Michael Jackson is fighting a prosecution attempt to subpoena his financial records, and present expert testimony about his wealth, during his child molestation trial.
Court documents, released on Friday, show that the prosecution plan to show Jackson's actions toward the boy and his family who accused him was motivated by his desire to minimise the effects of the Bashir documentary, "Living With Michael Jackson"; seemingly this documentary, in the view of the prosecution, threatened Jackson's financial downfall.
The prosecution said:
"Michael Jackson certainly was a multimillionaire, albeit with a billionaire's spending habits..His motive in this case was to preserve both his fortune and his reputation, the integrity of which was central to his ability to continue to earn a significant income..."
Prosecutors claim that they need the testimony of a financial expert because:
"the jury cannot accurately judge defendant's assessment of the impact of that documentary on his financial well being without evidence of his financial circumstances, both immediately before news of the documentary's content became public and thereafter..."
The defence contend that the materials are not relevant to the charges, and would deprive Jackson of his right to privacy; quote:
"Mr. Jackson is an international recording artist and a man who has varied and complex business relationships with numerous individuals and entities...The very nature of these types of business relationships is that the parties honor a commitment to their respective privacy...Disclosure would not only compromise the confidentiality of existing contracts but would unfairly restrict Mr. Jackson's ability to enter into pending and future contracts in the entertainment industry.."
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