LOS ANGELES: The judge who jailed Michael Jackson's doctor Conrad Murray for four years refused a request Friday for him to be released pending an appeal against his conviction.
Judge Michael Pastor agreed with prosecutors that Murray was a flight risk if released on bail following his conviction in November over the King of Pop's June 2009 death.
Murray asked in January to be released on bail, vowing to comply with "any and all conditions," including "electronic monitoring, periodic check-in with any agency or court or such other conditions that the court deems reasonable."
The 59-year-old doctor also pledged to live with his partner Nicole Alvarez -- who appeared in his defense during the six-week trial -- and their three-year-old son. He said he had been told his appeal will take well over a year.
But prosecutors David Walgren and Deborah Brazil urged the judge to deny the request by Grenada-born Murray.
"The defendant fails to demonstrate that he is unlikely to flee," they said in a court filing last week, adding that Murray has "significant ties outside the state of California, as well as ties outside of the United States."
The judge agreed with the prosecution argument that Murray was a flight risk, in a hearing at the Los Angeles Superior Court which the doctor was not obliged to attend.
Murray was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter for having given the singer an overdose of the powerful anesthetic propofol while trying to help him sleep at his mansion on June 25, 2009.
Jackson was in Los Angeles rehearsing for a series of comeback concerts in London when he died.
Prosecutors announced when Murray was jailed that they would seek restitution of $100 million, plus more than $1 million in funeral-associated costs, from Murray on behalf of Jackson's children.
But Murray's lawyers said there was no point since the doctor has no money. Observers said the restitution claim could be to prevent Murray from profiting from the case in the future, by book or other deals.
Comments
Comments are closed.