The trial of Michael Jackson's doctor Conrad Murray will begin on January 4, 2011, a judge decided Monday, dpa reported.
Murray has pleaded not guilty to an involuntary manslaughter charge stemming from the death in June 2009 of his world-famous patient.
Prosecutors have charged that Murray gave Jackson a lethal dose of the anesthetic propofil as a sleep aid, just before the former King of Pop was set to launch his comeback with a series of sold-out shows in London.
Following Monday's decision by Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Michael Pastor, the January court date will start with a preliminary hearing in which Pastor will hear from both sides before deciding if there is enough evidence to go ahead with a trial.