Doctor charged with Michael Jackson's death

Chamari SENANAYAKE

The much anticipated event finally happened, Dr. Conrad Murray was finally charged with 'involuntary manslaughter' on King of Pop Michael Jackson's death.

Michael Jackson's doctor on Monday pleaded 'not guilty' to causing the pop star's death at a brief hearing.

Although Police had tried their best the keep the event to the minimum publicity, some of the fans gathered outside the courtroom scremes 'murder' as the Doctor was escorted in.

Dr. Conrad Murray was accused of giving Jackson a fatal dose of an anesthetic called 'propofol' to help him sleep and the singer's father Joe, mother Katherine, and siblings LaToya, Jermaine, Tito, Jackie and Randy watched from courtroom seats behind prosecutors.

As he emerged from court, Joe Jackson declared: 'My son was murdered.' 'We need justice,' he added before leaving with family members in a fleet of SUVs.

"He's lying. He's guilty. Nobody was there but him," mother Katherine Jackson told reporters after Murray entered a not-guilty plea. "He's just trying to save his own behind," she added. "He killed him. He wasn't monitoring him."

La Toya Jackson, meanwhile, thinks the proceedings are going to get even more complicated in the future.

"Michael was murdered, and although he died at the hands of Dr. Conrad Murray, I believe Dr. Murray was a part of a much larger plan," Michael's sister said in a statement. "Dr. Murray is doing fine...He's in good spirits.

He's going to be out in 45 minutes. He's going to make bail," one of Murray's lawyers, Edward Chernoff, said during a brief press conference near the courtroom.

On Monday night, Joe Jackson also told CNN's Larry King that he doesn't believe Murray is the only person responsible for his son's death.

Joe Jackson also told King his son believed his life was in danger. 'Michael said it himself that he would be killed,' he said. 'He even told his kids that he would be murdered.'

Earlier, while several people shouted 'murderer' as Murray walked past a crowd of hundreds of reporters and fans on his way to the courthouse adjacent to Los Angeles International Airport, others held signs urging 'Justice For Michael', 'Murray is a murderer'.

Superior Court Judge Keith L. Schwartz set bail at $75,000 three times more than the amount people normally face after being charged with involuntary manslaughter.

Murray posted it about two hours later and was released.

Outside court, Chernoff said that Murray plans to return to practicing medicine in Nevada and Texas while he awaits trial, which has caused outrage amongts his fans and some medical practioners.

The judge ordered him to return to court on April 5 for a preliminary hearing.

He also warned Murray not to use general anesthesia on anyone while he is free on bail.

Dr. Selma Calmes, an anesthesiologist who reviewed the autopsy report at the coroner's request, said the level of propofol in Jackson's body was akin to what would be given for major surgery.

After such a dose, a patient normally would have a tube inserted in the airway to help with breathing and be ventilated by an anesthesiologist.

'The standard of care for administering propofol was not met,' she wrote. This was clearly mentioned in Jackson's autopsy report as well.

"The standard of care for administering Propofol was not met...Recommended equipment for patient monitoring, precision dosing and resuscitation was not present," the report states, referring to the anesthetic that ultimately killed the King of Pop.

Also, the rumors about vitiligo was real. The report confirms that Jackson suffered from the condition that result in smooth, white patches appearing on otherwise dark-pigmented skin.

His "overall skin had patches of light and dark pigmented area," observed a coroner's investigator. His autopsy report also states that Michael Jackson was in a relatively good health when he died and the only medication found in his system was the 'propofol' that was administered by Dr. Conrad Murray.