Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Michael Pastor also ordered that Murray's medical license be suspended, effective immediately.
"Circumstances have changed," Pastor said in court this afternoon. "They have changed dramatically. There are extraordinary circumstances that mandate my approving the request of the [California] Medical Board. Overall consideration is the protection of the public. The continued practice by Dr. Murray does pose an imminent danger to the state of California."

Jackson's mother, Katherine, and siblings Janet, La Toya, Jackie, Jermaine, Randy and Marlon all sat in on at least part of the hearing over the past week.

"I'm happy so far," La Toya told reporters as she made her way to her car Tuesday.

"The judge's ruling ordering Dr. Murray to stand trial for the death of Michael Jackson is perfectly appropriate given the testimony in this case," read a statement from Howard Weitzman, attorney for the executors of Jackson's estate, John Branca and John McClain.

The ruling comes after six days of testimony from more than 20 prosecution witnesses, concluding today with two doctors who testified that Murray violated his duties as a medical professional by injecting Jackson with propofol, a surgical-grade anesthetic, and failing to properly monitor him afterward.

Both doctors said that even if Jackson had injected himself with the lethal dose, his death should still be called a homicide based on Murray's actions.

The Houston-based physician has pleaded not guilty to the charge. A conviction would result in the loss of his medical license and a maximum of four years in prison.

Murray's defense team didn't call any witnesses during the hearing, but his lawyers argued that their client did not give Jackson anything that could have killed him and, in fact, was planning to decrease the amount of meds the King of Pop was using.

"What did we hear that [proves] Dr. Murray killed Michael Jackson?" attorney Joseph Low said in his closing statement. "Who is going to tell me what Dr. Murray did to Michael Jackson before he died? A 25-milliliter [dose] of Propofol in a 20-minute push is not enough to kill a man."

"On the day he is trying to ween Michael Jackson off propofol, the doses (levels) go off the roof?" Low continued. "That defies common sense."

Members of Jackson's staff and paramedics who responded to the 911 call and transported a seemingly lifeless Jackson to UCLA Medical Center described a chaotic scene at the singer's rented Holmby Hills mansion on June 25, 2009. Bodyguard Alberto Alvarez testified that Jackson's oldest children, Prince and Paris, ran up to their dad's bedroom and saw him lying unconscious.

"Michael Jackson is gone. Michael's kids do not have a father because of Dr. Murray," Assistant District Attorney David Walgren said in his closing remarks. "Michael is not here because of the utterly inept actions of defendant Dr. Murray."

Pastor denied Walgren's request that bail be increased from $75,000 to $300,000. He scheduled arraignment for Jan. 25 at 8:30 a.m.

A second paramedic has testified that Michael Jackson's doctor sought to clear medical paraphernalia from the bedroom in the moments after his death.


And an emergency room doctor said Dr Conrad Murray did not inform her he had given the singer a powerful anaesthetic before his death of a drug overdose.

The testimony came at a preliminary hearing for Dr Murray, who has pleaded not guilty to involuntary manslaughter.

Prosecutors say his negligence led to Jackson's death aged 50 in June 2009.

At the preliminary hearing in a Los Angeles courtroom, a judge is to decide whether prosecutors have enough evidence to try Dr Murray, a cardiologist. It is expected to last several days.

Dr Murray faces up to four years in prison if tried and convicted.

In Los Angeles on Thursday, paramedic Martin Blount testified that Dr Murray cleaned up vials of the painkiller lidocaine from the bedroom where the singer died shortly after he said that he had not given Jackson any medications.

He and his partner on the emergency run to Jackson's bedside, paramedic Richard Senneff, have both testified that Dr Murray never mentioned he had given Jackson propofol, a powerful surgical anaesthetic typically given in a clinical setting.

Mr Blount said that when they arrived, four minutes after the emergency call was received, Jackson appeared to have been dead for at least 20 minutes, despite Dr Murray's claim that he had stopped breathing only a minute before they were called.

Also, emergency room Dr Richelle Cooper testified on Thursday that Dr Murray told her only that he had given Jackson lorazepam, a sedative.

Prosecutors contend Dr Murray's negligent treatment contributed to Jackson's death.

The Los Angeles County coroner's office has ruled the singer died from an overdose of the surgical anaesthetic propofol, found in his body along with a cocktail of other sedatives.

Michael Jackson's bodyguard has testified that Dr. Conrad Murray ordered him to clean up medical paraphernalia just after he died.

Alberto Alvarez made the claim at a preliminary hearing for Dr. Murray, who has pleaded not guilty to the involuntary manslaughter of the 'Thriller' singer following his death from an overdose of the anaesthetic Propofol in June 2009.

Speaking at the Los Angeles Superior Court, Alberto said the physician told him Michael had a 'bad reaction' to some medication.

Explaining Dr. Murray was giving Michael open-mouthed chest compressions to try to revive him, he added: ' said, 'Dr. Murray, what happened?' And he said, 'He had a reaction. He had a bad reaction.' '

He obeyed instructions to clear up medicine bottles and intravenous bags before being instructed to call emergency services.

Also speaking at the courthouse yesterday (05.01.11) was paramedic Richard Senneff, who claimed he was not told Michael had been administered with Propofol when he arrived at his rented Los Angeles mansion to treat him.

He added the pop legend was dressed in scrub-style pyjamas and was told he had been given the sedative lorazepam to help him sleep and was being treated for dehydration.

He also claimed he did not recognise it was Michael because he was so gaunt and pale.

Later, the paramedic called the UCLA Medical Centre and was told to 'call it' as a death.

He added: ' told them we have a very high profile VIP and I would be more comfortable transporting him.'

After taking Michael's body to the ambulance, he returned to the bedroom and saw Dr. Murray by the bed clearing away medical supplies.

He said: 'He had a white plastic trash bag and was picking stuff up.'

Among those in the court room for the hearing were the singer's family, including parents Joe and Katherine Jackson and sister Janet.

The hearing is being undertaken to discover whether or not Dr. Murray should face manslaughter charges relating to his death.

Now Michael Jackson's supporters rail against what might be "in bad taste."

The executors of the late pop star's estate sent an outraged letter to Discovery Communications today, expressing their, well, outrage over plans to air Michael Jackson's Autopsy: What Really Killed Michael Jackson, which would feature an imagined reenactment of Jackson's autopsy, on Jan. 13 in Europe.

A photograph of Michael Jackson posing as an Egyptian pharaoh sold for 26,000 euros ($34,880) Monday at an auction featuring four never-before-seen portraits of the "King of Pop."
The portrait of the late "Thriller" singer as a pharaoh, dressed in a gold cape and with dark shaded eyes, was bought at the Paris auction by Ora-Ito designer Ito Morabito. With the added commission, the final price ran at 32,240 euros.


"I have been a fan since I was born," Morabito said. "It is unique and really represents who he was. 50 percent man, 50 percent god."


Since his sudden death in June 2009 due to an overdose of drugs, Jackson photos and memorabilia have sold for record prices. The "Billie Jean" singer's trademark white glove sold at an auction of Jackson memorabilia for $350,000 last year in November, a few months after his death.
A posthumous album with new material and entitled "Michael," hits the stores this week.
A second portrait showing Jackson with sparkling blue glitter around his left eye soared to 25,000 euros in less than a minute. A third picture showed the singer in a black shirt pulled up to below the eyes standing against a screen of multicolored beads. It sold for 22,000 euros.


The fourth portrait, featuring Jackson standing in front of a red curtain, fetched 9,000 euros. Most of the other lots sold for around 1,500 euros.


The pictures were taken in 1999 by French photographer Arno Bani, then just 23. Jackson had reportedly wanted him to take the pictures for his 10th album "Invincible," released in 2001, the singer's last studio album.
The photographer signed over the rights to Sony for 10 years but the pictures were never used by the record label.
About 200 fans and dealers turned out at the Hotel Salomon de Rothschild, a private mansion in Paris. The sale was run by the house Pierre Berge & associes.