Jesse Jackson: Resolute Michael in great pain
Mood:  sad
Topic: Main News

Jury to resume deliberations Monday in molestation case

SANTA MARIA, California (CNN) -- With a jury set to resume deliberations on his fate, pop star Michael Jackson is suffering excruciating physical pain yet remaining resolute and strong in his conviction of his innocence, the Rev. Jesse Jackson said Monday.

Michael Jackson visited a hospital for about two hours Sunday afternoon for treatment of a recurring back problem and returned to his nearby Neverland Ranch, his spokeswoman said. A Santa Barbara County jury is scheduled to resume deliberations Monday in his trial on child-molestation charges. Jesse Jackson, the pop star's spiritual adviser, compared the singer's situation to the biblical story of Job, a figure beset with misfortune but who maintained his faith.

"In many ways, his destiny, at least for a season, is in the jaws of the jury," Jesse Jackson said. A spokeswoman for the singer, Raymone Bain, blamed the stress of the trial for the recurrence of his back problem. "He's good. He's OK," she said. "He's under stress, and this is a difficult time." Michael Jackson must deal with "this rockin' chair of physical pain on the one hand and anxiety about the outcome on this trial," Jesse Jackson said. Michael Jackson has complained of back problems before, and it was the second time in four days he visited a hospital. (Full story)

On March 10, Santa Barbara County Superior Court Judge Rodney Melville threatened to revoke the singer's $3 million bail when Jackson showed up 90 minutes late for court after seeking treatment at a hospital. His back continued to bother him during the trial, and he used a cushion and took medication "off and on," Bain said. She said his back bothered him throughout the past week, when jurors heard closing arguments and Melville's instructions.

The eight women and four men of the jury got the case Friday afternoon and deliberated about two hours before breaking for the weekend. They will have to wade through 14 weeks of testimony by more than 140 witnesses to determine whether the pop star is a sexual predator of young boys or a victim of a con.

Jacksons stand behind brother

Jermaine Jackson said in an off-camera CNN interview during the weekend that his brother is "one thousand percent innocent." Asked how his parents, Joseph and Katherine Jackson, have handled the courtroom drama, Jermaine said, "They are our rock." Katherine Jackson attended every day of the trial, and all eight of Jackson's siblings showed the family flag at some point.

Jermaine Jackson was asked whether his brother would change his ways if he is found not guilty.
"He'll become a complete recluse if found not guilty. He won't be able to deal with anyone because he can't trust anyone," he said, referring to the fact that a number of former Jackson employees and confidants testified against him.

Tito Jackson, another of the pop star's siblings, disputed courtroom descriptions of Jackson's bedroom -- where the alleged molestation took place -- as an intimate setting. "His room is a huge suite with an arcade," the brother said. Jackson, accompanied by his parents and five of his siblings, exited the courthouse Friday under an umbrella held by a bodyguard to shield him from the sun. He will await the verdict at his Neverland Ranch, about an hour from Santa Maria.

Showing their support Friday were two of his sisters, Janet and Rebe, who had not been at the trial since testimony began February 28. Another sister, LaToya, and brothers Jermaine and Randy were on hand, as were his parents.

Friday's closing arguments

A grand jury indicted Jackson in April last year on charges of child molestation and other crimes stemming from alleged incidents involving his accuser, then 13, and his family in February and March 2003. Jackson pleaded not guilty to the charges and did not take the stand during the trial.

During closing arguments Friday, Jackson's lead defense attorney attacked the credibility of the teenage accuser and his family, saying their allegations against the pop star are "the biggest con of their careers." Projecting transcript excerpts of their testimony onto a large screen, Thomas Mesereau Jr. pointed to "flip flops" in the accuser's various statements to show that "he's not truthful."

And he called the teen's mother "a complete liar and fabricator, a con artist," saying the family wanted to cash in on allegations with a civil suit, as they did four years ago with a lawsuit against J.C. Penney.
Prosecutor Ron Zonen, in his rebuttal, said the consistency of the family's testimony was "remarkable," given they were on the stand for a collective 12 days.

He also lampooned the idea that the mother, who "frankly can't string two consecutive sentences together that make sense," would be able to mastermind "such a vast fraud." (Closing arguments) The charges Jackson faces include: four counts of committing a lewd act on a child; one count of conspiracy to commit child abduction, false imprisonment and extortion; one count of attempting to commit a lewd act on a child; and four counts of administering an intoxicating agent to assist in the commission of a felony.

Earlier this week, Melville decided to allow the jury to consider the final four charges of furnishing alcohol to a minor as misdemeanors instead of felonies.

CNN's Dree De Clamecy, Ted Rowlands, Stan Wilson and Adam Reiss contributed to this report.