Michael Jackson's former doctor has been sentenced to four years in jail for causing the King of Pop's death, but authorities say Conrad Murray will serve less than two years behind bars.
Sheriff's spokeswoman Nicole Nishida said the doctor will be housed in a one-person cell and be kept away from other prisoners.
She also said his involuntary manslaughter sentence is being automatically cut in half by state laws because he will serve his sentence in county jail rather than state prison.
"This is going to be a real test of our criminal justice system to see if it's meaningful at all," District Attorney Steve Cooley said.
Cooley said he was considering asking the judge to change the crime's classification so Murray would have to serve his sentence in state prison instead.
Judge Michael Pastor said the 58-year-old Murray will serve his sentence at the Los Angeles County Jail, after first ruling him ineligible for a probationary sentence.
The judge said Jackson's former doctor showed no remorse for his role in the death of his late patient.
"He has absolutely no sense of remorse, absolutely no sense of fault and is and remains dangerous," said Pastor.
Meanwhile, a probation report that came to light Tuesday said that Murray had been listed as mentally disturbed and suicidal prior to the verdict. But Murray's spokesperson Mark Fierro said that he had been upbeat while in custody last week.
‘Horrific violation of trust'
When handing down his sentence, Pastor said he was particularly outraged during the trial when he heard a recording Murray made of Jackson while the singer appeared to be under the influence of sedatives.
In the recording, Jackson could be heard speaking in a slurred voice about his plans to build an expansive children's hospital.
While Murray has claimed that the recording was made by accident on his phone, Pastor said he believed it amounted to no less than an "insurance policy" for Jackson's doctor.
"It was designed to record his patient surreptitiously at that patient's most vulnerable point," said Pastor.
"I can't even imagine that happening to any of us, because of the horrific violation of trust."
Murray will also be required to pay restitution to the Jackson estate and his surviving family. Pastor said the amount of restitution will be determined at a later date.
As a convicted felon, Murray is also required to provide authorities with a DNA sample, the judge said.
Prosecutors had pushed for Murray to serve the maximum of four years, prior to the judge's sentence. Jackson's family had also sought a stiff sentence.
"The Bible reminds us that men cannot do justice, they can only seek justice," the family said in a statement read by attorney Brian Panish on Tuesday before the sentencing.
"That is all we can ask as a family, and that is all we ask for here."
Murray could end up serving only half the time he has been sentenced to because of overcrowding issues in California jails.
The judge said Murray would begin his sentence with 46 days credit, owing to time he had served while waiting for his judgment.
Murray's entry to Jackson's life
Murray became involved in Jackson's life shortly before the singer's death.
Jackson wanted Murray to be his personal physician for a comeback tour that was due to take place in months. But the two had not finalized a contract for Murray's services.
On June 25, 2009, the singer ended up dead at age 50, as a result of "acute propofol intoxication."
Propofol is a drug intended for hospital use that Jackson had been taking before he went to sleep each night.
Murray admitted to investigators that he had administered propofol to the singer in the hours before his death.
Jackson's untimely death raised questions about the relationship he had with his recently hired doctor.
More than seven months passed before Murray was charged with involuntary manslaughter, as police investigated and subsequently built a case against the doctor.
While Murray maintained his innocence from the outset, a jury found him guilty of involuntary manslaughter.
Jury selection for the high-profile trial began in March, but proceedings did not get fully underway until September. Murray was convicted on Nov. 7.
In the two-plus years since Jackson's death, the King of Pop's estate has generated more than $300 million in revenues.
His surviving children are being cared for by Katherine Jackson, the late singer's mother.
With files from The Associated Press
