http://www.radaronline.com/exclusives/2010/08/exclusive-dr-conrad-murray-wont-face-justice-until-january-2011
Posted on Aug 23, 2010 @ 06:00AM
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WENN
Dr. Conrad Murray is back before a Los Angeles judge on Monday, but he won’t be facing the gavel of justice for another five months.
RadarOnline.com has learned the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office and Dr. Murray’s legal ace Ed Chernoff have hatched a deal for the involuntary manslaughter charges in the case of Michael Jackson to be heard in January, next year.
“The preliminary hearing will last anywhere from 2-4 weeks," a source close to the case tell us.
Both camps will push the judge to sign off on the date for the closely watched celebrity trial at Monday’s hearing at 12:30pm PST.
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Dr. Murray, the pop singer’s personal physician, has pleaded not guilty to charges of involuntary manslaughter.
The purpose of a preliminary hearing is for the judge to decide if there is enough evidence to send the case to trial, or if not, to dismiss it.
After an eight-month investigation, Los Angeles prosecutors charged the Houston-based cardiologist with allegedly administering a lethal cocktail of painkillers and anesthetics to Jackson in the hours before he died on June 25, last year.
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Involuntary manslaughter carries the shortest sentence of any homicide charge in California.
If convicted, Murray faces up to four years in prison.
While Dr. Murray was recently photographed in Miami with his infant son and girlfriend while on vacation, sources tell RadarOnline.com he is grieving the unexpected death of one of his employees’ children.
“Dr. Murray is having a very tough time because of the death,” a source said. “Dr. Murray regards his employees as family.”