934', '0' ], [ [['The tragic story of Trayvon Martin', 4]], '28647343', '0' ], [ [['Karzai will get a chance soon to express', 8]], '28630306', '0' ], [ [['powerful storms stretching', 8]], '28493546', '0' ], [ [['basic norm that death is private', 6]], '28413590', '0' ], [ [['songwriter also saw a surge in sales for her debut album', 6]], '28413590', '1', 'Watch music videos from Whitney Houston ', 'on Yahoo! Music', 'http://music.yahoo.com' ], [ [['keyword', 99999999999999999999999]], 'videoID', '1', 'overwrite-pre-description', 'overwrite-link-string', 'overwrite-link-url' ] ]
    Loading...