Michael Jackson's Physician, Dr. Conrad Murray, Pleads Not Guilty

According to the Associated Press, Dr. Conrad Murray, physician for the late Michael Jackson, appeared in court to face a charge of involuntary manslaughter. The charge stemmed from Jackson's death in 2009. Murray was arraigned in a hearing at the Los Angeles courthouse.

Dr. Murray had his bail set at $75,000, which is three times greater than the bail usually set for similar crimes. He wasn't handcuffed, but taken in to custody by police in order to be booked. Dr. Murray must give up his passport, which only allows him to travel within the United States. Prosecutors were seeking bail of $300,000, but the judge, Keith L. Schwartz, rejected the amount. Dr. Murray faces up to four years in jail if convicted.

Ed Chernoff, Dr. Murray's lawyer, said that the doctor will not be speaking to the media. "He's going to go home," Chernoff said. "He's going to go back to his family. He's going to go back to his patients."

Many members of Jackson's family were present during the hearing. Their comment to the press was quite simple: "We need justice," stated their father, Joe Jackson.

"This charge is a slap on the wrist," Brian Oxman, Joe Jackson's lawyer, told People Magazine. "There's great disappointment here. [Dr. Conrad Murray] should've been charged with a higher degree of responsibility. What he did was reckless. It was a disregard for human life."

When it comes to the trial of Dr. Conrad Murray for the death of Michael Jackson, the bottom line is this:

1) Let's hear the facts before passing judgment: It's easy for America to assume that the black doctor is somehow incompetent. I find it quite ironic that while the doctors for Michael Jackson and Donda West (mother of Kanye West) have been paraded to the public, the doctors of Heath Ledger and Anna Nicole Smith have not been equally demonized. This is not to defend Dr. Murray as a reliable physician. It is to make us all wonder if there might be a double standard.

2) Yes, Michael Jackson has some accountability in all of this: Although Dr. Murray may likely have violated his fiduciary responsibility to help save and protect Michael Jackson, Jackson's decision to chase the drugs at any cost may have played a significant role in his loss of life. Reports say that Jackson refused help from his family when they tried to intervene, so similar to Richard Pryor; Michael went to a place where no one else would be able to meet him. Based on the path that Michael appears to have traveled with his personal choices, it seems that his death was almost inevitable.

3) Yes, I do want to see Dr. Conrad Murray prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law: Some would argue that possibly serving four years in jail would be a light sentence for what Dr. Murray is alleged to have done. I agree. Also, many conversations I've had with physicians confirm that his actions may have been quite negligent. I am hopeful that after this trial is said and done, Dr. Murray's experience will send a clear message to any physician who considers neglecting his/her responsibility to protect the patient.

Call me a weirdo, but I can't help but wonder if Dr. Murray's trial is going to put black professionals in a bad light. The image of the incompetent black doctor or lawyer is one that we are consistently trying to shake, but one that the media loves to reproduce. If only doctors of other races could be thrust in to equally public embarrassments, it might spread the shadow of shame a bit more equitably.