Update

The mothers and sisters of two young men at the center of Michael Jackson's child molestation case came to his defense on Friday, telling jurors they considered the pop icon beyond reproach and never questioned his practice of sleeping with children.

The defense testimony came a day after Wade Robson and Brett Barnes, who were portrayed by prosecutors as adolescent victims of Jackson in the 1990s, denied the 46-year-old superstar molested them.

All four women, family members of Robson and Barnes, said Jackson spent many nights sleeping alone with the boys at Neverland Valley Ranch and elsewhere, but said they never considered that behavior inappropriate.

"I've known Michael a long time," Robson's mother, Joy, said under questioning from lead Jackson attorney Tom Mesereau. "I know him very well. I've spent many hours talking to him. I feel like he's a member of my family. I trust him. I trust him with my children."

She added that she considers Jackson unique and "a very special person."

"He's not the boy next door. He's Michael Jackson. ... He's very pure in his love for children. To know him is to love him and trust him," Robson said.

The women were effusive and at times appeared almost star-struck as they praised Jackson in glowing terms. Prosecutors suggested on cross-examination that they had been blinded by his wealth and fame.

'I LOVE HIM WITH ALL MY HEART'

"You are positively thrilled to be friends with Michael Jackson," Deputy District Attorney Gordon Auchincloss pointed out to Karlee Barnes, sister of Brett. "You seem to be almost giddy about it."

"I love him with all my heart," the young woman said.

Robson, now 22, was an aspiring dancer from Australia who Jackson took under his wing, casting the boy in commercials and music videos. He went on to gain fame as a choreographer for Britney Spears and 'NSYNC and hosted a dance program on MTV.

Barnes, 23, quit his job as a roulette dealer in Australia to travel to California and take the witness stand for Jackson. Both families have stayed at Neverland during their testimony.

Though Jackson's lawyers have spent the first two days of their case battling accusations that he molested Robson and Barnes in the 1990s, the pop star is not charged with any misconduct involving them.

He is accused of molesting a 13-year-old boy in 2003 after plying him with alcohol and conspiring to imprison him and his family at Neverland. The singer could face two decades in prison if convicted.

Prosecutors were allowed to introduce past accusations of sexual misconduct by Jackson involving Robson, Barnes, "Home Alone" star Macaulay Culkin and two other boys under an unusual California law governing evidence in sex abuse cases.

All four women described Jackson as a close friend who never gave a hint of impropriety toward the boys and treated their families with great generosity and kindness.

Prosecutors turned that testimony against them on cross-examination, suggesting Jackson's behavior fit a pattern of luring families in with lavish gifts and his superstar persona and then molesting their boys.

The questions turned deeply personal at times. Auchincloss pressed Chantal Robson about her decision to sleep in the same bed with the then-35-year-old Jackson when she was 10 and asked her if she slept with any other older men as a girl.

Chantal Robson said she trusted Jackson totally, though she conceded she would "have to re-evaluate that" if she learned that he were plying a boy with alcohol and pornography.

DeNiro,

Seems you and I are the only ones following this trial. It is really hard (impossible) to judge, not being in the courtroom. We can only go by what commentators/lawyers say. I mostly hear lawyers (both defense & prosecution) analyze what was testified to. It seems, at least on the surface, that the prosecutors case is weak, and all the witnesses with excess baggage and reasons to lie. However, stepping aside from that aspect, I think too, that these recent boys who testified they were never molested/fondled by Jackson, also have reason to lie. I sure wouldn't want to tell the world, if I were in that situation. Bottom line I think it is going to come down to who's believeable and who is not. My prediction is still a "not guilty" or maybe a lesser charge.

TIS

I also think He's not guilty.

I think the witness's are doing it for the money,making stuff up

Please. He's guilty. If it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck, it's probably...a dog?? Yeah, right. And who knows how many victims we'll never hear about? I say hang him...or better yet, fry him. But I'm sure he'll get out of it...jusy like O.J. :rolleyes:

DeNiro,

I wasn't implying that "I" think he's not guilty, only how I think the case will turn out by what I know of the evidence presented. It would just kill me to be on that trial, or any trial, and know someone is guilty, but have to give a not guilty verdict because the evidence wasn't there. Especially when it comes to the molestation of children My gut tells me, he'll walk, for what that's worth.

TIS

We'll have to wait and see,When will the verdict be do we know, probley months yet

Update

Michael Jackson's unabated spending left him millions of dollars in debt, an expert witness testified Tuesday in the pop star's child molestation trial.

"The evidence shows that [in 2003] he's spending about $20 to $30 million dollars more than he's making ... that's annually," said certified public accountant John Duross O'Bryan, who was hired by prosecutors to conduct a forensics accounting investigation into Jackson's financial records.

Jackson's dire financial condition, according to prosecutors, was one more motivating factor in his decision to falsely imprison a 13-year-old boy and his family at Neverland in February and March 2003.

According to O'Bryan, Jackson was $224 million in debt in 2003.

O'Bryan painted a portrait of Jackson's "looming" and "ongoing cash crisis" for jurors by referring to two financial statements and memos from the singer's financial managers from 1999 to 2003.

For instance, in a February 2003 memo, Jackson was informed that the accountants had $10.5 million of unpaid vendor invoices and just $38,000 cash in the bank.

While Jackson showed earnings of $11.5 million on a 1999 income statement, according to the witness, he had $20 million in expenditures, including $7.5 million in personal expenses, $5 million in legal and professional fees, $5 million in security and other expenses at his 2,700-acre Santa Ynez Valley estate, and another $2.5 million in "other expenses," mostly insurance.

An October 1999 memo from Jackson's accounting firm read in part, "We were short approximately $780,000 to meet our outstanding liabilities."

"So, those were bills that he had that he didn't have the money to pay?" asked prosecutor Gordon Auchincloss.

"Correct," O'Bryan said.

From 1999 and onward, according to O'Bryan, the problem grew because Jackson didn't heed the warnings of his advisors.

Referring to a June 2002 balance sheet, O'Bryan said Jackson had approximately $130 million in assets and $415 million in liabilities, leaving him with a negative net worth of $285 million.

"Does this mean that Mr. Jackson, by virtue of that balance sheet, is bankrupt?" the prosecutor asked.

"No, it doesn't," O'Bryan said, explaining that Jackson's assets may have a higher fair-market value.

Jackson's three main assets, according to the witness, are his Neverland property, a catalog of his own songs and performances that he earns royalties from, and a catalog of Beatles music and other artists' works that he co-owns with Sony, for which he also collects royalties.

But according to O'Bryan, his music catalogs were in jeopardy in 2003, because they were being used as collateral for two loans Jackson took out from Bank of America, and continued to draw upon year after year, until they shot up to $278 million by the time the "Living with Michael Jackson" documentary sent his personal life into a tailspin. The loans are due Dec. 15 of this year.

Jackson's alleged conspiracy plot began after the airing of the tell-all documentary, which suggested a salacious relationship between Jackson and the 13-year-old boy.

Prosecutors say that, shortly after the documentary aired, Jackson and his unindicted co-conspirators held the family captive at Neverland, where Jackson sexually molested the boy.

Dire straits

Jackson's defense attorney, Thomas Mesereau, objected to the expert witness's testimony, arguing that the memos and financial statements he used did not show the full picture of Jackson's worth and earning potential.

O'Bryan conceded that Jackson purchased the Beatles catalog in 1986 for about $47 million, then sold half his interest in it to Sony in 1995 for $90 million, and that in 2003 it was appraised at $1 billion.

Yet despite Mesereau's dogged questioning, O'Bryan would not concede that Jackson would get half of $1 billion if he sold his share of the catalog.

In fact, he seemed to give jurors a more dire picture of Jackson's financial straits during cross-examination, when he explained that Jackson would still have to repay Sony for its investments and his cash advances related to the catalog, as well as taxes from a sale.

At the end of the day, according to the accountant, Jackson would be $40 million in the hole if he sold his interest in the Sony catalog.

Sticking to the 'plan'

Days after Jackson's ex-wife appeared to throw the prosecution for a loop, Sgt. Steve Robel was recalled to the witness stand to offer his insights on what went wrong with the unexpected testimony of Debbie Rowe.

Robel said that in a police interview in March 2004, the mother of two of Jackson's children did not use the terms "caring," "generous" or "good father" to describe Jackson, as she had on the stand last week.

"She referred to Michael as a sociopath and his children as being possessions," Robel testified.

He also told jurors that Rowe revealed to him during their interviews that she and Jackson agreed to stick to a "plan" after their 1999 divorce. The defense objected to the relevance of Jackson and Rowe's post-divorce agreement and jurors never learned the details of the "plan."

But Robel shed some light on how that plan may have affected Rowe's testimony, when he described a conversation they had about her effusive remarks about Jackson in a rebuttal video in February 2003.

"She said that she stuck with her plan to talk positive about Mr. Jackson," Robel testified, "as she has done throughout in news conferences that she's had."

Mesereau turned to the first page of the witness's police interview with Rowe in 2004, and suggested that her comments to him, namely "F--- his defense, I want the kids," indicated she was speaking out of anger over an ongoing custody dispute.

"She told you in the interview, 'I have Michael's Achilles tendon. I have the kids. I don't have them, but I'm gonna have them,'" Mesereau said, while reading from the interview.

Robel said he was unaware of any custody dispute at the time Rowe called Jackson a sociopath.

Prosecutors did not complete their case Tuesday as expected.

Rudy Provencio, a former Jackson business associate, was called to the stand shortly before court recessed. Provencio, believed to be the final prosecution witness, is expected to offer testimony about financial dealings that may strengthen the ties between Jackson and his alleged co-conspirators.

In addition to conspiracy charges, Michael Jackson is accused of sexually molesting his teenage accuser and giving the boy wine in order to engage in the felonious sexual acts.

He faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted.

Update

MICHAEL Jackson posted porn magazines home to himself from Japan, jurors at his trial heard yesterday.


Violet Silva, former security chief at the star’s Neverland ranch, said they were “graphic”.

She also admitted not feeling comfortable allowing her own children to spend regular time at Jackson’s ranch because certain kids were “running wild”.

Silva said: “Some of the activities were beyond my comfort level.”

Earlier, Silva admitted several children spent time at the ranch without their parents.

Actor Macaulay Culkin, now 24, is said to be having second thoughts about defending Jackson in his trial.

He is due to say he did spend nights in the singer’s bed but was never molested.

But Culkin is thought to have been worried by the ferocious cross-examination of witnesses.

Jackson denies charges including child abuse in Santa Maria, California.

Update

ACCUSED Michael Jackson formed “special bonds” with boys AND girls, his ranch manager told his trial yesterday.

Joe Marcus said Jackson, 46, had become very close to two young girls who spent time at his Neverland ranch.

He also testified the pop star forged bonds with grown women, but struggled to name any other than Elizabeth Taylor.

Marcus denied Jackson's accuser, 15, and his family were held captive at Neverland.

Jackson, whose spokeswoman said yesterday he was willing to testify, denies ten charges including child molestation.

The trial in Santa Maria, California, continues

Update

Michael Jackson has been called a brilliant businessman by his ex-wife, Debbie Rowe, but a defense witness testified Thursday that the entertainer had little control of his own business affairs.

Las Vegas attorney David LeGrand told jurors that at one point, the singer had as many as nine different lawyers representing him, and that Jackson was taken advantage of in a lopsided contract with a British journalist he gave unprecedented access to. Legrand also said that he had to hire a private investigator to look into the backgrounds of two of Jackson's managers.

"I became suspicious of everybody," LeGrand said. "It seemed everybody wanted to benefit from Mr. Jackson in one way or another."

Jackson's defense called LeGrand to the stand in an attempt to distance Jackson from three of his former business partners and alleged co-conspirators: Ronald Konitzer, Dieter Wiesner and Marc Schaffel.

LeGrand also gave jurors his perspective of the upheaval within the pop star's inner circle in early 2003, when they learned that Jackson was about to be skewered in journalist Martin Bashir's TV documentary, "Living with Michael Jackson."

In the documentary, Jackson told Bashir that he'd had no more than two surgeries on his nose to help him breathe, that he conceived his two children with Debbie Rowe through "natural" means, and that the press overreacted when he dangled his infant child over a balcony.

The documentary also included scenes showing Jackson holding hands with a 13-year-old cancer survivor, a boy who once called the King of Pop "Daddy Michael," and Jackson's description of the innocent joy of sharing his bed with children.

Jackson is on trial for allegedly molesting the boy in the weeks after the documentary aired, conspiring to falsely imprison the child and his family at Neverland, and giving his accuser "Jesus juice," or wine in a Diet Coke can, among other intoxicating agents.

'Suspicious' motives

Prosecutors allege that the Bashir documentary was a PR disaster for Jackson. They contend that Jackson commanded his unindicted co-conspirators to engage in a campaign of intimidation and coercion against the accuser's family, forced them to participate in a rebuttal video, and made plans to send the family on a one-way trip to Brazil — all in an attempt to protect the entertainer's career.

LeGrand said that he was hired by Konitzer to help bring in a new team of advisers who could offer a full-court press legal attack on the documentary producers, while also developing business ventures to reinvigorate Jackson's sagging career, including Michael Jackson perfume, slot machines, and a feature film about his life.

LeGrand agreed with prosecutors that the Bashir documentary was a PR disaster for Jackson.

He described two agreements Jackson signed for the filmmakers as "terrible contracts," that were "vague" and "very simple one-paragraph documents."

According to LeGrand, Jackson had oral agreements with Bashir that were not met — expectations that his children's faces would be obscured to protect their anonymity, that he would be given the opportunity to review and edit the final cut, and that in lieu of payment, a donation would be made to charity.

"The overall thrust of the case was that Mr. Bashir had completely hoodwinked Mr. Jackson?" defense attorney Thomas Mesereau asked the witness.

After prosecution objections, Mesereau repeated his question verbatim, essentially using the word "misrepresented" in place of "hoodwinked."

LeGrand confirmed that he believed Bashir had misled Jackson.

LeGrand said he also became suspicious of Konitzer and Wiesner, who he claimed had the power to move funds from Jackson's account and appeared to have diverted $965,000 into Konitzer's account.

"In general, I began to disagree with some of Mr. Konitzer's decisions on matters and felt that he was making bad decisions, I guess is the way to say it," LeGrand said. "I became suspicious of his motives and actions."

LeGrand said he sent Konitzer a letter asking him to account for the money, and he was summarily fired weeks later. At some point in the future, he was rehired by Jackson to investigate Konitzer and Wiesner. Jackson has since had a falling-out with both associates.

But prosecutors successfully pointed out on cross-examination that Jackson personally fired LeGrand. LeGrand also agreed that Jackson himself fired his former business managers and entertainment lawyers, putting Konitzer, Wiesner and Schaffel in charge of his affairs.

The prosecution's implication was that Jackson is "a brilliant businessman," as Rowe testified, and further, that he played an active role in the alleged captivity of the accuser, his siblings and their mother at Neverland in February and March 2003.

While LeGrand said he was unaware of any conspiracy to hold the family against their will, he agreed with prosecutors that they had been perceived at the time "as a potential liability to Mr. Jackson."

I just heard on the news this morning that the judge issued an order for Jackson's former attorney, Mark Geragos, to appear in court to testify for the defense. Wonder what that's about??? What about attorney/client privledge??

TIS

I found the link:
web page

Update

Actor Macaulay Culkin took the stand at Michael Jackson's child molestation trial Wednesday and denied he was molested, saying the accusations against the pop star were "absolutely ridiculous."

Culkin, who shot to fame as the wide-eyed kid in 1990's "Home Alone," is the third young man to appear for the defense to deny he was a victim of improper behavior by Jackson during childhood visits.

He said prosecutors never approached him about whether he had been molested and he only learned of the allegations that he had been molested by watching news coverage of the trial.

"Somebody told me you should probably check out CNN because they're saying something about you," Culkin said. "I just couldn't believe it. ... It was amazing to me that nobody even approached me and asked if these allegations were true."
Jackson attorney Thomas Mesereau Jr. asked Culkin, now 24, what he thought of the charges against Jackson.

"I think they're absolutely ridiculous," he said.

Prosecution witnesses testified earlier that Jackson inappropriately touched Culkin, who was a frequent childhood guest of Jackson.

Those witnesses included a chef who testified he saw Jackson with his hand up Culkin's shorts as the singer held the boy up to a video game at Jackson's Neverland ranch.

A former maid also testified previously that Culkin stayed in Jackson's bedroom during visits to Neverland. That woman, whose son received a $2.4 million settlement from Jackson in 1994, was attacked by the defense because she was paid $20,000 to appear on a TV show.

Jackson is accused of molesting a 13-year-old boy in 2003, giving him wine and conspiring to hold the boy's family captive to get them to rebut a TV documentary in which the boy appeared with Jackson, who said he let children sleep in his bed but that it was non-sexual.

Culkin testified he met Jackson when he was 9 or 10 years old and has remained friends since.

He said his family has been to Neverland several times and has been in the singer's bedroom. He said he never felt his family was excluded from the bedroom or any other part of the ranch.

Culkin was also asked about whether he had ever seen anything improper happen with Brett Barnes or Wade Robson, the two young men who also testified for the defense last week.

"I've never seen him do anything improper with anyone," Culkin said.

On cross-examination, Senior Deputy District Attorney Ron Zonen asked Culkin if prosecutors had tried repeatedly to contact him but had been rebuffed.

"Not that I know of, no," Culkin said.

Zonen asked whether prosecutors had attempted to contact him in 1993 and recently when his attorney said he wouldn't give a statement to either side prior to his testimony.

Culkin said his lawyer had suggested he not talk to attorneys in advance and he agreed.

Culkin has had his own legal problems recently. He was arrested Sept. 17 in Oklahoma after police stopped a car in which he was a passenger. Officers found some marijuana and several tablets of a medication used to treat depression and panic disorders, court records say.

Culkin has pleaded innocent to the charges and is free on $4,000 bail. Another hearing in that case was set for next month.

On Tuesday, Joe Marcus, the manager of Michael Jackson's Neverland ranch, acknowledged in cross-examination that he lied to law enforcement officials in 2003 when he said he had no knowledge of Jackson sharing his bed with children.

He later added the events of that day were chaotic and "I was overwhelmed."

The defense called Marcus to the stand Monday to testify that he never instructed anyone to hold Jackson's accuser and the boy's family against their will. He suggested Tuesday no such captivity happened.

Update

A defense witness testified Monday that he once caught Michael Jackson's teenage accuser playing with his brother in the singer's secret wine cellar.

"When I walked in, I saw the two children laughing, giggling. I startled them. I could see them with a bottle of alcohol," testified former security guard Shane Meridith, who worked at Neverland during the time Jackson allegedly gave the 13-year-old boy alcohol as a prelude to sexually molesting him.

"They were pretty shaken," Meridith said. He reprimanded the boys as they "scurried up the stairs" past the secret door behind the jukebox in Jackson's video arcade. He took note that the bottle of wine sitting on the table where they had been playing was about half full.

But during cross-examination, Meridith said he didn't actually see the boys holding the bottle.

"I can't guarantee that they were actually drinking," he said.

Jackson's accuser, a cancer survivor with one kidney, previously testified that the entertainer gave him wine in Diet Coke cans, appeasing his medical concerns by calling it healthful "Jesus juice."

But the defense contends that the accuser and his brother were, as Meridith testified, "rambunctious" children who got into Jackson's wine stash on their own.

Meridith was one of several defense witnesses called to the stand Monday to dispute small but important details in the testimony of the accuser and his family — and to paint the boys as reckless, undisciplined children.

A former Neverland assistant chef testified that the accuser's 11-year-old brother once had him whip up a milkshake and then pointed to a Mexican brand of liquor sitting in a cabinet.

"He pointed at the bottle and asked me to pour it in the milkshake," testified Angel Vivanco. "He told me if I didn't do it, he would tell Michael and I would be fired."

Vivanco said he acquiesced.

The soft-spoken witness had a litany of similar complaints about the accuser and his brother. On another occasion, he said, the brother held a 9-inch kitchen knife about an inch from his neck, before an aide walked in and admonished the boy.

The accuser also once threatened him over a bag of snacks, snarling at him: "Give me the f---ing Cheetos," according to Vivanco.

Jackson, 46, is charged with sexually molesting the boy in February or March 2003, giving him alcohol, and engaging in a conspiracy to falsely imprison the family at his Neverland ranch.

Jackson maintains his innocence. He faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted.

Held captive?

Jackson's defense team blitzed through nine witnesses Monday, three weeks into a case projected to last six to eight weeks. Much of the testimony was intended to refute claims by the accuser's mother that the family had been held against its will by the King of Pop and his alleged co-conspirators.

The mother testified that, despite being ferried to salon visits, shopping trips and a dental appointment for her children, she was always followed by Jackson's "positive PR film crew," her conversations were monitored, and she never had an opportunity to escape or seek help.

Former Neverland administrative assistant Katie Bernerd testified that the mother called from her guest suite at one point and said she wanted Bernerd to arrange a waxing appointment.

"She wanted it done right away, within the hour," Bernerd recounted.

"Had any guests at Neverland ever made a request like that to you before?" defense attorney Thomas Mesereau asked.

"Never."

Bernerd said that during the 10-minute drive to the salon she chatted uncomfortably with the mother, who offered unsolicited personal information about her abusive ex-husband.

"She started to tell me about her ex-husband and about how she was trying to get away from him, how badly she had it, and how well Michael has been treating her, how he was like a father figure to her kids," Bernerd testified.


"Did she ever complain that she was being held against her will at Neverland?" Mesereau asked.

"Never."

"Do you recall there being a public relations crew following you?" Mesereau asked.

"No."

"Did you see anyone with cameras following you?"

"No, I did not."

The aesthetician at the salon testified the mother was alone during her visit and that she never gave any indication that she was under duress.

She also set the record straight about whether it was a full body wax, as the defense contends, or simply a leg wax, as the mother repeatedly argued during her testimony.

Entered into evidence was a Feb. 11, 2003, salon receipt of $140 listing the mother's waxed regions, including her legs, brow, face, lip and bikini line. It was projected for jurors during aesthetician Carol McCoy's testimony.

"Is that pretty much a full body wax?" defense attorney Sanger asked to muffled chuckles from the gallery.

"Uh-huh," McCoy said.

Neverland assistant Bernerd said the mother called her four or five times, making various personal requests, during the two-month period she stayed on and off at Neverland.

"In any of those conversations, did you ever get the impression she was scared of anything?" Mesereau asked.

"Never once," Bernerd said.

But another defense witness testified Monday that the mother asked for her help in leaving Jackson's ranch. However, the mother never implicated Jackson in any captivity conspiracy, according to Neverland maid Maria Gomez.

Gomez said initially the mother praised Jackson, calling him a father figure to her children and telling her three kids to call him "Dad."

"About a week later, she began to talk about being held against her will, that we should help her," Gomez said, referring to herself and ranch manager Jesus Salas, who previously testified for the prosecution that he drove the mother and her kids home to Los Angeles in the middle of the night in mid-February after she tearfully begged for his help.

The defense has argued that the mother was angry over shabby treatment from Jackson's aides. The defense has continually attempted to distance the singer from his five unindicted alleged co-conspirators, providing evidence that he was unaware of their actions.

They have also argued that the mother could not have been held captive as she claims because she returned to Neverland on her own days after the first alleged escape.

Gomez testified that the mother did not implicate Jackson the night she asked to be taken home. Instead, she complained that three of Jackson's alleged co-conspirators were holding her there and "interfering with her relationship with [Jackson]," according to the witness.

Former chef assistant Vivanco's testimony will resume Tuesday.

Jackson's spokesperson announced Monday that talk show host Larry King is expected to testify Thursday. Comedian Jay Leno has announced that he may be called as early as next Monday.

I hear Jackson's attorneys are considering putting him on the stand. I'll bet a year's wages that'll never happen. I just don't think Jackson could handle it.

I think that's why the jury heard the taped interview (forgot which program) in court. Jackson can tell his story (so to speak) without having to get cross-examined by the prosecutors. I'll be shocked if he takes the stand.


TIS

Hes so shy that he would probley start crying or something

Update

THE mother of Michael Jackson’s accuser was “disgusted” by the star’s plan to send her family to South America, a court heard yesterday.
She ran into social worker Irene Peters in a fast food bar.

Ms Peters told the court: “She did tell me that Michael wanted to send them to Brazil somewhere and she told me she didn’t want to go. She said she was disgusted.”

The move allegedly followed Martin Bashir’s controversial TV documentary about Jacko, 46.

A travel agent told the court in Santa Maria, California, a Jackson aide told her to book one-way tickets to Brazil for the family.

The trip was later scrapped. Jackson denies abusing a boy, then 13.

Trial continues.

Update

Michael Jackson's 12-year-old cousin testified Wednesday that he once saw Jackson's accuser and the boy's brother watching porn and masturbating in a guest suite at Neverland.

"I saw them go to the TV and turn to a channel that had, like, naked girls on there, and doing other stuff, like nasty stuff," said Rijo Jackson, who was 10 years old at the time and had been sharing the room with Jackson's 13-year-old accuser and the boy's 11-year-old brother.

"What nasty stuff?" defense attorney Thomas Mesereau asked Rijo.

"They were, like, jacking off and everything," the witness said in a small, husky voice.

"OK. Did they do that in front of you?"

Rijo nodded yes.

"Was Michael Jackson anywhere near that room?" Mesereau continued.

"No."

Rijo said he ran out of the bedroom and spent the night in Jackson's bed. He was too scared, he said, to tell Jackson about the boys masturbating, but he did reveal that they were watching porn.

"He didn't believe it. He thought they were good and they wouldn't do it," Rijo said of Jackson.

"Did [the brothers] say anything to you when they did the nasty stuff?" Mesereau asked.

"The other day they did. They said, 'Why don't you do that with me?'" Rijo testified. "I said I didn't want to because it was nasty, and it's wrong."

The defense called the boy to the stand in an attempt to impeach the character and testimony of Jackson's now-15-year-old accuser, who told jurors that Jackson got him drunk, showed him pornography and then taught him how to masturbate by fondling him over several nights in February or March 2003.

Jackson claims he is innocent of the 10 counts in the indictment, which alleges the singer conspired to falsely imprison the child and his family, gave the boy alcohol to weaken his defenses, and repeatedly committed lewd acts on the boy.

He faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted.

Missing wine

Jackson's cousin also told jurors Wednesday that he saw the brothers stealing money and plastic crystal beads from the desk of the ranch manager, as well as cash in kitchen drawers, which belonged to a Neverland chef.

Jackson's accuser, a cancer survivor with one kidney, has testified that he had only tasted wine during church services before the singer gave it to him night after night at Neverland.

Several witnesses have testified about seeing the accuser and his brother getting into Jackson's wine, stealing it from the kitchen and secret wine cellar.

Rijo added his own vague tale Monday, only partially lending support to the defense.

Late one evening at Neverland, Rijo said, he and the brothers were with Jackson in his two-floor bedroom suite when the singer ordered up a bottle of white wine from the kitchen.

Minutes later, a corked bottle of wine and one glass was delivered, but Jackson was in his first-floor bathroom. The brothers brought the bottle to the second floor of the suite, Rijo said. When Jackson emerged from the bathroom and went upstairs with him, Rijo testified, they found the bottle uncorked.

"Some wine was missing," the witness said, implying that the two boys had opened it and taken sips before leaving.

The prosecution effectively pointed out, however, that Jackson was openly drinking while alone with children, and that the singer did not seem upset, nor did he question the missing alcohol.

"And did he say something to you about, 'Boy, those rascals, they just get into the wine whenever they can'?" asked prosecutor Ronald Zonen.

"No," Rijo said.

'I didn't trust her'

Ten days into the defense case, Jackson's lawyers have attempted to portray the King of Pop as the real victim in his child-molestation trial — taken advantage of by his aides and alleged co-conspirators, and targeted by a litigious family who had their sights set on his millions.

Actress Verneé Watson Johnson testified Wednesday that her suspicions about the accuser's mother led her to suspend fundraising efforts for the boy's cancer recovery.

Johnson said that the children were in her acting class at the Los Angeles Academy of Fine Arts in 1997. Many years later, when the accuser was in the hospital suffering from a rare form of virulent cancer, the mother called the academy to ask Johnson to visit him.

Johnson said she made trips to see the boy, brought the family food and gave them money. But when she asked the mother to open a separate account for the child for a proposed fundraiser, the mother allegedly told Johnson, "Don't worry about it. You can put it in my account."

"I didn't trust her," Johnson said, and she put the kibosh on any fundraising plans. The mother has testified that she never had discussions about raising money for her son, whose medical bills were covered by insurance.

While she did not directly ask for money, the mother engaged in "heavy hinting" about her dire circumstances, according to Johnson. The witness also recalled the accuser's brother calling her at home, asking if his siblings could spend the night at her home, while the mother prompted him in the background about what to say, prodding the brother to "Tell her you love her, tell her you love her."

After court Wednesday, Jackson's spokesperson Ryamone Bain said that media reports that the defense could rest as early as next Wednesday were "laughable." She confirmed, however, that the defense has pared down its witness list, but would not say how much longer the case would last.

Bain confirmed that Chris Tucker and his ex-fiancee, Azja Pryor, who spent a great deal of time with the accuser's family, would testify for Jackson.

Update

The mother of Michael Jackson's young accuser described the singer as an "angel" and was eager to show the world how innocent and beautiful his friendship was with her son, the pop star's child sex trial heard.

Azja Pryor, a casting assistant who met Gavin Arvizo, then 13, when he was suffering from cancer, said the boy's mother had never complained about being held captive at Neverland or that Jackson committed any crimes against her family.

Janet Arvizo had actually asked to be taken back to the ranch in February 2003, after a visit to a social worker, and was keen to take part in a video to defend Jackson in the wake of Martin Bashir's damaging documentary, Ms Pryor claimed.

"She was very anxious to tell the world that this beautiful friendship was nothing more than they saw - a beautiful friendship," she said.

Asked how Mrs Arvizo spoke of Jackson, she added: "It was something to the effect of what a great man he is. He is an angel. His love is great." Ms Pryor also said Gavin's mother had been enthusiastic about a proposed trip to Brazil and once complained that her sons were being kept away from the pop star.

The testimony contrasted many of the prosecution's claims that Jackson aides were plotting to whisk the family to Brazil in the wake of Martin Bashir's damaging documentary and that they were not allowed to leave his ranch.

She said she spoke to Janet Arvizo frequently in February 2003 but at no time had she ever mentioned being held against her will at Neverland or trying to escape from the ranch. "It's Neverland, who would try to escape?" she said. Asked by lawyer Tom Mesereau whether Mrs Arvizo had ever told her that Jackson committed crimes against her family, Pryor replied: "Absolutely not."

The jury was later shown a 19-minute video of Neverland which included footage of Jackson's bedroom, bronze statues of children and swans on a lake. The video paused on a board in the kitchen with a note reading: "Daddy we love you, get well," apparently written by his own children.

In a separate development, US network ABC News reported that sources had confirmed Jackson would not testify in his own defence.

The 46-year-old denies molesting Gavin Arvizo, plying him with alcohol and conspiring to hold him and his family captive. The trial continues.

Update

The mother of Michael Jackson's accuser previously testified that she wants justice, not money, from the King of Pop, but defense witnesses testified Monday that the mother has a history of lying for money.

Ten days after depositing a $32,000 civil settlement check, the mother applied for emergency welfare benefits. But she never reported the windfall on her application, according to a Los Angeles County Department of Public Services employee.

"Would that be fraud to fail to report it on this form?" defense attorney Robert Sanger asked the mother's former intake worker Mercy Manrriquez, as he projected a copy of the previously sealed Nov. 15, 2001, welfare application.

"Yes, it would," Manrriquez replied.

Nor did the mother report thousands of dollars in donations — mostly from celebrities who sympathized with her son's life-threatening battle with cancer — that she received during the nearly two and a half years that she was on welfare, according to her welfare documents.

With days left in its case, Jackson's defense appears to be focusing on damaging the credibility of the accuser's mother, painting her as a money-hungry and litigious con.

A forensic certified public accountant testified that he examined bank statements and financial documents provided by the defense to determine that Jackson's aides spent about $7,000 on the mother and her family during the two-month period they were allegedly held in captivity in Neverland.

The defense projected receipts documenting purchases made by Jackson aides on the family's behalf at Banana Republic, the Gap and Robinson's May for clothes; beauty supplies and salon visits for the mother; new luggage for the whole family; fast food and family-style dinners at McDonald's and Outback, respectively; and numerous other expenses earmarked under the family name.

The mother previously testified that they were given one meal a day and that she ultimately paid for the shopping trips.

She also testified that the $32,000 check she received in 2001 was her share of a $152,000 settlement the family got from JC Penney after security guards allegedly assaulted them in 1998 when they suspected her son, Jackson's current child molestation accuser, of shoplifting.

Manrriquez testified that, if she had known about the $32,000 settlement, the $600 Christmas gift the mother received from comedian Chris Tucker's girlfriend in 2001, the $2,000 gift from Jackson's personal videographer in 2003, and the $7,000 worth of personal expenses Jackson paid while the family was allegedly held in captivity, it might have affected the mother's welfare eligibility or reduced the $769 a month she was given.

The mother evoked her Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination when she testified during the prosecution's case and avoided questioning about alleged welfare fraud.

The judge ruled Monday that her privileged welfare file had probative value in Jackson's case and ordered the documents unsealed.

Money, not blood

The defense also called the mother's ex-sister-in-law, who said she organized two blood drives for her nephew when he was being treated for stage-four cancer and needed transfusions.

The mother, with whom she had been estranged, called after learning about the efforts, the witness said.

"She told me that she didn't need my f---ing blood, that she needed money," the witness said as she choked back tears and wiped her eyes with a tissue. (Courttv.com has chosen not to identify the sister-in-law in order to protect the accuser's identity.)

"I think I just hung up on her," the witness said when asked how she responded to the cold reception.

She conceded, however, that she never visited the boy in the hospital, nor did she have a relationship with the family.

Another witness, an editor at a weekly newspaper, testified that she was "duped" into assigning a human interest story that focused on the family's hardships and the boy's struggle through chemotherapy.

"I had some bad feelings," Connie Keenan, editor of the Mid Valley News, said of a 2000 front-page story written by an intern at the paper, which included information about how to contribute to a trust account in the boy's name.

"The mother wanted an additional story because she didn't make enough money from the first story — those are her words, not mine," Keenan said.

Keenan told jurors that the mother called her five times asking for another article to be written.

The mother has previously testified that she only agreed to do the story as a favor to a budding journalist and that she has never asked for money because her son's medical bills were covered by insurance.

Keenan said she only learned about the boy's insurance coverage months after the fact.

"The whole slant of the article was how expensive it was for his medical care," Keenan said, adding that she initially questioned a section in which the mother claimed it cost $12,000 for one chemo injection, but then let it stay in the final piece.

The mother previously testified that $12,000 was a typo and that she told the reporter it was $1,200. But Keenan insisted that her reporter checked the taped interview with the mother to confirm that she stated a figure of $12,000 per injection.

However, the editor conceded on cross-examination that she did not independently verify the tape herself.

Jackson, 46, is accused of 10 counts, including committing lewd acts on the 13-year-old cancer survivor, giving him alcohol as a means to committing the lewd acts, and conspiring with his aides to falsely imprison the boy, his two siblings and their mother at Neverland ranch in February and March 2003.

He faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted.

Jay Leno testified today saying that the accuser never asked for money. He more or less stated that the phone message from the boy was "suspicious".

Btw, they showed a clip from the Tonight Show last night with Jay saying, "I'm testifying for the DEFENSE in the MJ trial. Apparently, they have never seen this show."

BTW, I can't really confirm this, but thought I saw a headline that Jackson sold Neverland. Anyone have any info?


TIS

Yes, it's for sale. Here's the story.

Neverland for sale

i saw an article saying it would fetch 19 1/2 million dollers

Yes, it's for sale. Here's the story.

Neverland for sale [/b][/quote]Wow it sold fast!

Neverland sold

Wow it did sell quick

Update

CHAT show king Jay Leno gave evidence at the Michael Jackson trial yesterday — and had the jury in stitches as he plugged his TV show.

Leno, 55, turned to them as he left the witness box and joked: “I have Renee Zellweger on the show tonight.”

The jury erupted in laughter — as did lawyers and even the judge. Earlier the Tonight Show presenter told the court how he was “suspicious” of phone calls he got from the boy who accuses Jackson of molesting him.

Leno said he was often in contact with sick children and that the boy — who was suffering from cancer — began leaving voicemail messages for him in 2000.

He invited the boy to visit the NBC show’s studios. Although Jacko’s lawyers have portrayed the boy’s family as money-grabbers who targeted celebrities, Leno said he was never asked for cash.

But he was surprised by the way the boy flattered him. He said: “It did not sound like a 12-year-old. It seemed like an adult and it seemed a little scripted.”

The Jackson case has been the butt of gags on Leno’s show.

After he was subpoenaed to testify he used stand-ins to deliver his jokes about the trial.

The jury’s verdict could come next week after Jackson’s lawyers called their final witness — comic actor Chris Tucker.

The Rush Hour star first met the singer after attending a charity event for the boy.

He told the court: “I met his father. He approached me and told me that he had a kid that loved me and was dying of cancer.”

Following the event he gave the boy's trust fund $1,500 after the boy rang him to say the charity event had raised no cash.

Tucker added that he had once been called a “brother to the children” by the boy's mother.

Jacko, 46, denies child abuse. The trial in California continues.

Well, looks like it'll be over in a week or so. If the defense rests today, the prosecution will rebutal and he'll be off by next week. Now, looks like he'll have to find a new place to live. Maybe it's time to downsize. :p


TIS

It appears as if Jackson didnt actually rape the child. He'll probably be convicted on giving the kid alcohol and attempted kidnapping.

I had to laugh at another of Jay Leno's jokes on the Tonight show. He was commenting on how the defense, after showing a Jackson video from an interview showed that, Michael Jackson sleeps with little boys "out of love, not sex." Leno says, something to the effect, "that line always works with guys."

Anyway, it's about over and for what it's worth, I don't think the jury will deliberate for more than a couple days and I still am going with a "not guilty" verdict on all counts. We'll see.

TIS

update

Michael Jackson is a scheming serial pedophile with a drinking problem who should finally be held responsible for sexually abusing young boys, a prosecutor said on Thursday, in a searing attack on the pop star during closing arguments in his molestation trial.

But Jackson's chief attorney called the charges a mean-spirited bid to "dehumanize" one of the world's best-loved entertainers and labeled the accusers "con artists, actors and liars."

The blistering closing remarks capped a bitter, four-month court fight over accusations that Jackson molested a 13-year-old boy at his Neverland Valley Ranch in 2003. The defense claims the 46-year-old singer was framed by a family with a penchant for shaking down celebrities.

Jackson has pleaded innocent to molesting the boy, plying him with alcohol, and conspiring to commit child abduction, false imprisonment and extortion. The pop star faces more than two decades in prison if convicted on all charges.

"Michael Jackson, not for the first time, took sexual liberties with a 13-year-old boy," Deputy District Attorney Ron Zonen told a packed courtroom. He asked jurors to recall the young cancer survivor's account of being masturbated repeatedly by Jackson.

"That testimony should be believed, and Michael Jackson should be held responsible for what he did," Zonen said.

The veteran prosecutor ripped into Jackson as a manipulative pedophile who used his fame, wealth and the lure of the kid-friendly Neverland to groom vulnerable adolescent boys for sexual abuse.

"At night they entered into the world of the forbidden, they went into Michael Jackson's bedroom, which was a veritable fortress," Zonen said in reference to the room's keypad locks and alarm systems. "They learned about human sexuality from someone who was all too willing to be their teacher."

BIGGER THAN ELVIS

He said the boys came from homes with absent fathers and that Jackson targeted their weakness: "The lion on the Serengeti doesn't go after the strongest antelope."

Zonen showed the jury a sampling of Jackson's pornography, some of it homoerotic, asking jurors: "Are you comfortable with a middle-aged man getting in bed with a teenage boy as he possesses material like this that excites him?"

And the prosecutor recalled evidence that Jackson gave alcohol to the boys and was frequently intoxicated, saying: "Michael Jackson has a drinking problem. There's no other explanation for it."

Lead defense attorney Tom Mesereau spent the first 25 minutes of his closing argument attacking the accuser's mother, whom he has called a liar, welfare cheat and grifter not above exploiting her cancer-stricken son.

He said the family was hoping to convict Jackson in criminal court, then use that verdict to win a civil judgment. "There's only one thing they need," he said. "A conviction from you."

Mesereau said drinking and reading "girlie magazines" were not crimes and that prosecutors had engaged in "a mean-spirited, nasty barbaric attempt to dehumanize Mr. Jackson."

After four-months of stressing Jackson's musical talents, childlike innocence and kindness, Mesereau offered a rare assessment of his client's human side.

"Some say he's better known around the world than Elvis," Mesereau said. "But that comes with a price. And sometimes that price is loneliness and confusion over who his real friends are."


The case is expected to go to the jury on Friday after arguments from both sides conclude.

Update

Michael Jackson, who is awaiting a verdict in his child molestation trial, was treated at a hospital near his Neverland estate on Sunday for a relapse of a back problem, a spokeswoman said.
Spokeswoman Raymone Bain told reporters outside Cottage Hospital that Jackson, who had been suffering from back problems throughout his four-month trial, had returned because of a worsening of his condition.

Jackson left the hospital Sunday evening after about five hours. Hospital staff put up a screen to keep waiting photographers from getting a view of the one-time King of Pop as he left in a black sports utility vehicle driven by aides.

A hospital spokeswoman declined to comment on the pop star's treatment.

Jackson, 46, has appeared to be in frail health at times during the trial and seems to have lost weight. He has made repeated visits to hospitals during the trial.

In March, on the second day of testimony by his 15-year-old accuser, Jackson failed to show up in court, prompting Santa Barbara Superior Court Judge Rodney S. Melville to issue a warrant for his arrest. Jackson showed up after an hour, walking slowly, wearing pajama pants and a jacket, and complaining of back pain.

He also made a trip to the emergency room in February, suffering from a flu-like illness that delayed jury selection for a week.

On Friday, jurors ended their first hours of deliberations in Jackson's trial after hearing dueling closing arguments that portrayed him as either a sexual predator or the naive victim of a family of hardened liars.

The jurors, due to resume deliberations on Monday, will weigh the charges until they reach verdicts on all 10 criminal counts or find themselves deadlocked.

They will have to consider testimony from some 140 witnesses and more than 600 items of evidence.

Jackson has pleaded not guilty to molesting his accuser in February or March of 2003, plying him with alcohol in order to abuse him, and conspiring to commit child abduction, false imprisonment and extortion. He faces more than two decades in prison if convicted on all charges.