Michael Jackson's Doctor Plans to Appeal Conviction, Sentence

Michael Jackson's personal physician filed court papers today indicating that he will appeal his involuntary manslaughter conviction for the singer's June 2009 death from an overdose of the powerful anesthetic propofol.

In the one-page typewritten "notice of appeal" filed on his own behalf, Dr. Conrad Murray also indicated that he is appealing the four-year custody term that Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Michael E. Pastor ordered him to serve Tuesday.

The filing is a precursor to an appeal being filed with California's 2nd District Court of Appeal, which is expected to be asked to consider the case.

Murray was convicted Nov. 7, with the judge blasting him at his sentencing this week for engaging in a "money-for-medicine" experiment that killed the 50-year-old pop legend as he was under the cardiologist's care while preparing for 50 sold-out concerts in London.

Murray -- who was taken into custody after the jury returned its verdict -- is expected to serve about half of his term.

His projected release date from county jail -- where he is serving the term under recent state legislation that allows inmates in non-violent, non- serious, non-sex offense cases to serve their sentences in jail instead of state prison -- is Oct. 28, 2013, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department's Inmate Information Center website.

District Attorney Steve Cooley said earlier this week that he believes prosecutors have "jurisdiction to appeal" the issue of whether or not involuntary manslaughter "amounts to a serious felony" and whether Murray could be forced to serve the term in state prison rather than county jail.