Michael Jackson's personal physician, Conrad Murray, pleaded not guilty Monday to a charge of involuntary manslaughter stemming from his role in the pop superstar's June 25 death.
Cardiologist Murray, 57, entered the plea in a crowded Los Angeles courtroom as Jackson's father, Joe, and many of his siblings watched. He was released on bail of 75,000 dollars, dpa reported.
Murray faces a maximum term of four months in jail.
According to the charge sheet released by the Los Angeles district attorney's office, Murray "did unlawfully, and without malice, kill Michael Joseph Jackson ... in the commission of an unlawful act ... and in the commission of a lawful act which might have produced death, in an unlawful manner, and without due caution and circumspection."
The charges follow a six-month investigation by authorities, setting in motion what is certain to be one of the most closely watched trials in the United States since Jackson himself was in the dock on child sex charges in 2005. Hundreds of journalists waited outside the courtroom near the Los Angeles airport in advance of the hearing.
Murray has acknowledged giving Jackson the surgical anaesthetic propofol as a sleeping aid shortly before the singer suffered a massive cardiac arrest that led to his death at the age of 50, as he was due to begin a widely anticipated comeback tour.
Jackson's family has called for a second-degree murder charge to be filed against Murray, arguing that he should have known that his actions could have led to Jackson's death.
"Michael Jackson was someone who we knew was in danger of being brought to his knees, brought to his death, by the use of these medications," Jackson family attorney Brian Oxman said last week.
Michael Jackson's doctor pleads not guilty to manslaughter
