Dr Conrad Murray will be sentenced on November 29, for his conviction of involuntary manslaughter, following his part in Michael Jackson's death in 2009.
The maximum sentence for involuntary manslaughter in California is four years' prison. However, it widely believed that, even if he is sentenced to the longest term, Murray may only spend half that time behind bars, due to Californian jails being so overcrowded.
Actress Lindsay Lohan was the beneficiary of this overcrowding when her jail term for violating her probation was drastically reduced in 2007. The Mean Girls star ended up serving only 84 minutes of a one-day sentence.
One option could be that Dr Murray is allowed out early, on condition he wears an electronic tag.
Michael Jackson's family yesterday hit out at the prospect of Dr Murray's punishment. Tito Jackson said: "It is unfair if Dr Murray only gets four years for what he did. He was supposed to guide Michael to better health and safety and do what was right for him."
See pictures below of Dr Murray during his trial for the involuntary manslaughter of Michael Jackson