Conflict cited by Jackson defense
Mood:  party time!
By Norma Meyer
COPLEY NEWS SERVICE

August 18, 2004

SANTA MARIA ? A defense attorney dropped a bombshell during a pretrial hearing in the Michael Jackson case yesterday, saying the psychologist who elicited the molestation allegations from the pop star's young accuser was treating a private investigator dealing with the boy and his family on behalf of Jackson.

The revelation by Jackson lawyer Brian Oxman came during questioning of psychologist Stan Katz, who first notified police about the then-12-year-old's claims of sexual abuse.

Judge: Authorities had probable cause to search Neverland ranch


Oxman called Katz's therapeutic involvement with both sides "a conflict of interest that is severe." Katz, however, kept citing the privilege and refused to say if Bradley Miller was a patient. Katz testified he interviewed Jackson's accuser after getting a call in May 2003 from Larry Feldman, the attorney who obtained a multimillion-dollar settlement on behalf of another alleged Jackson molestation victim in 1993.

Katz testified he had heard Miller's name mentioned twice: once by Feldman in June 2003 when the attorney said Miller had videotaped the boy and his family about Jackson and months later regarding a "break-in" on the news.

Suddenly, Oxman boomed: "Bradley Miller is a very special patient of yours, isn't he Dr. Katz?" Katz looked taken aback and answered, "If he was my patient, I couldn't discuss him." Oxman continued: "Bradley Miller is Dr. Katz's patient and he's been so for many years." Katz said he knew Miller "professionally," from family law cases the two had been involved in. Katz testified in the pretrial hearing during which the defense hopes to get evidence thrown out that was seized during a search of Miller's office.

Jackson's lawyers contend Santa Barbara County District Attorney Tom Sneddon and officers knew at the time Miller was employed by Jackson's former lawyer, Mark Geragos, and thus violated the attorney-client privilege.

As he peppered Katz with questions, Oxman suggested the psychologist knew so much about Miller, he must have been aware of the relationship with Geragos and must have informed authorities about it before last November's raid.

Katz denied he told law enforcement officials Miller worked for Geragos. Later in the day, Melville dealt the defense a blow when he ruled against their bid to challenge the legality of the search at Jackson's Neverland Ranch. The judge said the accuser's statement of being molested was a valid reason for authorities to raid Jackson's compound. The judge noted the defense could pursue a challenge of specific items taken in the search.

During Katz's testimony, the therapist acknowledged he ran into Miller on the street after the search and the investigator asked him, "Dr. Katz, you're not the psychologist on this, are you?" Katz said he told Miller he couldn't "comment on any of my cases," to which Oxman interjected: "Not even to your own clients?"

That final repeated reference to Miller as a "patient" or a "client" angered Melville, who had earlier ruled Oxman couldn't question Katz about privileged information. The judge then fined Oxman $1,000 and stormed off the bench.

Source: http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/state/20040818-9999-1n18jackson.html

Dollbaby

REMEMBER: An indictment is not proof of evidence; it is merely the unopposed story of the prosecutor, waiting to be shattered at trial.


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Shakedown Admitted By Accuser's Side
Mood:  on fire
21/08/2004

The following article comes from Roger Friedman (Fox News):

It's no shock that Thursday's big admission in the Michael Jackson case concerned a shakedown. Major Jay Jackson, stepfather now to Jackson's 14-year-old accuser, conceded in court that he asked Jackson's staff for a lot of things as compensation for the family's participation in a "rebuttal" video.

I've been telling you for months that Jay Jackson and the accuser's mother wanted everything they could get from the King of Pop and his associates. There are receipts, too, lots of them, that can be brought into evidence showing how much shopping the mother did on Michael Jackson's dime.

But Major Jackson is wrong about one thing: He suggested that his wife and stepkids were held "for months" at Michael's Neverland ranch in 2003. In fact, the family stayed there on and off between Feb. 7 and March 11 of that year.

On March 11, the mother was awarded an increase in her weekly alimony from family court from her ex-husband. She and her children returned to Major Jackson's apartment (the couple were not married yet at that time). After that, their connection to Neverland was almost completely severed.

At this point it would look like the case against Michael Jackson is falling apart. But if it goes to trial, look for more evidence to surface regarding the accuser's family and their refusal to give up a juicy Neverland lifestyle supported by Michael Jackson.

Source: Roger Friedman / Fox News

Authorities Arrest Over Death Threat
Mood:  down

21/08/2004

On Monday, August 16, 2004, a death threat against Michael Jackson was received via e-mail at the Santa Maria courthouse, where Mr. Jackson was scheduled to make a court appearance.

Authorities traced the message back to a Kitchener, Ontario address in Canada, and regional police in Waterloo, Ontario were notified by Santa Barbara police. Waterloo police aided in the investigation by searching a home in Kitchener on Thursday. No details of the threat have been released.

Adrian Poffley, 26, of Kitchener, Ontario has been charged with sending a death threat and is scheduled to appear in court in September.

Source: MJJSource

Neverland manager: Search went beyond warrant
Mood:  irritated

SANTA MARIA, California (AP) -- The property manager of Michael Jackson's Neverland Ranch testified Friday that sheriff's deputies looking for evidence last year searched areas that were not specified in a warrant.

Joseph Marcus took the witness stand during a pretrial hearing as the defense sought to prove authorities went overboard when they swept into the estate on November 18, 2003.

Marcus said he initially cooperated when the battalion of investigators arrived.

"I worked with them all day," he said, adding that he studied the search warrant they presented to make sure he admitted them only to the areas specified.

He said he agreed to let them into Jackson's office and a few other areas that were not on the search warrant when they said they were doing so only to establish that the locations were secure and no one was there.

"I cooperated and opened the door, but then they decided they wanted to do a search," Marcus testified. "I objected because it was not in the scope of the search warrant."

A deputy told him he would call and have the search warrant amended, but Marcus said that was not done as far as he knows, and the search went ahead anyway. He added that he was also pressured to answer questions by authorities.

"I initially refused to and said I wasn't really interested," Marcus said. "I said, 'Do I have to answer questions?' and they said, 'No, if you have nothing to hide.' I said there's nothing to hide here. It is what it is."

Friday's testimony came at a pretrial hearing in which defense attorneys are trying to limit the evidence prosecutors can produce at the entertainer's January 31 trial.

Defense attorneys argue that the search of Neverland, which lasted 15 hours and involved about 40 officers, was overly broad and unjustified.

A prosecutor asked Marcus about whether alcohol was served at Neverland and the witness said it was not. The judge halted questioning on the topic after the defense objected that it was off the point of the hearing.

Before Marcus took the stand, Cochran questioned sheriff's Detective Paul Zelis, who directed the search, and noted deputies seized a magazine on which was written the phone number of Mohamed Al Fayed.

"We had a person (by that name) involved in this investigation and it was in plain view," the deputy said.

Mohamed Al Fayed is the father of Dodi Al Fayed, who was killed in a car crash with Britain's Princess Diana. There was no further elaboration on how the elder Al Fayed may have been involved in the Jackson case.

Jackson, 45, is charged with committing a lewd act upon a child, administering an intoxicating agent and conspiring to commit child abduction, false imprisonment and extortion. He has pleaded not guilty and is free on $3 million bail.

On Thursday, Jackson's elegant home was placed on display in the courtroom as defense attorneys showed a judge videotapes of the November raid.

And the defense elicited testimony from the stepfather of Jackson's accuser that validated what had long been rumored -- that the accuser's family sought payment from Jackson for appearing in a video designed to restore Jackson's reputation.

The stepfather, identified as "Mr. Doe" to shield his stepson's identity, portrayed himself as the moving force behind efforts to obtain payment from Jackson's people.

He said he told an unspecified "gentleman from Neverland" that his family "has nothing and you're making millions from this and what are you going to do for this little family?"'

He said the person offered to provide a college education and buy the family a house.

His testimony appeared to bolster defense contentions that the accuser's family tried to shake down Jackson for money. Lawyers for Jackson claim the molestation accusations came when no payment was made.

In another development Thursday, Jackson, with the judge's approval, released a brief statement on his Web site railing at critics he said have targeted him and his family with lies and ridicule. The statement did not mention the charges he is facing.

"We have watched as we have been vilified and humiliated," Jackson said. "I personally have suffered through many hurtful lies and references to me as 'Wacko Jacko' as well as the latest untruth about me fathering quadruplets."



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Copyright 2004 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.


Find this article at:
http://www.cnn.com/2004/LAW/08/20/michael.jackson.ap/index.html

Statement from Karen Faye
Mood:  happy
Topic: Mishandled
During the August 16, 2004 broadcast of "Catherine Crier Live," CourtTV's Diane Dimond reported the following in relevance to the recently concluded investigation by Attorney General Bill Lockyer to Michael Jackson's allegations of police misconduct:

"Karen Faye, Michael Jackson's loyal, long-time make-up artist... According to confidential sources close to the investigation, informants told the AG's office it was Faye who had actually applied make-up to create the bruise seen here on Jackson's arm, and that it was all smoke and mirrors."


In response, Karen Faye issued the following response to MJJForum:

"I just want to make a statement regarding Diane Dimond's public statement that I used make-up to make a bruise on Michael's arm. This is totally untrue. I am very angry. I am legally pursuing an "on the air" retraction of her statement. I have first hand experience, that we are dealing with a pack of liars.

"I also want to thank all of you for giving Michael, his family, and his team all of your love and support. We must do everything we can to bring justice and fairness back into this world. Your show of support gives me hope that there are so many people in the world that DO have true hearts. We will pave the way to a better world, and Michael will help us do it!

"Love, Karen Faye"


DISCLAIMER: Neither MJJFORUM.COM, CLUBMJJF.COM, MJJF-EUROPE.COM, nor the opinions expressed in any and all writings/posts/messages located anywhere on this site, are in any way affiliated either expressly or implicitly with Michael Jackson, MJJsource.com, MJJProductions, his management, his attorneys, etc.

MJJF-EUROPE.COM, nor the opinions expressed in any and all writings/posts/messages located anywhere on this site, are in any way affiliated either expressly or implicitly with Michael Jackson, MJJsource.com, MJJProductions, his management, his attorneys, etc.

MJJFORUM.COM IS NOT in any way, shape or form the official website of Michael Jackson. Because we do not speak for Michael Jackson, we DO NOT fall under any gag orders associated with the current case.




? MJJForum.com - This news can be reposted with a credit to MJJForum.com






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STATEMENT OF MICHAEL JACKSON - AUGUST 10, 2004
Mood:  happy
APPROVED BY JUDGE MELVILLE ? AUGUST 16, 2004

?My family and I have dedicated our lives to spreading unity and peace to the world through our music. The most recent unauthorized version of my life story, ?Man in The Mirror,? in no way shape or form represents who we are as a family. It is unfortunate that for years, we have been targets of completely inaccurate and false portrayals. We have watched, as we have been vilified and humiliated. I personally, have suffered through many hurtful lies and references to me as ?Wacko Jacko? as well as the latest untruth about me fathering quadruplets.

?This is intolerable and must stop. The public depiction of us is not who we are, or what we are: we are a loving family. My success on stage can be attributed to the love and support of my family off stage. My brothers and I are ?brothers? first, we started out together and will always be together. All I can hope for is that one day, my family will be shown the same kindness and respect that we have, throughout our lives, shown to others.?
Content



Source: MJJsource.com/MJJForum

Major Love

Eve - The Music Lady




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Report: Jackson not 'manhandled' in custody
Mood:  surprised
Topic: Mishandled
Judge orders portion of report released



SANTA MARIA, California (CNN) -- The judge in the molestation case against pop star Michael Jackson on Thursday ordered the release of part of a report by the state's attorney general concluding that the singer was not treated roughly when he surrendered on the charges last year.

Santa Barbara County Superior Court Judge Rodney Melville's announcement during a pretrial hearing in the case prompted a heated protest from Jackson attorney Thomas Mesereau Jr., who called the report a "sham and a scam" designed to give the prosecution positive publicity.

Jackson told CBS' "60 Minutes" in December that he was "manhandled very roughly" when he was taken into custody on the child molestation charges. He said he was bruised and that his shoulder was dislocated.

The Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Department denied the charges.

Sources familiar with the investigation told CNN Sunday that the California attorney general's office determined that sheriff's deputies treated Jackson properly.

Mesereau said it was "extraordinary" that the attorney general's office would take it upon itself to investigate the matter, since Jackson had never filed a complaint or lawsuit about the incident.

He said the attorney general's office never interviewed or examined Jackson in the course of its investigation, and said the conclusion of the report was "propaganda designed to violate" the judge's gag order in the case.

The judge said Jackson will be allowed to make a statement on the portion of the report made public, but will have to clear it with the judge first.

Accuser's stepfather takes stand

Later Thursday, the stepfather of the boy who accuses Jackson of molesting him took the witness stand in a hearing to determine whether some evidence gathered by the prosecution can be used at trial.

Identified only as John Doe, the stepfather said someone representing Jackson called him and said that Jane Doe, his wife, and his children needed to come back to the ranch to film a video to rebut a British documentary in which Jackson admitted sleeping in the same bedroom as children.

John Doe testified that he asked the man what he was offering, and the man said the family would be given a house, college educations for the children and security.

The hearing is being held to determine whether some evidence gathered by the prosecution can be used at trial.

At issue is the defense's claim that District Attorney Tom Sneddon violated attorney-client privilege between Jackson and his former attorney, Mark Geragos, when the prosecutor searched the office of private investigator Brad Miller.

The defense said the prosecutor knew or should have known that Miller was working for Geragos at the time. As a result, the defense wants any information obtained in the search to be considered attorney work product -- notes and materials collected in preparation for a trial -- and therefore inadmissible as evidence.

Sneddon maintains he did not know that Miller was directly employed by Geragos.

An investigator with the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Department testified Tuesday the department sought search warrants for Miller's office because the mother of the alleged victim had said that some items belonging to her may be there.

There was no court session Wednesday.

Jackson, 45, has pleaded not guilty to child molestation for alleged incidents with the boy that prosecutors say took place last year in February and March.

The singer is charged with seven counts of performing lewd or lascivious acts on a child under 14 and two counts of administering an intoxicating agent, reportedly wine.

Tuesday, Judge Melville turned down a defense motion to quash warrants used to search the pop star's Neverland Ranch.

The defense contended that investigators had used inaccurate information in making their case for the search warrants. But Melville said that even if that information wasn't accurate, authorities still had enough justification for the warrants.

CNN correspondent Miguel Marquez and producers Chuck Conder and Dree De Clamecy contributed to this report.


Find this article at:
http://www.cnn.com/2004/LAW/08/19/jackson.case/index.html

Judge: Search of Jackson's ranch justified



LOS ANGELES, California (AP) -- Child molestation allegations by a 12-year-old boy provided authorities with legal justification for a massive search of Michael Jackson's Neverland Ranch last year, a judge ruled, rejecting defense efforts to challenge the search as illegal.

In his ruling Tuesday, Superior Court Judge Rodney Melville short-circuited a plan by Jackson's lawyers to call multiple witnesses in an effort to show that prosecutors had insufficient information to justify the invasion of Jackson's estate last November.

Defense attorney Steve Cochran had argued that authorities "relied on a lot of pontificating" from people without sufficient expertise.

"The point was to smear my client, to make it appear there was a menace to society out there whose house needed to be searched immediately," he argued.

Deputy District Attorney Ron Zonen said the only thing that could invalidate the search would be significant misrepresentations on the search warrant. Those, he said, were not present, and the judge agreed.

Melville conceded that there may have been "some relevant omissions," but he concluded: "There was probable cause to believe Michael Jackson had committed the offenses based on the statements of the minor witness."

The judge said he was basing his ruling on extensive written briefs, most of which he has sealed from public view.

Loyola University Law School Professor Laurie Levenson said the ruling probably was not a surprise to the defense since such motions are difficult to win.

"It doesn't hurt to try," she said, "and it preserves the matter for any future appeal."

Melville did agree to let defense attorneys challenge individual items seized during the search and recessed the hearings Wednesday to give lawyers time to draft a list of items they want suppressed as evidence.

When the hearing resumes on Thursday, Jackson's lawyers are expected to call more witnesses as part of their effort to get evidence obtained from the office of private investigator Bradley Miller thrown out.

Jackson's attorney fined
On Tuesday, the defense made a surprise allegation -- that Stanley J. Katz, the psychologist who first took the boy's claims about Jackson to authorities, had also been treating Miller.

Katz declined to discuss his relationship with Miller, claiming a therapist's privilege of confidentiality, which the judge eventually upheld.

Brian Oxman, the defense attorney who made the surprise allegation, wound up being fined $1,000 by the judge when he persisted in bringing up issue after the judge ruled it was out of bounds.

"Bradley Miller is a very special patient of yours, is he not, Dr. Katz?" asked Oxman.

"If he were a patient, I could not disclose that because of the privilege," Katz replied.

Katz had been called Tuesday in an effort to determine whether Santa Barbara County District Attorney Tom Sneddon and other authorities were aware that Miller worked for Jackson's former lawyer, Mark Geragos, when evidence was seized from Miller's office. They say they had no such knowledge.

Katz, who acknowledged only that he had worked with Miller on family court cases, said he never discussed the Jackson case with Miller and did not tell authorities that Miller was working for Geragos.

Jackson, 45, is charged with committing a lewd act upon a child, administering an intoxicating agent and conspiring to commit child abduction, false imprisonment and extortion. He has pleaded not guilty and is free on $3 million bail.



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Copyright 2004 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Find this article at:
http://www.cnn.com/2004/LAW/08/18/jackson.case.ap/index.html

D.A. gets testy in Jackson case

SANTA MARIA, California (CNN) -- The district attorney who filed child molestation charges against pop star Michael Jackson was called to the stand during a preliminary hearing focusing on the prosecutor's actions in the weeks before the charges were lodged.

Jackson attended the first day of the hearing Monday, but is not expected to be in court when the hearing resumes Tuesday.

Santa Barbara County District Attorney Tom Sneddon defended his actions in a sometimes contentious hearing that lasted for more than three hours.

At times, Judge Rodney Melville told Sneddon to stop being so combative with defense attorney Thomas Mesereau.

"I'm going to ask you not to spar with the defense attorney," Melville said.

Jackson, dressed in a white suit, stared intently at the district attorney through his sunglasses, but he showed no emotion during the testimony. Jackson sat in the courtroom with his mother and father, as well as his siblings, including Jermaine, Janet and LaToya -- all of whom were dressed in white.

At issue is the defense's claim that Sneddon violated attorney-client privilege between Jackson and his former attorney, Mark Geragos, when he conducted a search of the office of a private investigator.

The defense claims the prosecutor knew or should have known that the investigator, Brad Miller, was working for Geragos at the time. As a result, the defense wants any information obtained in the search of Miller's office thrown out.

Sneddon maintained throughout the hearing that he did not know that Miller was directly employed by Geragos.

"It just never dawned on you that Miller could be working for Mark Geragos?" Mesereau said.

"That's true," Sneddon responded.

But the district attorney later admitted he told Jackson's defense team during a conference call last month that he knew Miller worked for Geragos. However, he said he called one of Jackson's lawyers back the next day to say that he had spoken incorrectly.

Sneddon has a long history with Jackson. He investigated the pop star in 1993 for child molestation against a boy, a case that never made it to trial because of a multimillion dollar settlement with the boy and his family.

The Jackson family has since said the prosecutor has an ax to grind with the pop star.

About 50 to 100 fans -- a much smaller crowd than at his previous court visits -- cheered and waved signs of support outside the court when Jackson arrived Monday. A security guard held a black umbrella for Jackson as he entered the courthouse.

Jackson, 45, has pleaded not guilty to child molestation. The singer is charged with seven counts of performing lewd or lascivious acts on a child under 14 and two counts of administering an intoxicating agent, reportedly wine.

In a development late Sunday, sources familiar with the investigation told CNN that the California attorney general's office has determined that Santa Barbara County sheriff's deputies treated pop star Michael Jackson properly when he surrendered himself to them last year. (Full story)

Jackson told CBS' "60 Minutes" in December that he was "manhandled very roughly" when he was taken into custody on the child molestation charges -- a claim the sheriff's department had denied.


Find this article at:
http://www.cnn.com/2004/LAW/08/16/jackson.case/index.html

Jackson attorney fined by judge

But not before psychologist admits he knew private eye

SANTA MARIA, California (CNN) -- The judge in the Michael Jackson child molestation case fined one of the pop star's lawyers $1,000 Tuesday after he refused to back off a line of questioning the judge had told him was off-limits.

The issue concerned repeated attempts by Brian Oxman, a Jackson family attorney, to get Dr. Stan Katz, the psychologist who interviewed the alleged victim and concluded that molestation had taken place, to acknowledge that a private investigator in the case was also his patient.

The boy and his family had been referred to Katz by attorney Larry Feldman, who also referred another boy and his parents to the doctor in 1993 regarding molestation allegations against Jackson

The singer resolved the previous allegations with a nearly $20 million out-of-court settlement, and no charges were filed.

Katz testified Tuesday on the second day of a pretrial hearing in the case that the first time he had heard of the investigator, Bradley Miller, was in a meeting with Feldman in June 2003.

"He just mentioned that an investigator named Brad Miller had made a videotape of the minor children," Katz said in response to a question from Oxman.

He said the next time he had heard Miller's name was in news stories about a break-in at the investigator's office.

Oxman then dropped a bombshell.

"Bradley Miller is a very special patient of yours, isn't he, Dr. Katz?" Oxman asked.

Katz claimed doctor-patient privilege and said he could not discuss his patients. Santa Barbara Superior Court Judge Rodney Melville backed up Katz's assertion.

Katz then admitted that he knew Miller because he had worked on family law cases with the investigator.

Melville warned Oxman two times to back off that line of questioning. When Oxman failed to heed the warnings, Melville imposed the sanction, payable immediately.

Jackson, 45, has pleaded not guilty to seven counts of performing lewd or lascivious acts on a child under 14 and two counts of administering an intoxicating agent, reportedly wine.

Attorney-client privilege
At issue in the hearing, which began Monday, is the defense's claim that Santa Barbara County District Attorney Tom Sneddon violated attorney-client privilege between Jackson and his former attorney, Mark Geragos, when he conducted a search of Bradley Miller's office in November 2003.

The defense says Sneddon knew or should have known that Miller was working for Geragos at the time.

The defense wants any information obtained in the search to be considered attorney work product and therefore inadmissible in evidence.

Sneddon maintains he did not know that Miller was directly employed by Geragos.

Sneddon has a long history with Jackson. He investigated the molestation allegations against the pop star in 1993, and the Jackson family has since said Seddon has an ax to grind with him because the settlement precluded criminal charges.

Santa Barbara County sheriff's investigator Jeff Klapakis, who has led the Jackson case since February 2003, testified Tuesday that the sheriff's department did not know Miller worked for Geragos.

"It dawned on no one ... that Mr. Miller was an investigator hired by an attorney, namely Mr. Geragos?" asked Jackson defense attorney Steve Cochran.

"That is correct," Klapakis said.

The investigator said the department sought search warrants for Miller's office because the mother of the alleged victim said that some items belonging to her might be there.

Klapakis said the department did not notify police in Beverly Hills, where Miller's office was situated, about the warrants because it feared there would be a leak and that Miller would remove the items it was seeking.

Among the items taken from Miller's office during the search were a videotape and letters. The defense wants those items excluded from the evidence at trial.

Motion to quash warrants rejected
In other matters, Melville turned down a defense motion to quash warrants used to search Jackson's Neverland Ranch in Santa Barbara County in November 2003.

The defense contended that investigators used inaccurate information in making their case for the warrants. But Melville said that even if the information wasn't accurate, authorities still had enough justification for them.

A number of scheduling problems also have arisen in the case.

Defense attorneys had wanted to question the alleged victim's mother, identified as Jane Doe, in the hearing, but the prosecution told Melville the woman could not appear until the end of September because of complications from a C-section she underwent to deliver a baby July 27.

Melville said such a delay was "unsatisfactory to our timeline."

Also, Jackson attorney Thomas Mesereau Jr. told the judge that he must appear in Alabama the last two weeks of September for a death penalty case.

Melville has already moved the projected start of the trial from September to the end of next January.

The sheriff's department imposed tight security around Jackson's appearance at the courthouse in Santa Maria for Monday's session after it received threats of bodily harm against the pop star, sources close to the case told CNN. The department refused to comment.

Jackson was not in court Tuesday.

CNN's Miguel Marquez and Dree deClamecy contributed to this report.


Find this article at:
http://www.cnn.com/2004/LAW/08/17/jackson.case/index.html

Jackson Makes Surprise Visit to LA Church

Mon Aug 16, 7:54 AM ET

By LINDA DEUTSCH, AP Special Correspondent

SANTA MARIA, Calif. - Michael Jackson (news) made a surprise visit to Los Angeles' pre-eminent black church a day before he was to face off in court against the man who has put him on trial ? Santa Barbara County District Attorney Tom Sneddon.


Jackson, who wore a dark blue velvet jacket with a gold armband on one sleeve, went to the First AME Church on Sunday, appearing with his attorney, Tom Mesereau Jr., brother Randy and comedian Steve Harvey (news).


During a meeting with about 35 Sunday school students, Jackson was asked by one girl if the children could visit Jackson's Neverland ranch, to which the pop star replied: "You're welcome to come anytime."


When asked about the visit by ABC's "Good Morning America," Jackson said he went to the church "to worship and to see the children."


Jackson, 45, is charged with committing a lewd act upon a child, administering an intoxicating agent and conspiring to commit child abduction, false imprisonment and extortion. He has pleaded not guilty and is free on $3 million bail.


The focus of Monday's hearing was to be Sneddon's actions in the weeks before the charges were filed. The defense seeks to show that Sneddon invaded the sanctity of the attorney-client privilege between Jackson and his former attorney when he conducted personal surveillance of a private investigator's office.


The investigator, Bradley Miller, was not in his Beverly Hills office when Sneddon went there and photographed the building and its roster of occupants.


Santa Barbara County sheriff's officials already have testified that they used a sledgehammer to break into Miller's office and seize videotapes and files relating to the Jackson case. They maintain that they did not know Miller was employed by Jackson's former attorney, Mark Geragos.


The defense says any materials seized from Miller's office should never see the light of day as evidence.


The seized materials are believed to be crucial to the prosecution case ? among them, a videotape of Jackson's 12-year-old accuser and his family praising the singer's character.


Prosecutors claim the tape was made under duress, with Jackson holding the family prisoner at his Neverland ranch. Without the tape, a central theory of the case against Jackson would be severely undermined.


Jackson has decided he wants to be present for this confrontation. In the audience are expected to be his parents, Joseph and Katherine, and siblings including Janet, LaToya, Jermaine and Jackie.


"It's a faceoff between Jackson and Sneddon," said Laurie Levenson, a Loyola University law professor and former federal prosecutor. "And emotionally, it's a big moment in the case. This is high drama."


Ten years ago, Sneddon tried to build a child-molestation case against Jackson. But it fell apart when the singer's accuser reportedly accepted a multimillion-dollar civil settlement and refused to testify in any criminal case.


Prosecutors got a boost Sunday when word leaked that the state attorney general's office has concluded that Jackson was not "manhandled" by sheriff's deputies who took him into custody last year on the molestation charges, CBS News reported Sunday.


The findings were contained in a three-page letter Martin A. Ryan, chief of the attorney general's California Bureau of Investigation, sent to Santa Barbara County Sheriff Jim Anderson, CBS reported.


A spokesman for the attorney general did not immediately return a call for comment.


Jackson told CBS' "60 Minutes" last year that he was "manhandled" by sheriff's deputies who deliberately handcuffed him in a way they knew was "going to hurt" and that dislocated his shoulder. After he was taken to jail, he said, he was placed in a feces-smeared restroom for 45 minutes before being released.
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Jackson in court for key hearing

Report: Pop star not 'manhandled'

SANTA MARIA, California (AP) -- Fans of Michael Jackson erupted in cheers Monday as the pop star emerged from a double-decker tour bus and went into court for a showdown with the prosecutor who has pursued him for years on child molestation charges.

Jackson, wearing a white suit with a mustard yellow armband, entered the court with several family members, also dressed in white. A bodyguard held a black umbrella over the singer, who flashed a peace sign to the crowd.

About 100 mostly young fans pressed against a chain-link fence and hoisted signs saying "Our Love is With You" and "Michael Jackson is Innocent" outside the hearing on whether prosecutors can use evidence seized from the office of a private investigator working for the singer.

Dozens of police and a small group of people demonstrating in support of sexual abuse victims were also at the court.

Like other Jackson supporters, Olivia Baker, 20, of San Diego, said the singer has been unfairly targeted by Sneddon.

"No human being deserves that, especially since he's given his whole heart to the world," said Baker, wearing a Jackson-trademark black fedora. "His heart is honest. I don't believe he would ever hurt a child."

Santa Barbara County District Attorney Tom Sneddon was expected to be the first witness of the day at a hearing that comes amid dueling public relations moves.

Jackson made a surprise visit to Los Angeles' pre-eminent black church on Sunday, which legal experts said was an effort to boost his reputation ahead of the showdown with the Santa Barbara County prosecutor.

In an added public relations flourish, Jackson decided to attend Monday's pretrial hearing with his parents, Katherine and Joseph Jackson, and siblings Jermaine, Janet, Jackie and LaToya.

Prosecutors received their own boost Sunday with the release of a leaked report by the state attorney general that rejected Jackson's charge that he was "manhandled" when sheriff's deputies took him into custody last year. (Full story)

"The timing is amazing," said Loyola University Law School professor Laurie Levenson, a former federal prosecutor. "This means both sides are playing the public relations game. No matter who leaked it, prosecutors want the public to see Michael Jackson as a manipulator and a liar. And it gets some of the spotlight off Sneddon."

The report to Santa Barbara County Sheriff Jim Anderson, which was posted on the CBS News Web site, casts doubt on Jackson's claim that his shoulder was dislocated when he was handcuffed.

Superior Court Judge Rodney Melville had rejected Anderson's request Friday to publicly release the report.

Jackson's appearance at First AME Church in South Los Angeles the day before his attorney was to challenge Sneddon in court also raised eyebrows.

"Jackson has never been involved with the African American community in the past," Defense attorney Steve Cron said. "I can't imagine why else he would suddenly get religion."

Jackson, 45, is charged with committing a lewd act upon a child, administering an intoxicating agent and conspiring to commit child abduction, false imprisonment and extortion. He has pleaded not guilty and is free on $3 million bail.

The focus of the hearing is Sneddon's actions in the weeks before the charges were filed. The defense seeks to show that the prosecutor violated attorney-client privilege between Jackson and his former attorney, Mark Geragos, when he conducted personal surveillance of a private investigator's office.

The investigator, Bradley Miller, was not in his Beverly Hills office when Sneddon went there and photographed the building and its roster of occupants.

Santa Barbara County sheriff's officials already have testified that they used a sledgehammer to break into Miller's office and seize videotapes and files relating to the Jackson case. They maintain that they did not know Miller was employed by Geragos.

The conspiracy count has become a centerpiece of the prosecution case with allegations that the 12-year-old accuser and his family were coerced into making a videotape praising the singer's character.

The tape and other materials seized from Miller's office are at issue in the hearing. A ruling that they must be suppressed because they were wrongfully seized would seriously undermine the prosecution's case.



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D.A. defends actions in Jackson case

SANTA MARIA, California (CNN) -- The district attorney who filed child molestation charges against pop star Michael Jackson was called to the stand Monday during a preliminary hearing focusing on the prosecutor's actions in the weeks before the charges were lodged.

Santa Barbara County District Attorney Tom Sneddon appeared relaxed as he took the stand to defend his actions.

The hearing began at 10 a.m. (1 p.m. ET).

At issue is the defense's claim that Sneddon violated attorney-client privilege between Jackson and his former attorney, Mark Geragos, when Sneddon conducted a search of the office of a private investigator.

The defense claims the prosecutor knew or should have known that the investigator, Brad Miller, was working for Jackson at the time. As a result, the defense wants any information obtained in the search of Miller's office thrown out.

Sneddon maintained throughout the hearing that he did not know that Miller was directly employed by Geragos.

"It just never dawned on you that Miller could be working for Mark Geragos?" defense attorney Thomas Mesereau asked.

"That's true," Sneddon responded.

But the district attorney later acknowledged that he was aware Geragos was working on a property matter for Jackson.

Sneddon has a long history with Jackson. He investigated the pop star in 1993 for child molestation against a boy, a case that never made it to trial because of a multimillion dollar settlement with the boy and his family.

The Jackson family has since said the prosecutor has an ax to grind with the pop star.

Jackson, dressed in a white suit with a gold band on one of his arms, attended Monday's hearing, arriving in a tour bus along with members of his family, including both his parents, as well as siblings Jermaine, Janet and LaToya.

About 50 to 100 fans -- a much smaller crowd than at his previous court visits -- cheered and waved signs of support outside the court when Jackson arrived. A security guard held a black umbrella for Jackson as he entered the courthouse.

Jackson, 45, has pleaded not guilty to child molestation. The singer is charged with seven counts of performing lewd or lascivious acts on a child under 14 and two counts of administering an intoxicating agent, reportedly wine.

In a development late Sunday, sources familiar with the investigation told CNN that the California attorney general's office has determined that Santa Barbara County sheriff's deputies treated pop star Michael Jackson properly when he surrendered himself to them last year. (Full story)

Jackson told CBS' "60 Minutes" in December that he was "manhandled very roughly" when he was taken into custody on the child molestation charges -- a claim the sheriff's department had denied.



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Drama expected in Jackson case showdown
Mood:  energetic
SANTA MARIA, California (AP) -- A day before he is scheduled to appear in court for his child molestation case, Michael Jackson made a surprise visit Sunday to a church in south Los Angeles and met with about 35 Sunday school students.

One girl at the First AME Church asked if the children could visit Jackson's Neverland Ranch, to which the pop star replied: "You're welcome to come anytime."

Jackson, who wore a dark blue velvet jacket with a gold armband on one sleeve, was not made available for questions.

He appeared with his attorney, Tom Mesereau Jr., brother Randy and comedian Steve Harvey. Mesereau declined to comment on the case.

On Monday, Jackson's family will be standing by him for a courtroom confrontation with the man who wants to put him in prison -- a district attorney whose pursuit of Jackson dates back more than a decade.

Although the legal agenda for Monday's pretrial hearing is significant, emotional overtones may take center stage.

The subject of this session is District Attorney Tom Sneddon, the man who also tried to bring charges against Jackson in 1993 in a confrontation so bitter that Jackson wrote an angry song that only slightly disguised Sneddon's name.

On Monday, Mesereau gets to question Sneddon about his actions in the weeks before the current charges against Jackson were filed.

The defense is seeking to show that Sneddon invaded the sanctity of the attorney-client privilege between Jackson and his former attorney.

Jackson has not been required to attend pretrial hearings, but he decided he wanted to be present for this confrontation.

In the audience will be his parents, Joseph and Katherine, and siblings Janet, LaToya, Jermaine and Jackie.

"It's a face-off between Jackson and Sneddon," said Laurie Levenson, a Loyola University law professor and former federal prosecutor. "And emotionally, it's a big moment in the case. This is high drama."

The hearing is also important legally, she said, because prosecutors stand to lose their key evidence if it is found that they obtained it illegally.

"This is the basis of the conspiracy count," she said.

In addition, she said, a finding that the prosecution intentionally interfered with the attorney-client relationship could prompt a motion to dismiss the charge entirely.

Jackson, 45, is charged with committing a lewd act upon a child, administering an intoxicating agent and conspiring to commit child abduction, false imprisonment and extortion. He has pleaded not guilty and is free on $3 million bail.

Sneddon was subpoenaed by Jackson's attorneys to testify about surveillance he personally conducted at the office of a private investigator working for Jackson's former attorney, Mark Geragos.

The investigator, Bradley Miller, was not in his Beverly Hills office when Sneddon went there and photographed the building and its roster of occupants.

Santa Barbara County sheriff's officials already have testified that they used a sledgehammer to break into Miller's office and seize videotapes and files related to the Jackson case. They maintain that they did not know Miller was employed by Geragos.

The defense says any materials seized from Miller's office should be suppressed as evidence.

The seized materials are believed to be crucial to the prosecution case -- among them a videotape of Jackson's 12-year-old accuser and his family praising the singer's character.

Prosecutors claim the tape was made under duress, with Jackson holding the family prisoner at his Neverland Ranch.

Without the tape, a central theory of the case against Jackson would be severely undermined.



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Sheriff wants to release Jackson arrest probe

SANTA BARBARA, California (AP) -- The sheriff has asked a judge's permission to release the results of a state probe into allegations that Michael Jackson was "manhandled" by authorities after his arrest for investigation of child molestation.

But Santa Barbara County Sheriff Jim Anderson's request to publicize the investigation's findings were ordered sealed by Superior Court Judge Rodney Melville, according to court documents released Friday.

It was unclear whether the state attorney general's investigation had been completed because significant portions of Anderson's motion, filed Thursday, were blacked out.

Anderson asked for a state investigation last year after Jackson claimed he was mistreated while in custody.

In a CBS "60 Minutes" interview, the singer alleged that authorities locked him in a feces-smeared restroom for 45 minutes after he asked to use the facilities. He showed what he said was a bruise on his right arm and claimed his shoulder was dislocated.

TV news cameras, however, recorded Jackson waving with both arms to fans as he was let out of jail.

Sheriff's officials and Nathan Barankin, a spokesman for Attorney General Bill Lockyer, declined to comment, the Santa Barbara News-Press said.

Anderson's motion was among at least 17 court records released Friday. Many had numerous deletions, continuing the pattern of secrecy imposed by Melville throughout Jackson's case.

In one filing, media attorney Theodore Boutrous Jr. asked that media be allowed to film and photograph court proceedings August 16 when District Attorney Tom Sneddon is scheduled to testify.

"Mr. Sneddon's testimony is a quintessential example of the kind of proceeding that warrants camera coverage," wrote Boutrous, who represents a coalition of media organizations including The Associated Press.

Jackson's defense did not oppose the media's request, according to court records.

Other documents released Friday contain requests by defense lawyers to throw out evidence seized by law enforcement during raids on November 18, 2003.

Jackson is charged with committing a lewd act upon a child, administering an intoxicating agent and conspiring to commit child abduction, false imprisonment and extortion. He has pleaded not guilty and is free on $3 million bail.



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Janet Jackson Nightclub Trouble (MJ related: must read)

02/08/2004

Sexy singer JANET JACKSON was reportedly held back by security guards in a Los Angeles night club last week (26JUL04), after she tried to punch a man who was being rude about her brother MICHAEL.

According to British newspaper the DAILY MIRROR, the THAT'S THE WAY LOVE GOES singer was in the VIP section at the city's Concorde Club when she heard someone say that Michael was a "f***ing freak".

A witness says, "She suddenly lost her composure and lunged towards him.

"It looked as though it was about to kick off when security came in and the guy was dragged out of the club."

Janet returned to the dance floor but couldn't get back into the party atmosphere.

The source adds, "It definitely ruined her night."

Source: NY Daily

MJSTAR

MJJForum eNews #350 - August 2, 2004 Jackson Lawyers Seek Whether District Attorney Violated Gag Order

Michael Jackson?s lawyers filed a motion to the court on Monday to seek whether the lead District Attorney Tom Sneddon violated the ?gag? order.

?Mr. Jackson respectfully requests the Court for clarification as to whether the foregoing reported statements by Mr. Sneddon violated the Protective Order? in the case.

District Attorney Tom Sneddon?s reportedly made some remarks in regards to the case at a District Attorneys Association conference he attended in Vancouver on July 20th.

A Canadian journalist, who was attending the conference, reported on July 21 in his Globe and Mail newspaper article that the district attorney said to his colleagues, ?we sent letters to some people saying we intended to call them as witnesses in order to keep them off TV.?

In the filed documents, the defense requests ?whether Mr. Sneddon?s statements violated the order in that the statements were made for public dissemination as to the existence or possible existence of any document or any other evidence in regards to the letters to witnesses, or the admissibility of which may have to be determined by the Court.?

Santa Barbara Superior Court Judge Rodney Melville has barred all case participants involved discussing it in public without his permission.

Many in the legal field have criticized the district attorney suggesting that his remarks were inappropriate. They suggested that he was using the power of the grand jury to silence people who he did not intend to call as witnesses so they would not publicly discuss the details revolving around this case.

Defense attorney Steve Cron, who has handled high profile cases, called Sneddon's remarks "shocking" and "totally unethical."

Mr. Sneddon?s spokeswoman, Susan Tellem said in response to the court filing by the defense, "Mr. Sneddon has said publicly that he has not violated the gag order.?

Mr. Sneddon also gave an interview to the Associated Press?s Linda Deutsch. In her article on July 23rd, the district attorney said that his statements were taken out of context.

He also understood that he was speaking at a "training session" which would not be covered by the press.

Mr. Sneddon, who was on a panel with other prosecutors in high profile cases, said they were holding a panel discussion on the subject of what to anticipate if one of these cases hits your jurisdiction. ?I was assigned the topic of how you preserve a fair trial for both sides and prevent a change of venue,? he said.

He acknowledged he had cautioned his colleagues not to expect the press to be fair and that other panelists agreed with him.

"Everybody said it's the impact of cable TV and when they come to town it's a feeding frenzy," Sneddon said.

But he reiterated that his remark about sending gag order letters to witnesses was misinterpreted.

"We have never ever sent a letter to someone telling them that they were under a gag order and not subpoenaed them and not had them testify," Sneddon said. "We have never used this to keep people from talking publicly."

"We've never used that as a way to shut people up and keep them from talking," said Sneddon. "I would have to be criminally dumb to get up and say that. I may have some failings but that's not one of them."

However, Russell Halpern, the attorney representing the accuser?s father, said that he received one of those letters from the Santa Barbara district attorney?s office in January of this year. It stated that he could be called as a witness, though he had no firsthand knowledge of the child molestation case against the singer. He has not been called.

"He's saying I misused my power as district attorney in order to shut people up. ... That is a big, big violation. I think the state bar should investigate,? he said.

Mr. Halpern said he was considering a lawsuit against Sneddon for violating his First Amendment rights.

"I have a lot of things I could say and I haven't voiced them because I've actually been intimidated to some degree," he said. "I felt all along that he was (disingenuous) when he sent me a letter saying I was a potential witness. His real interest was to stymie any comments made about his case."

"I am just astounded. He is saying that he's using the judicial process untruthfully and improperly," he said. "I'm not surprised someone would do it. I'm surprised he would think there is nothing wrong with it."

Sources: Associated Press/Reuters/MJJForum




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Timeline emerges in Jackson abuse case

MJJForum eNews #349 - July 31, 2004


Details are emerging on the conspiracy charge against Michael Jackson from one of the alleged five non-indicted co-conspirators. Ronald Konitzer, a former business associate of the entertainer, has spoken for the first time since the conspiracy charge was included in the new charges against Mr. Jackson.

Mr. Konitzer said that the documentary of Mr. Jackson?s life made by Martin Bashir, Granada and ITV named ?Living With Michael Jackson? set off a public relations firestorm that threatened the King Of Pop?s livelihood. In the video, it shows Mr. Jackson saying that it is okay to share your bed with children and is seen holding hands with the teenage boy who would later become his accuser.

Mr. Konitzer detailed the steps he and others took to protect the singer?s reputation. ?Take Two: The Footage That You Were Never Meant To See? was a production that cast Mr. Jackson in a positive light, said Konitzer. It was nothing more than damage control.

His story significantly contrasts with the narrative prosecutors presented in the July 27th court hearing in Santa Maria. Prosecutors said that the singer?s ?henchmen,? ?hirelings? and ?thugs? conspired to abduct, imprison and coerce the boy and his family to participate in a video that countered the ITV-Granada documentary.

Mr. Konitzer said that he or the other members of Mr. Jackson?s associates did nothing conspiratorial in regards in their actions after the documentary.

"It was a very natural development of events and a normal professional move that has been taken out of context -- there was no cover-up," Mr. Konitzer said in an interview Friday. "We were working around the clock at the ranch for 10 days in a row -- with my family even there -- and I can tell you the one thing I remember is a bunch of kids running around and having fun. There was nothing I saw that even resembled anything near imprisonment."

In the July 27th hearing, prosecutors described a conspiracy to keep the boy and his family at the singer?s Neverland Valley Ranch against their will, hiding them out at hotels and arranging for a trip to Brazil, so that they would appear in the ?Take Two? video more favorable to the pop legend.

Currently the Santa Barbara District Attorney?s office has not filed any charges against the five alleged co-conspirators. The co-conspirators are alleged to be Mr. Konitzer, former manager Deiter Wiesner; Vincent Amen, who had worked for Mr. Jackson?s production company, and his friend Frank Tyson. Mr. Tyson is the singer?s former personal assistant and has known Mr. Jackson since his youth; and F. Marc Shaffel, who assisted in the production of the ?Take Two? rebuttal video.

Mr. Konitzer and the lawyers for Mr. Amen and Mr. Tyson said that the allegations of a conspiracy are absurd.

Mr. Konitzer recalled that he was in a Miami hotel room with Mr. Wiesner putting the finishing touches on a business strategy to boost the entertainer?s career when they received a transcript of the ITV-Granada produced documentary ?Living With Michael Jackson? by Martin Bashir, that was aired in England first.

"Within 48 hours, the Bashir scandal hit," Mr. Konitzer said. "We knew it could be damaging for the business and that it needed to be addressed. The first action was trying to stop it."

An immediate action ensued, and lawyers were hired to block the airing of the documentary, but that did not work. The documentary was shown in England on February 3rd. The video was then sold to ABC to be broadcast in the United States. ?We had to prepare for the U.S. airing . . . It was like a hurricane was coming and we were going through the protective checklist.?

More than a dozen lawyers were hired to deal with business issues. ?Hiring a defense lawyer was basically to complete a 360-degree advisory board,? said Mr. Konitzer. He chose defense attorney Mark Geragos two days after the documentary aired in the United States on February 6, 2003.

He also hired public relations and crisis-management professionals to counteract the fallout of the documentary. He was on conference calls from Miami and then Los Angeles during nonstop brainstorming about how to stave off potential negative effects of the documentary on Mr. Jackson?s career and livelihood.

"We were looking for the right ammunition to discredit Bashir," he said. "Then we realized there was this other footage that hadn't been shown."

Mr. Jackson had his own videographer filming him during the time Mr. Bashir was filming for the documentary. The team went to Neverland to gather the footage for the ?Take Two? which ultimately aired on Fox on February 20th.

Mr. Konitzer said that the singer was at the ranch, but like a CEO of a large company, he let the hired professionals do the work.

"Everybody worked around the clock to get it all together," he said. "It was teamwork -- not a conspiracy."

The teenager and his mother were at the ranch, and did not appear in the final cut of the rebuttal video.

Mr. Amen?s attorney, Michael Bachner said, "From what Vincent Amen saw, these people were certainly in no way under any type of duress. This family was not under any type of force or compulsion to remain anywhere. They freely went around to speak to whoever they wanted. They went shopping. They made phone calls. They did everything free people do."

Mr. Tyson?s lawyer Joseph Tacopina said that his client also said that the family was not held against their will. "If she (the mother) were being held hostage, then I guess during one of her shopping sprees on Rodeo Drive she could have told a store manager while she was buying a thousand-dollar dress."

For prosecutors to characterize Neverland as a "place designed to entice children" is ridiculous, he said. "To say Neverland was constructed to be a predator's mansion is, quite frankly, very offensive. Thousands of children have been through there, and it's been the greatest moments in their lives."

Both lawyers say they doubt charges will ever be filed against their clients, but if they are, Mr. Tacopina said, "the last thing Tom Sneddon wants is my client to testify at his trial. . . . They have no interest in charging these men -- because if they do, we'll answer to the charges, and then they'll really have problems."

Prosecutors declined to comment Friday, citing a gag order in the case.

Sources: Newspress/MJJForum


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Details Emerge at Hearing on Defense Motion for Dismissal of Charges
Date: Tuesday, July 27, 2004

Author: Team MJJsource

Deputy District Attorney Gordon Auchincloss today revealed some details of the prosecution?s case against Michael Jackson. It is the contention of the prosecution that the alleged abuse occurred after the airing of the Martin Bashir documentary, during a time when glaring media attention was completely focused on Mr. Jackson and his activities.

Mr. Auchincloss stated the family was ?imprisoned? and that Mr. Jackson sent his private jet to take the family to his Neverland Ranch and whisked them away to vacations in luxury resorts. Auchincloss also berated Mr. Jackson?s former attorney, Mark Geragos, for going on national television and saying the case was a ?shakedown?.

Defense attorney Thomas Mesereau replied, ?If this is an issue of prior counsel saying it was a shakedown, I say it was a shakedown!? Mr. Mesereau derided the entire prosecution?s case and ridiculed the assumption that the trips constituted false imprisonment, saying, "The idea that they were imprisoned and forced to fly on private jets to Florida, to socialize with celebrities such as Chris Tucker, is absurd on its face. It would be laughed out of court by a jury." Mr. Mesereau demanded dismissal of all charges.

Mr. Jackson's attorneys were seeking a delay in the trial as well as outright dismissal of the charges. In a motion unsealed Monday, they stated, "the scope of the prosecution's investigation is breathtaking" and called the prosecution's case "an effort to take down a major celebrity?, also noting that ?the expenditure of resources by the prosecution is unprecedented and extravagant."

The defense team asked that the September trial be pushed back four months, until early next year. The motion was filed July 13. Defense attorney Steve Cochran accused the prosecution of not providing access to certain critical items that Mr. Jackson?s attorneys need for preparation of his defense and said it would take them months to study all the information gathered by the prosecutors.

The trial has been moved to January 31, 2005.

MJJSource

PR Expert Explains Free Work For Michael Jackson Prosecutor
NBC 4

Tellem: 'No One Was Guiding This Press Conference'
POSTED: 2:19 PM PDT July 16, 2004
UPDATED: 3:11 PM PDT July 16, 2004

LOS ANGELES -- The public relations expert helping District Attorney Tom Sneddon with press on the Michael Jackson case has told other publicists she volunteered because Sneddon badly mishandled his first press conference and she thought he needed help.

"No one was guiding this press conference. It was a debacle," Susan Tellem told a seminar of the Public Relations Society of America on Thursday, according to the Santa Barbara News-Press.

"We felt it was imperative for us to help get to the district attorney and perhaps take another crack at doing a press conference that was better organized and conveyed information in a more practical way to the media," said Tellem, president of the public relations firm Tellem Worldwide.

She spoke via telephone conference call to an audience of about 200 who paid between $50 and $150 to hear about her Jackson case experience, the newspaper said.

Tellem is providing services to Sneddon for free and estimated it would have cost "in the millions by now" if she was charging him.

Sneddon, who was unavailable for comment and who is bound by a publicity gag order from speaking, drew harsh criticism after his Nov. 19 announcement of molestation allegations against Jackson. Many said that Sneddon's joviality at the press conference was inappropriate.

Tellem said the prosecutor held a second press conference at her suggestion after he filed charges against Jackson and "Mr. Sneddon did a fabulous job and even changed public opinion."

There was no immediate response Friday to calls from The Associated Press seeking comment from Tellem.
Copyright 2004 by The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.