The circus that swirled around Michael Jackson when he was alive rolled on yesterday in Los Angeles as the doctor expecting to be accused of involuntary manslaughter in his death planned to stage a surrender at a courthouse but called it off after prosecutors announced charges will be filed next week.

Instead of the promised appearance by Dr. Conrad Murray and his lawyers, a crowd of reporters and photographers gathered outside a branch courthouse only got a drenching from a rainstorm.

Murray, working as Jackson's personal physician during the singer's preparation for comeback concerts, has been under investigation since the 50-year-old pop star died June 25 after being administered the hospital-strength anesthetic propofol and sedatives at his rented mansion to help him sleep.

It's not clear what would have happened had the cardiologist shown up without a case being filed.

SHEEN'S BENZ STOLEN, FOUND IN RAVINE

A Mercedes that Charlie Sheen reported stolen from his Los Angeles home was found overturned hundreds of feet down a nearby cliff early yesterday, but there's no evidence anyone was in the car when it went into the ravine, police said.

A Bentley was later found nearby off the same road yesterday afternoon, and police said three other cars reportedly were broken into in the same area. Police were investigating if the incidents were linked.

Sheen called police about 4 a.m. to report his four-door Mercedes-Benz had been stolen, police said.

Police and firefighters found the car 300 to 400 feet down a cliff, upside-down in the brushy ravine. They searched the area on foot and with an infrared-equipped helicopter but found nobody in or around the car, Officer Bruce Borihanh said.

JUDGE WANTS EX-SENATOR'S SEX TAPE

A judge wants to put a sex tape of two-time presidential candidate John Edwards "under lock and key," demanding yesterday that a former aide to the pilloried politician turn over the video by next week.

Superior Court Judge Abraham Penn Jones reprimanded Andrew Young during a brief court hearing in North Carolina for not surrendering the video when deputies went to retrieve it last week.

Edwards' former mistress, Rielle Hunter, had won a temporary restraining order against Young that sought the return of what she called a "very private and personal" video she made in 2006. She has also sued Young for invasion of privacy.