Dr. Conrad Murray: Hangin’ By a Thread
April 2, 2010
As Dr. Conrad Murray’s April 5 court date approaches, lawyers for Michael Jackson’s former personal physician have filed legal papers fighting California Attorney General and medical board attempts to have his medical license revoked.
Their rationale? Murray’s financial difficulties.
“[Murray] is, without fear of overstatement, hanging by a thread,” his attorney wrote. “His ability to pay for his own defense depends almost entirely on [Murray's] ability to continue to treat patients.” Murray also owes child support payments.
Dr. Conrad Murray pleaded not guilty to involuntary manslaughter charges stemming from Jackson’s 2009 death, ruled a homicide after the singer died of “acute Propofol intoxication.” Murray is believed to have given Jackson Propofol.
While losing his medical license in California won’t affect Murray’s finances directly – he has no patients or clinics in the state – Murray fears the medical board ruling would have a “domino effect” in states where he does practice, Texas and Nevada.
In fact, California’s move already reached Nevada, where the medical board filed the formal complaint against Murray alleging that the doctor failed to report delinquent payments in his child support when filing to renew his medical license.
That could result in the revocation of a Nevada license for Dr. Conrad Murray.
“If Dr. Murray is unable to practice medicine in Texas, and especially Nevada, he likely will face the inability to adequately defend himself of the charges facing him in the Superior Court of California,” Murray’s lawyers wrote.
In addition to administering Jackson Propofol, a powerful sedative usually reserved for hospital use, court papers have also revealed that Murray is accused of halting CPR on Jackson in order to hide vials of sedatives before paramedics arrived.
