Michael Jackson's Trials

Michael Jackson's Trials

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The Ongoing Trials of The Late Michael Jackson

Saturday, March 12, 2005

Stone Broke?

It is reported that Michael Jackson's finances are in serious trouble.

TV networks have cited confidential sources in the Jackson camp, noting that there is chaos in Neverland; pay cheques have been delayed/missed, staff have walked off the job, electricity and phone bills are unpaid and family members have been scrambling to raise tens of thousands of dollars to keep the household together.

Team Jackson deny that there is a problem. However, it is estimated that Jackson's debts may run into millions of dollars.

These debts were incurred before the trial, which is costing a pretty penny in legal fees and time.

ABC News reported that some of Jackson's employees had not had their salary last week. This, the network said, led to an emergency phone conference-call involving various family members; at the end of which Jackson's younger brother, Randy, agreed to raise cash in a hurry.

Other reports indicated that Randy raised $150K, which is allegedly enough to cover only two weeks of expenses at Neverland.

Some estimates put Jackson's monthly outgoings at being around $1M.

Will Tom Mesereau work pro bono?

Never Neverland

Judge Rodney Melville yesterday excluded the possibility of a jury visit to the Neverland Ranch. Jackson's lawyers had argued that this was crucial to rebutting an image of the estate as a "magnet for criminal activity".

Judge Melville vetoed the bid, noting that they had already seen extensive video footage of the ranch.

"I think we have a more than adequate notion of what Neverland is like,"

Jackson's lawyer, Thomas Mesereau, said that Neverland was unique and extraordinary, in his view the jury needed to have a better idea of it.

Quote:

"The prosecution has constantly referred to Neverland in negative terms which we strongly dispute.." he added that there had been an "unfair portrayal of Neverland as a magnet for criminal activity".

Mr Mesereau noted that the ranch has a petting zoo, amusement park, mini-train and amusement arcade; he said this contrasted with the image portrayed by the prosecution of it being a "criminal centre, a criminal location from A to Z".

He added

"So much of this case involves what the nature of Neverland is ... and whether or not these people were held against their will and imprisoned...I don't think there's ever been a crime scene that cries out for a jury view more than this,".

Intriguingly the prosecution did not object to a jury visit.

Friday, March 11, 2005

Jackson Trial Resumes

Once Michael Jackson had the good grace and common sense to turn up on Thursday, his trial resumed.

Funny how an arrest warrant, and the threat of losing $3M focuses the mind!

Gavin Arvizo took the stand again; he testified that he once saw Jackson naked, drank liquor and looked at sex magazines with him.

Gavin said that he and his brother, Star, were once on Jackson's bed at his Neverland ranch when Jackson came in naked.

Quote:

"He just ran up there and got something and then went downstairs,"

His account differed from Star's, in as much as he made no mention of Jackson being aroused, and did not recall the singer saying anything.

He added:

"Me and my brother were kind of like 'Eww!' because we never saw a grown man naked before,".

Gavin alleged that Jackson showed him some sex magazines, from a briefcase belonging to an employee. He said Jackson made a statement deriding the employee for having the magazines, but that he and the pop star looked at them for 30 minutes to an hour.

Gavin said that he was given wine, rum, vodka and bourbon; Jackson said that the alcohol would "relax" him.

Gavin said that his mother became worried about staying at Neverland:

"She told me that she was afraid they were going to kill us and she wanted to leave,".

Gavin claimed that he told Jackson that drinking alcohol was not a good idea for someone with 1 kidney:

"I told him it was bad for me to drink alcohol and he said it was OK, nothing was going to happen."

Gavin said that he was afraid that the alcohol would show up in a medical:

"So I asked him (Jackson) what to do and he said, 'Doo-doo, just don't take the test,'" .

Gavin said that Jackson invited him to Miami, because he Gavin to be with him when he held a news conference to respond to the documentary.

Gavin went on to say that Jackson was initially reluctant to let his mother come along, but agreed when the boy said he might not be allowed to go otherwise.

He said that Jackson gave him wine in a Diet Coke can, saying it would help him relax:

"He told me if I had ever heard of Jesus juice. He told me, 'Like you know how Jesus drank wine? We call it Jesus juice,'..I drank a little bit of it and I told him it tasted ugly..He said he knew I was stressed out from all the media stuff going on and the Jesus juice would relax me."

He added:

"He told me not to tell anyone about the Jesus juice. He said that this is a symbol that we will be friends together,".

Gavin takes the stand again on Monday.

Jackson Shoots Himself In The Foot

Michael Jackson managed to "piss off" Judge Rodney Melville yesterday by arriving late for his trial.

He turned up wearing pajamas and looking disheveled, CNN reported.

Earlier, his lawyer told the court that Jackson had been hospitalised with a serious back problem. Judge Rodney Melville was having none of it, and threatened to issue a bench warrant if Jackson failed to appear within an hour.

A "distressed" Jackson arrived wearing pajama bottoms and sandals. He shuffled slowly into the courthouse, with bodyguards supporting him by the arms.

Word to the wise here, don't go pissing off the judge in your own trial.

Time to grow up and act like an adult.

Warrant Issued For Jackson's Arrest

The judge in Michael Jackson's child molestation case issued a warrant for Jackson's arrest, after Jackson failed to show up for his trial on Thursday.

Thursday, March 10, 2005

It's The Lie That gets You

Star Arvizo, Gavin's younger brother, took the stand again yesterday morning.

Jackson's defence attorney, Thomas Mesereau, continued to pull his testimony apart; as he showed videos of Star at Neverland Ranch, in which Star touts Neverland as a place to have fun.

Mesereau probed Star about where the key to the wine cellar was located; since he had told the grand jury that he could get the key anytime he wanted, but testified Tuesday that he could not. Star said that the key was kept on a hook.

Mesereau then asked him how many times his family escaped Neverland, only to "go back to escape again." Star said he didn't understand the question.

Star also admitted to lying in the rebuttal video interview, when he praised Jackson.

Quote:

"I just said whatever came into my head..I was tired and I wanted to get out of there."

Star also implied that there may have been a third time that he'd witnessed Jackson molesting his older brother.

Mesereau knows that if he destroys the credibility of the Arvizo's, the case against Jackson collapses.

As Nixon said "It's the lie that gets you".

Gavin Takes The Stand

Gavin Arvizo took the stand yesterday, in the Michael Jackson trial.

He is now 15 and, according to reports, seemed nervous as he began his testimony.

He first met Jackson after he (Jackson) called him in hospital, Jackson then invited him to visit Neverland. According to Gavin, on the first night he and his brother Star were there, Jackson suggested that they both "sleep in his room with him..".

His parents seemingly agreed to this request.

Would they have done that, I wonder, if Jackson was just an ordinary middle aged man with no money and no celebrity status?

Gavin then said that in Jackson's room his assistant was surfing adult Web sites. Jackson and the boys joined in, looking at pictures of girls "for about 15 to 30 minutes."

Jackson allegedly pointed to one picture of a female, with her shirt up, and joked "Got milk?".

Jackson then allegedly leaned over to Prince and Paris, who were asleep, and said "Prince, you're missing all this pussy".

Gavin said that he was told that the documentary "Living With Michael Jackson" was in fact merely an audition, Gavin wanted to become an actor, a form of home movie in fact.

During the shoot Gavin said that Jackson instructed him to call him "Daddy", and to say positive things eg "like that he helped me, pretty much cured me of cancer."

At that time, Gavin said that he thought that Jackson "was the coolest guy in the world. My best friend ever."

Gavin retakes the stand today.

Wednesday, March 09, 2005

Jackson Wants Leno Gagged

It is reported that attorneys for Michael Jackson have formally objected to the request by Jay Leno to exempt him from the gag order forbidding him from lampooning Jackson's trial on "The Tonight Show."

Quote from their court filing:

"Mr. Leno is an accomplished entertainer and, usually, a genuinely funny man..However, while the prosecution of Michael Jackson might be a convenient source of material, it is hardly crucial commentary on important political or social topics."

Jackson's lawyers argue that the gag order is necessary to protect Jackson's right to a fair trial, and that it should apply to Leno just as it applies to other witnesses.

Leno is due to attend the trial, in order to testify about an incident in which the Arvizo family contacted him. Seemingly they asked for financial help to pay for Gavin's cancer treatment. Leno became suspicious about the call and contacted police, according to the Jackson defence team.

Last week, Leno's attorneys filed a motion asking the court to clarify whether the gag order prevents him from talking about the case in his nightly monologue. If so, Leno wants the order amended so that it prevents him from talking only about firsthand information he has in the case.

While he waits for the court's clarification, Leno has been using other entertainers to deliver his monologues about Jackson.

The show must go on.

Fading Star

It seems that the testimony of Star Arvizo, younger brother to Gavin, changed a little when subjected to the cross examination of the defence team yesterday.

Star had told prosecutors that Jackson had showed him and his brother a certain adult magazine. However, Jackson's attorney astutely pointed out that the magazine was dated several months after the boy had visited the pop star.

Star admitted that the magazine, used as evidence in the case, wasn't actually the one Jackson showed him.

The defence then asked about differences in the boy's descriptions of how Jackson allegedly molested his brother. After several questions, the boy answered:

"I don't know exactly what I said."

Earlier Star admitted to lying during a deposition for his mother's claim against JC Penney. In that case, he swore that his mother and father never fought and that his father never hit him.

The defence is doing well at establishing that the Arvizo's have a small problem with distinguishing between fact and fiction.

Tuesday, March 08, 2005

Jackson Monitored Phonecalls

Star Arvizo, during his testimony yesterday at the Jackson trial, described how Michael Jackson was able to monitor the telephone conversations of guests and staff at his Neverland Ranch.

The records of some of these calls would be worth some money to Jackson, as his guests have included Elizabeth Taylor and Marlon Brando.

Star told the jury how Jackson had shown him and Gavin a way of listening to phone calls made to, and from, Neverland.

The master phone in Jackson's main residence showed which lines were in use, and conversations could be monitored by pressing the "mute" and "speaker" buttons and then connecting to the busy line.

Star Testimony

The improbably named Star Arvizo, younger brother of Gavin, testified at the Jackson trial yesterday.

He described, in gory detail, how he twice saw Jackson molesting his brother; whilst Gavin was sleeping on Jackson's bed.

I still am trying to get my head around the fact that the Arvizo parents happily allowed their children to "sleep over" in the home of a middle aged man.

That, to my humble view, counts as negligent and irresponsible parenting at the very least.

Star is quoted as saying:

"I saw directly into the bedroom and my brother was on top of the covers. I saw Michael's left hand in my brother's underwears and his right hand in his underwears..".

He allegedly saw the molestation as he climbed a stairwell that lead into Jackson's bedroom. This is the room where he and his brother usually slept during their visits to Jackson's Neverland.

Star went on to describe how Jackson lying on his back, wearing only socks underwear and a T-shirt, fondled Gavin.

Star's testimony, at this stage, does not clarify how he was able to gain access to Jackson's bedroom; given his earlier testimony that Jackson had a system of key-pad locks and a warning bell in the hallway leading to his room.

In addition to the molestation, Star said that Jackson drank wine with children, encouraged them to watch pornography, made obscene crank calls and had a "cussing contest" with his brother.

After the testimony Jackson did not comment save the following:

"I can't. I'm under the gag order..".

Monday, March 07, 2005

Jackson's Dick Goes Public

Michael Jackson's one time private detective has given an interview to NBC about the case.

Bradley Miller, a Los Angeles private eye, was hired by Jackson's then lawyer Mark Gregaros in the winter of 2003.

In the interview he claims that he was hired to monitor the Arvizo family. According to Miller the Arvizo's had threatened to contact the tabloids about allegations that they were prepared to make about Jackson, following the airing of the documentary "Living With Michael Jackson".

Miller claims that Gavin and his family knew about a previous allegation, made in 1993 by Jordie Chandler, against Jackson.

In the interview Miller is adamant that the Arvizo's life centered around money, fame and celebrity.

Miller says in the interview that it was decided by the Jackson team to get a sworn statement from the Arvizo's, just in case. He was despatched to make an audio tape of the family answering his questions.

According to Miller, in response to his questions about inappropriate behaviour, Mrs Arvizo said that Michael would never do anything like that.

Then three nights later Miller joined the Arvizo family at the home of Michael Jackson's videographer, to make the "rebuttal video".

Miller says that the claims by Mrs Arvizo that he got rid of love letters from Jackson to Gavin are false.

However, former Santa Barbara County sheriff and NBC News analyst Jim Thomas has put a different spin on this. He is reported to believe that Miller's real job was to make sure that the Arvizo's participated in the rebuttal video.

Thomas also noted that the DA claims that the Miller audio tape had been altered.

There are many lies being told in this court case, the question is who is telling them.

A Taste of California

As Britain shivers in an unexpected March cold snap, TV viewers can transport themselves to Santa Maria California every Tuesday to Saturday; as they watch reconstructions of the Michael Jackson trial.

As cameras have been banned from the courtroom, Sky News and E! have come up with the solution of televising reconstructions of the day's events using lookalike actors.

Edward Moss plays Michael Jackson, Jack Donner plays judge Rodney Melville and Rigg Kennedy takes the stand as Thomas Mesereau.

The set is a faithful copy of the actual courtroom in Santa Maria.

It seems that this docudrama approach works, the British ratings are good; given the weather it is not surprising that people feel the need for a little escapism, even if it is to watch the destruction of a fellow human being.

Sunday, March 06, 2005

Jackson's Possible Future

In the event that Michael Jackson is found guilty of child molestation, he will end up serving time with some of the USA's most unpleasant villains.

It is reported that prison authorities have confirmed that Jackson will spend his jail term in the company of cult leader Charles Manson, assassin Sirhan Sirhan, and a serial killer who murdered 25 people.

All of these people are incarcerated in the protected housing unit at Corcoran prison. This is reportedly the only facility in California that will be able to keep a celebrity, such as Jackson, safe; it seems that his fame makes him a target.

His accommodation will be a 2.5m by 3.5m cell with a concrete bed, a single sink, desk and toilet.

He may even have to share the cell with another inmate.

He will rise at 6:30am and have breakfast. After this he will then be allowed to return to his cell, attend schooling, exercise in a secure yard, or undertake a work program, all inside the Corcoran facility.

At 4.30pm, he will return for the prison count and get dinner at 5:30pm.

Lights out at 9:30pm.

The maximum penalty is 20 years.

James Brown Speaks Up For Jackson

James Brown, the legendary sould singer, has spoken up for Michael Jackson. He is quoted as saying that Jackson is being "set up", and that Jackson should be touring tsunami-hit Asia rather than defending himself in court.

Brown was speaking to The Associated Press in Indonesia, ahead of his concert on Sunday.

On the Jackson trial he said:

"Recognize that people do this ... They've been trying to do that to me all my life, trying to get something for nothing ... I think he's been set up like most entertainers. People think you have a lot of money,".

He added:

"We need Michael. We need Michael out here entertaining," he said in his husky southern drawl. "Michael could have been great over here performing. His talent is very appealing and people know him. One day I'll be too old to travel and I'll want to see good entertainers (like him) spreading the good word."