Jackson’s doctor gets 4-year jail
A judge jailed Michael Jackson’s doctor Conrad Murray for the maximum four years on Tuesday, three weeks after he was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in the star’s 2009 death.
He also said Murray should pay compensation to Jackson’s family, although he made no ruling on a prosecution proposal for $100 million in restitution, putting off a decision on the amount until January.
“He has absolutely no sense of remorse,” said Judge Michael Pastor, after giving a scathing summary of the case against the 58-year-old doctor.
“There are those that feel that Dr Murray is a saint. There are those that feel that Dr Murray is the devil. He’s neither. He’s a human being. He stands convicted of the death of another human being,” said Pastor.
But he said: “Michael Jackson died not because of an isolated one-off occurrence or incident. He died because of a totality of circumstances which are directly attributable to Dr Murray.”
The judge said he agreed that Murray should have to pay restitution to Jackson’s estate and children, but said the amount would be decided at a later hearing — scheduled for January 23. The prosecution had asked for Murray to pay $100 million to compensate Jackson’s family for the lost earnings the singer would have made from a 50-show series of comeback concerts he was planning when he died.
Murray was found guilty on November 7 for giving Jackson an overdose of the anesthetic propofol on June 25, 2009 at the star’s plush Holmby Hills mansion.
