By Jen Heger - Breaking Celebrity News Legal Editor

Dr. Conrad Murray could be released on house arrest by Christmas, to serve the remainder of his jail sentence for his role in the death of Michael Jackson, Breaking Celebrity News is exclusively reporting.

Judge Michael Pastor imposed the maximum allowed sentence -- four years in jail -- on Jackson's former doctor on Tuesday, and because of overcrowding in California correctional facilities, Murray wasn't sent to state prison, but to Los Angeles County Jail. The cardiologist's sentence was automatically cut in half, and Murray is eligible for house arrest because he is considered a non-violent felon.

"Dr. Murray's lawyers are actually relieved that Judge Pastor didn't sentence him to community service, they didn't want him doing manual labor at the morgue, like Lindsay Lohan is doing. That would have been an absolute nightmare for him, as he would certainly be mocked, and it wouldn't have been safe for him to be picking up trash on the freeway or cleaning up graffiti,” a source close to the situation tells Breaking Celebrity News.