Michael Jackson's doctor has been charged with involuntary manslaughter over the pop star's death last year, after a lengthy police investigation.
Prosecutors say charges have been filed against Conrad Murray, who treated Jackson shortly before the pop icon died suddenly, aged 50 last June.
Officials say the singer died after Murray administered the powerful general anesthetic propofol and two other sedatives to get the chronic insomniac to sleep.
Murray, 56, a Houston cardiologist, faces up to four years behind bars if convicted.
Murray's lawyer Ed Chernoff says Murray will plead not guilty.
Jackson hired Murray to be his personal physician as he prepared for a strenuous series of comeback performances in London.
Murray had initially been expected to surrender to authorities on Friday ahead of a court hearing. But charges were delayed amid reports of a disagreement between prosecutors and police over the manner in which Murray was to be brought to court.
Prosecutors had been negotiating with defense lawyers for Murray to surrender voluntarily, before appearing in court without handcuffs or shackles.
Police were reportedly opposed to the plan, seeking to have Murray arrested, booked and handcuffed in plain view.
The TMZ.com website reported on Monday that Murray would not be handcuffed for Monday's hearing, where Jackson's personal physician is expected to plead not guilty.
Reports of Murray's looming manslaughter case followed a prolonged police investigation.
'Lethal levels' of anaesthetic
Under California law, involuntary manslaughter -- unintentionally causing death through negligence, carelessness or a misdemeanor -- is punishable by up to four years in prison.
Murray has acknowledged that he administered the powerful anesthetic propofol to Jackson only after trying many other medications to help him sleep following the singer's "repeated demands/requests" for the drug.
Propofol is a powerful anesthetic used to render patients unconscious before major surgery. Medical experts say it should only be used and administered by trained staff under hospital conditions.
Unsealed court documents that included a review of toxicology results found that Jackson died from "lethal levels of propofol."
Brian Oxman, a lawyer for Jackson's family, last week criticized reports that Murray would face an involuntary manslaughter charge, describing them as "staggering."
"I don't think it would satisfy anybody, the millions of fans around the world," Oxman told CBS television.
"That is just a slap on the wrist and a slap in the face because Michael Jackson was someone who we knew was in danger of being brought to his knees, brought to his death by the use of these medications."
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