Frederick M. Brown/Getty ImagesUPDATE: In advance of his preliminary hearing Monday, Murray's lawyers today filed papers arguing that he needs his medical practice as a means of income; the financially strapped doctor, they say, is "without fear of overstatement, hanging on by a thread."
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Whatever Conrad Murray is selling, California isn't buying.
State Attorney General Jerry Brown wants to prevent the cardiologist, who's charged with involuntary manslaughter in Michael Jackson's death, from practicing medicine in California while he's the subject of a criminal case.
Brown's office filed the paperwork to restrict the cardiologist's license on March 23 in Los Angeles Superior Court on behalf of the California Medical Board.
"Murray administered a lethal dose of propofol, as well as other drugs to Michael Jackson," Brown stated in the motion. "We will argue in court that Murray was reckless in giving Jackson such a dangerous drug and has demonstrated a serious lack of judgment that should prohibit him from practicing medicine."
Texas officials are also weighing whether to restrict Murray's ability to prescribe sedatives like propofol and will likely take their cue from the California case.
The latest salvo against Murray, who has offices in Houston and Las Vegas, comes a day after it was learned that a Jackson employee told investigators that Murray stopped resuscitation efforts when the singer was dying to gather up drug vials, and then directed him to stash them in a bag.
(Originally published March 23, 2010, at 3:30 p.m. PT)
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Mindboggling stuff. Let's take a step back and look at the Big Picture.