**Michael Jackson’s former doctor has been charged with involuntary manslaughter by prosecutors in Los Angeles, it has been confirmed.**Dr Conrad Murray is expected to deny the charges in court later. He faces up to four years in prison if convicted.
Photographers and news cameras have begun to gather at the Los Angeles International Airport Courthouse in anticipation of his appearance.
Jackson died at his home last June at the age of 50.
His death was ruled as homicide, mainly caused by the anaesthetic Propofol.
A cocktail of drugs - including sedatives Midazolam and Diazepam, the painkiller Lidocaine and the stimulant Ephedrine - were also detected in his body, a coroner confirmed.
The prosecutors allege that Dr Murray “did unlawfully, and without malice, kill Michael Joseph Jackson”.
Members of Michael Jackson’s family have gone to the court where Dr Murray is expected to arrive shortly.
Legal fight
Dr Murray had been hired to be Jackson’s personal physician last spring as the singer prepared for his comeback concerts in London.
“We’ll make bail, we’ll plead not guilty and we’ll fight like hell”
Ed Chernoff
Lawyer for Dr Conrad Murray
He told police he had been giving Jackson Propofol as part of his treatment for insomnia, according to an affidavit made public in August.
But he has always maintained he did not prescribe nor administer anything that should have killed the singer.
After a week of speculation over the manslaughter charge, Dr Murray had been expected to surrender to authorities last Friday.
But a spokeswoman for the Los Angeles district attorney said the office had decided to delay action until Monday.
The statement came after several days of negotiations, where Dr Murray’s lawyers tried to arrange for him to surrender to prosecutors in an attempt to avoid him being handcuffed and arrested.
Speaking before the charges were filed, the physician’s defence lawyer, Ed Chernoff, said the doctor was prepared for the legal battle ahead.
“We’ll make bail, we’ll plead not guilty and we’ll fight like hell,” he said.