Michael Jackson during the Bashir interview

This article deals with the 2005 child molestation trial of Michael Jackson, and the events leading up to it. Screenshot from Martin Bashirs documentary on Michael Jackson, deemed fair use This work is copyrighted. ... Screenshot from Martin Bashirs documentary on Michael Jackson, deemed fair use This work is copyrighted. ... 2005 is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Sexual abuse is physical or psychological abuse that involves crimes in most countries. ... Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (born August 29, 1958 in Gary, Indiana), is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. ...

The main alleged victim is a boy, Gavin Arvizo, who was at the time of the alleged crimes 13 years old. Referring to him as "the accuser", Jackson has been indicted for:

• conspiracy with five (unindicted) co-conspirators to:
  • abduct the accuser, his sister, and his brother
  • falsely imprison and extort the same children and their mother
• having sex with the accuser

Early events

Bashir documentary

Martin Bashir interviewing Michael Jackson

Main article: Living with Michael Jackson

A Granada Television documentary [1] (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0352524/) about Jackson, in which he was extensively interviewed by British journalist Martin Bashir, was shown first in the UK on 3 February 2003 and then in the U.S. three days later. Martin Bashir interviewing Michael Jackson Living with Michael Jackson is a notorious Granada Television documentary [1] in which Michael Jackson is extensively interviewed by British journalist Martin Bashir. ... Granada TV logo, used from 1956 to 1968. ... Martin Bashir (born January 19, 1963) is a British journalist of Pakistani origin, noted for securing exclusive interviews with a range of public figures. ... February 3 is the 34th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 2003 is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Among other things, the documentary shows Jackson's then-friend who later would be his accuser, born December 1989, at the time of the filming 12 years old. The boy is seen holding hands with Jackson and resting his head on Jackson's shoulder. The boy stated in the trial that the first was Jackson's initiative, the latter his own, because he was really close to Jackson, and Jackson was his best friend. He and Jackson tell about the two sleeping in the same room, though not in the same bed (they told about an occasion where each was happy to sleep on the floor and let the other have the bed). The boy has later told that he had not realized that the footage would be broadcast all over the world. After the airing he was teased by his friends. His mother claims that she has not given Bashir permission to film her son, and was not even aware of that until the airing. Two people voluntarily hold hands, apart from in the case of a handshake: to express friendship or love, to enjoy physical contact (not necessarily of erotical character), for emotional support, to guide (a child, a blind person, in darkness, etc. ... Teasing is the act of playfully disturbing another person, either with words or with actions. ...

Jackson stated in the documentary that several young children, especially pre-adolescent boys (including Macaulay Culkin when he was younger, his younger brother Kieran and sisters[2] (http://www.mjshouse.com/stories/living_with_mj_transcript.wm)) have slept in the same bed as him, but he denies having had sex with any of them. Conversely, Jackson lets his children stay with his friends, for example with Barry Gibb. He emphasizes that children need and deserve lots of love — not sexual, but like having hot milk and cookies, tucking them in, telling a bed-time story, climbing trees with them, etc. Primary or elementary education is the first years of formal, structured education that occurs during childhood. ... Macaulay Culkin at Party Monster (2003) release party. ... Kieran Culkin (born September 30, 1982 in New York City, New York) is an American actor. ... Sexual activities are often performed in a bed. ... Sexual behavior is a form of physical intimacy that may be directed to reproduction (one possible goal of sexual intercourse) and/or to the enjoyment of activity involving sexual gratification. ... The Bee Gees: Maurice, Barry and Robin Barry Gibb (born 1 September 1946 in Douglas, Isle of Man) is a singer and songwriter. ...

Responding to concern after the airing, Santa Barbara County District Attorney Thomas W. Sneddon Jr. stated that, under California law, even if they had slept in the same bed, without "affirmative, offensive conduct," it wouldn't have been criminal. [3] (http://www.countyofsb.org/da/documents/PR-Michael%20Jackson.pdf) Santa Barbara County is a county located on the Pacific coast of Southern California, in the state of California, just west of Ventura County. ... A district attorney at the city level in the United States is the prosecutor for a municipality or local judicial district. ...

Jackson is alleged of conspiracy with his aides to commit child abduction, false imprisonment and extortion, in an attempt to control PR-damage caused by the documentary.

Jackson is also indicted for child molestation; however, this would have taken place not before but after the concern arose.

Visit to Florida and subsequent stay at Neverland Ranch

After the documentary aired in the UK, Jackson, staying in Florida, asked the mother to allow the accuser to come there and meet him, supposedly for a press conference. The mother set the condition that the whole family come. Jackson agreed, and the family flew to Florida with Chris Tucker, a friend of Jackson, on a private plane. State nickname: Everglade State, Sunshine State Other U.S. States Capital Tallahassee Largest city Jacksonville Governor Jeb Bush Official languages English Area 170,451 km² (22nd)  - Land 137,374 km²  - Water 30,486 km² (17. ... A joint press conference by U.S. President George W. Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair at the White House. ... Chris Tucker (born August 31, 1972) is an American actor and comedian who has appeared in a number of hit movies. ...

The press conference never occurred.

During this three-day visit, the documentary aired in the US. The family alleges Jackson pressured them not to watch it.

When the accuser and his family returned home, Jackson was on the flight. He had asked the mother to take a commercial flight, but she insisted that she be on the same plane. The family alleges that Jackson gave the accuser alcohol and at one point licked the top of the side of his face. Licking is the action of an animal, including humans, using its tongue on its own or others body or an object. ...

After they returned to California the family again stayed at Neverland Ranch. The dates of their stay were approximately 7-11 February. They left at night with the help of the house manager Jesus Salas while other staff did not like them to leave, and went to stay with the mother's parents. Tyson (see below) called the mother repeatedly to ask her to come back, with the children, and saying that that would be safer for them. They did after the mother was told that "the Germans" Wiesner and Konitzer (see below), who she did not like, would not be present. Because the Germans were there, she left again, but without the children. She claims that she had been told they had to stay. Salas told her he could not help her any more in this regard, because of instructions he had got. Neverland Ranch or Neverland Valley Ranch is a property owned by pop musician Michael Jackson. ...

Rebuttal video

In response to the Bashir documentary, Jackson had a so-called "rebuttal video" produced, called 'Take Two', and presented by Maury Povich. In law, rebuttal is a form of evidence that is presented to contradict or nullify other evidence that has been presented by an adverse party. ... Maury Povich (born Maurice Richard Povich on January 17, 1939 in Washington, DC) is a controversial American television talk show host who currently hosts the self-titled Maury. ...

The production included an interview with the family, filmed in the night of 19 February 2003 in Moslehi's home. Allegedly they were pressured by Jackson's aides to participate and say positive things.

This part of the footage was not aired because the videographer Hamid Moslehi refused to hand it over, because of a financial dispute with Jackson [4] (http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/1220041jackson1.html) [5] (http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/0222054moslehi1.html). It was found by police in a search of Moslehi's home in November 2003, and it showed the accuser's family praising Jackson.

DCFS interview

On 20 February 2003 the family was interviewed by the Sensitive Case Unit of L.A.'s Department of Children & Family Services (DCFS), as part of an investigation jointly carried out with the LAPD. A school official from the Los Angeles Unified School District had lodged a complaint out of concern for the boy who would later be Jackson's accuser, and his younger brother, of general neglect by their mother and sexual abuse by Jackson, after watching the Bashir documentary. The entire family insisted that no inappropriate contact with Jackson occurred; moreover, the mother said that the children were never left alone with Jackson. The case was closed; the charges marked as "unfounded". Allegedly the family was put under pressure by Jackson's aides to say positive things. This article is about the largest city in California. ... Child abuse is the physical or psychological mistreatment of a child by his or her parents (including adoptive parents), guardians, or other adults. ... The Los Angeles Police Department (usually known as the LAPD) is the police department of the City of Los Angeles, California. ... The Los Angeles Unified School District ( the LAUSD) is the largest (in terms of number of students) public school system in California and the second-largest in the United States. ...

Afterwards, in November 2003, when there was outside interest in connection with charges against Jackson, a report was made. [6] (http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/dcfsmemo1.html)

Plans for a trip to Brazil, final departure from Neverland

A shorter or longer trip of the family to Brazil was planned and prepared, for protection of Jackson and/or the family against supposed or pretended danger, as a result of the Bashir documentary. These plans play a role in the allegations. According to witnesses, the Jackson camp told the family that there were death threats, related to the airing, against the family, while later, allegedly, some of the Jackson camp came with threats themselves.

After the interview, the children went back to Neverland, and a day later, the mother came as well after cooperating in making preparations for the trip to Brazil, although, she says, she did not really want to go. From the 25th of February to the 2nd of March, the family and some of Jackson's staff stayed in a hotel in Calabasas, California, and they went shopping in preparation for the trip to Brazil. After that, they stayed at Neverland again. On 10 March, the mother and the accuser went to the hospital with a urine sample of the accuser, for a scheduled medical check-up. This was spilt, allegedly deliberately, by a Jackson aide in order to prevent detection of the accuser having been drinking alcohol. Afterwards the accuser went back to Neverland, while the mother went to stay with her fiancee. Calabasas is a city located in Los Angeles County, California, in the western United States. ...

By pretending that her father was seriously ill, and promising that two days later the family would return to Neverland, and then go to Brazil, she persuaded Jackson's aides to bring the children for a visit to their grandfather. After that she and her children never returned.

At first the accuser was very angry at his mother that she did not allow him to return to Neverland.

The mother seeking legal advice

Meanwhile the old apartment of the accuser's mother, who partly lived with her fiancee and partly with her parents, was emptied, her belongings stored, and the remaining rent paid, by Jackson's staff. It is not clear whether this was at her request. Afterwards, she had trouble getting her belongings returned. This was one of her reasons for seeking legal advice.

The second reason was to prevent re-airing of the Bashir documentary with her son in it.

The lawyer referred the family to a second lawyer, who sent the family to psychologist Katz, to find out whether there might have been sexual abuse. The accuser's brother told him that he had witnessed Jackson and the accuser having sex, after which Katz reported this to the authorities, as is compulsory for someone of his profession in such a case, being a so-called "mandatory reporter of child abuse".

Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Department investigation

In June 2003 the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Department started an investigation. In July 2003 they first interviewed the family.

Searches

On November 18, 2003, a team of more than 70 investigators from the Santa Barbara County District Attorney's Office and Sheriff's Department descended upon Jackson's Neverland Ranch with a warrant to search the premises. They were reportedly looking for evidence to corroborate the account of the then 13-year-old accuser that Jackson had sex with him. November 18 is the 322nd day of the year (323rd in leap years), with 43 remaining. ... 2003 is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Neverland Ranch or Neverland Valley Ranch is a property owned by pop musician Michael Jackson. ... A search warrant is a written warrant issued by a judge which authorizes the police to conduct a search of a person or location for evidence of a criminal offense. ...

Also searched on the same day were the office of Bradley Miller, a private investigator working for Jackson, and the L.A. home of Hamid Moslehi, Jackson's videographer (see also above).

Miscellaneous allegations

On April 14, 2004 it was announced that the LAPD was investigating another allegation of child abuse, possibly committed by Jackson. The only information the LAPD was willing to release about this new case was that the incident allegedly occurred in the late 1980s. If it happened before 1988, California's statute of limitations may have expired on the case. Attorneys for Jackson claim that the new allegation is groundless. The LAPD has stated that "no charges will be sought" in the case, after a two-month investigation found "no evidence that any crime occurred". April 14 is the 104th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (105th in leap years). ... 2004 is a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... A statute of limitations is a statute in a common law legal system setting forth the maximum period of time, after certain events, that legal proceedings based on those events may begin. ...

Arrest and investigation

Police photograph of Michael Jackson, November 20, 2003

Along with the warrant to search the premises was a warrant for the arrest of Jackson. Jackson was in Las Vegas, Nevada at the time recording a music video for his most recent single "One More Chance", from his Number Ones greatest hits album, which had been released at midnight, just hours before the warrants were issued and the allegations broke to the media. On November 20, Jackson flew in a leased jet to Santa Barbara Airport and surrendered himself to California police. Driven by police to the Santa Barbara County Jail, he emerged from the police vehicle in handcuffs. He was charged with "lewd or lascivious acts" with a child younger than 14 under section 288(a) of the California Penal Code. He posted $3 million bail. I believe this to be public domain. ... I believe this to be public domain. ... November 20 is the 324th day of the year (325th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 2003 is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... An arrest warrant is a warrant issued by a public officer which authorizes the arrest and detention of an individual. ... Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas sign just to the south of the Las Vegas Strip welcoming visitors to the city Las Vegas from U.S. Highway 93 Las Vegas is the largest city in Nevada, United States, and a major tourist, shopping, vacation and gambling destination. ... Number Ones is a greatest hits album released by pop musician Michael Jackson in late 2003. ... November 20 is the 324th day of the year (325th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... The Santa Barbara Airport serves the Santa Barbara area. ... A pair of metal double-locking police handcuffs A woman cuffed with handcuffs and thumbcuffs Handcuffs are devices to secure two wrists close together. ... The California Penal Code forms the basis for the application of American state of California. ... Traditionally, bail is some form of property which is deposited or pledged to a court in order to persuade it to release a suspect from jail, on the understanding that the suspect will return for trial or forfeit the bail (skipping bail is also illegal). ...

Later Jackson has requested lowering of the bail. The prosecution is opposed as they argue that Jackson may well consider going to live in another country as a fugitive: there are several countries of Europe, the Near East and Africa, where Jackson is adored, and several of those countries do not have extradition treaties with the United States. Also they cite Andrew Luster as an example: he fled to Mexico, notwithstanding his $1 million bail bond. This article is about someone fleeing from legal custody. ... Andrew Luster is an heir to the fortunes of the Max Factor cosmetics company, and much of his life has been spent traveling, surfing at various beaches. ...

The judge is Rodney S. Melville, 62. Jackson's lawyers have included Mark J. Geragos (who also defended Scott Peterson) and Benjamin Brafman (who won an acquittal on weapons and bribery charges for P. Diddy), until Jackson replaced them by Thomas Mesereau Jr., who also represented Robert Blake temporarily, because a lawyer was needed who can give Jackson's case his full attention. This article needs cleanup. ... Sean John Combs (born November 4, 1969 aka P. Diddy, Puff Daddy, Sean Puffy Combs) is an African-American record producer, CEO, and rapper. ... Robert Blake (born September 18, 1933) is an American actor. ...

Jackson had been temporarily exempted from the requirement to stay in the US, for a possible trip to Britain ending not later than January 6, but he did not use the exemption after all. Shortly after being arrested, Jackson was made to surrender his passport to Santa Barbara authorities. At the time of his booking, his weight was measured at 120 pounds (56 kg), a notably low weight for a 5'11" (178 cm) middle-aged man. A series of public vigils to protest his innocence, organised by fans, were held on November 23, but were notable for the low turn-outs. November 23 is the 327th day of the year (328th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 38 days remaining. ...

On November 25, 2003 it was revealed that, unbeknownst to Jackson, the private jet that was chartered to take him and his attorney from Vegas to California was secretly wired with video and audio recording devices. A third party took recordings on this trip and attempted to sell them to major television and radio networks for an extremely large amount of money; all declined to purchase. A restraining order against the jet company has been issued prohibiting the videotape from being shown to any third parties; a massive lawsuit toppling the $500,000,000 mark has been filed by Jackson's party against the perpetrators. Jackson has not paid his travel agent for the flight and is in 2004 being sued over that. November 25 is the 329th (in leap years the 330th) day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ...

On November 26, 2003, it was revealed that XtraJet, the company that found the recordings and hidden cameras on Jackson's plane, on Monday, showed the video to several news organizations on November 24. FOX News reported that the tape shows Jackson calm and relaxed on the plane. [7] (http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,104007,00.html) November 26 is the 330th day (331st on leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... November 24 is the 328th day (329th on leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... The FOX News Channel is a US cable and satellite news channel. ...

On December 18, Jackson was charged with seven counts of child molestation and two counts of administering an intoxicating agent in order to commit that felony, in February and March 2003, all regarding the same boy under 14. December 18 is the 352nd day of the year (353rd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... Alcoholic beverages are drinks containing ethanol. ...

The felony complaint states that Jackson has seven times "willfully, unlawfully, and lewdly committed a lewd and lascivious act, upon and with the boy's body and certain parts and members thereof, with the intent of arousing, appealing to, and gratifying the lust, passions, and sexual desires" of Jackson and the boy and that this sexual conduct has been "substantial". A felony, in many common law legal systems, is the term for a very serious crime; misdemeanors are considered to be less serious. ... In general use, a complaint is an expression of displeasure, such as poor service at a store, or from a local government, for example. ... Intent in law is the planning and desire to perform an act. ...

Also, that on two of these occasions, Jackson has administered to the boy an intoxicating agent, with intent thereby to enable and assist himself to carry out the previously mentioned act. This article or section should include material from drunkenness Intoxication is an impaired mental and physical state caused by ingesting alcoholic beverages or other psychoactive drugs. ...

Jackson denies and says that the sleepovers were non-sexual. He still describes the boy on whose statements the accusations are based as "a sweet child"; he says the boy is manipulated by greedy parents. A sleepover (also called a slumber party) is a type of party which a guest or guests are invited to anothers house to stay overnight. ...

During a 60 Minutes interview with Ed Bradley, Jackson claimed that he was manhandled by police during his booking. Amongst other things, he claimed that his arms were dislocated, the handcuffs bruised his forearms, and that he was locked in a dirty bathroom for over 45 minutes. He has not formally filed his complaints. 60 Minutes is the name of an American magazine-format television news program produced by CBS News. ... Ed Bradley (born June 22, 1941) is an American journalist, reporting for CBS News since 1967. ...

The Santa Barbara County police then released video tape showing Jackson's arrest, which seems to go smoothly and without incident. They also released audio tape of his ride into the police station. In it Jackson complains about the handcuffs, and is politely told by an officer how he can relieve the discomfort. He is heard to be whistling (nervously) and he asks for the air conditioning to be turned on; it is. Police allege this proves Jackson's claims are false; Jackson (and his family) claim what is being shown is only a biased view of what occurred: it does not prove that his claims are false, and police avoids showing what would prove his claims to be true.

California State Attorney General Bill Lockyer ordered an independent investigation into Jackson's complaints. After interviewing 163 witnesses the complaints were rejected in August 2004. State nickname: The Golden State Other U.S. States Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger Official languages English Area 410,000 km² (3rd)  - Land 404,298 km²  - Water 20,047 km² (4. ... In most common law jurisdictions, the Attorney General is the main legal adviser to the government, and in some jurisdictions may in addition have executive responsibility for law enforcement or responsibility for public prosecutions. ...

At the prosecution's request the judge has issued a gag order which forbids the following parties to talk to the news media: the defendant, the prosecutor, defense counsel, any attorney working in their offices, their agents, staff, experts, any judicial officer or court employee, any law enforcement employee and any agency involved in the case, and any persons subpoenaed or expected to testify. The purpose is that people among whom a jury has to be selected are not influenced. However, he would consider proposals to allow either side to answer reporters' questions about rumors surrounding the case. A gag order is an order, sometimes a legal order by a court or government, other times a private order by an employer or other institution, restricting information or comment from being made public. ... In Common law, a defendant is any person who is required to answer the complaint of a plaintiff in a civil suit or any person who has been named in a criminal information or criminal complaint and stands accused of violating a criminal statute. ... In countries adopting the common law adversarial system or the civil law inquisitorial system, the prosecutor is the chief legal representative of the prosecution. ... A lawyer or attorney at law is a person licensed by the state to advise clients in legal matters and represent them in courts of law (and in other forms of dispute resolution). ... An attorney is someone who represents someone else in the transaction of business: For attorney-at-law, see lawyer, solicitor, barrister or civil law notary. ... This article is about courts of law. ... A subpoena (pronounced suh-pee-nuh) is a writ commanding a person to appear under penalty (from Latin). ... In law and in religion, testimony is a solemn attestation as to the truth of a matter. ... This article is confusing for some readers, and needs to be edited for clarity. ...

Jackson was arraigned January 16, 2004, at the court of Santa Maria. He was admonished by the judge for turning up 20 minutes late. He entered a plea of "Not Guilty". Hundreds of fans and an international media circus surrounded the event. Police will keep the public at some distance next time, for more order and safety. Arraignment is a common law term for the formal reading of a criminal complaint, in the presence of the defendant, to inform him of the charges against him. ... January 16 is the 16th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 2004 is a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Santa Maria is a city located in Santa Barbara County, California. ... Plea has come to mean in the popular vernacular the assertion by a criminal defendant, in response of an arraignment, whether he is guilty or not guilty. ... A media circus is an event that occurs when an aspect of a popular news event receives almost ludicrously high levels of media attention. ...

Judge Melville turned down a media's request for publication of 82 pages of documents and related tape recordings because that would violate the parties' privacy rights and complicate the process of selecting an unbiased jury. It concerns the boy's accounts of what allegedly happened, interviews with his family, statements that came out during the child's psychological counseling and information about the Chandler's case. Privacy is the ability of an individual or group to stop information about themselves from becoming known to people other than those they choose to give the information to. ... For with(out) prejudice in law, see Prejudice (law). ...

It was contained in an affidavit in which authorities explained their reasons for seeking a search warrant for Neverland Ranch. An affidavit is a formal sworn statement of fact, written down, signed, and witnessed (as to the veracity of the signature) by a taker of oaths, such as a notary public. ...

In a court session on February 13, 2004 it was revealed that the defence had just received 400 pages of evidence from the lead prosecutor and that hundreds more are expected. The judge said he wants the trial to begin before the end of 2004. Both sides agreed that was possible. Jackson was not present. He may also not be at sessions where only prosecution witnesses are required to testify, to determine whether there is enough evidence to start the trial itself. February 13 is the 44th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 2004 is a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... A trial is, in the most general sense, a test, usually a test to see whether something does or does not meet a given standard. ...

In the court session of April 2, 2004 the judge ordered papers to be released from a previous unrelated lawsuit started by the accuser's family; Jackson's defence says they will be used to show Jackson's innocence. April 2 is the 92nd day of the year (93rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 273 days remaining. ... 2004 is a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

At some stage between the arrest and the trial Nation of Islam members were playing a role in Jackson's affairs, in particular in the field of security. The Nation of Islam (NOI) is a religious and political organization founded in the United States by Wallace Fard Muhammad in 1930 with a declared aim of resurrecting the spiritual, mental, social and economic condition of the Black man and woman of America and the world. ...

Grand jury proceedings and indictment

Grand jury proceedings (without defense and without judge) in Santa Barbara, starting in March 2004, led to Jackson's indictment on April 21, 2004. The grand jury was composed of nineteen jurors; the indictment required the votes of at least twelve jurors. Prosecution witnesses testified without defense cross-examination. The judge has ruled that witnesses before the grand jury can talk to defense attorneys about their knowledge of the case as long as the witnesses do not tell what they saw in the grand jury room or what questions they were asked and their answers. Many grand jury witnesses have been sneaked into the building where the grand jury is meeting, sometimes covered in blankets to hide their identities. In February 2005 The Smoking Gun published the secret transcript. A grand jury is a type of common law jury; responsible for investigating alleged crimes, examining evidence, and issuing indictments. ... Santa Barbara is the county seat and principal city of Santa Barbara County, on the Pacific coast of California. ... In the common law legal system, an indictment is a formal charge of having committed a serious criminal offense. ... April 21 is the 111th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (112th in leap years). ... 2004 is a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... This page is about witnesses in law courts. ... In law and in religion, testimony is a solemn attestation as to the truth of a matter. ... In law, cross-examination is the interrogation of a witness called by ones opponent. ... The Smoking Gun is a website that posts legal documents, arrest records, and police mugshots on a daily basis. ...

Thus pre-trial hearings to prepare a preliminary hearing were no longer needed. Within some criminal justice systems, a preliminary hearing (evidentiary hearing) is a meeting, after a criminal complaint has been filed by the prosecutor, to determine whether, and to what extent, criminal charges and civil cause of actions will be heard (by a court), what evidence will be admitted, and what...

The new arraignment was on April, 30. The new charges, regarding which Jackson has pleaded not guilty again, were similar to the earlier ones, allegedly "on or about and between" 20 February and 12 March 2003, but with the addition of conspiracy involving child abduction, false imprisonment and extortion. Apparently the first two refer to the allegation that the accuser, although he was free to move within Neverland, was at some stages not allowed to leave the ranch, even when his mother wanted that. Arraignment is a common law term for the formal reading of a criminal complaint, in the presence of the defendant, to inform him of the charges against him. ... Alternate uses: See Conspiracy (disambiguation) Conspiracy, in common usage, is the act of working in secret to obtain some goal, usually understood with negative connotations. ... Look up Abduction in Wiktionary, the free dictionary In logic, abduction is a method of reasoning; see abductive reasoning. ... In criminal law, kidnapping is the taking away of a person against the persons will, usually to hold the person in false imprisonment (confinement without legal authority) for ransom or in furtherance of another crime. ... Extortion is a criminal offense, which occurs when a person obtains money, behaviour, or other goods and/or services from another by wrongfully threatening or inflicting harm to his person, reputation, or property. ...

News organisations' cases for releasing evidence have been heard at a hearing on 28 May 2004. The judge refused to release the full indictment or grand jury testimony.

On July 28, 2004 judge Melville granted a delay in the trial. July 28 is the 209th day (210th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 156 days remaining. ...

On December 3 and 4, 2004, Neverland was searched again. Also in that month Jackson's DNA was taken.

Jackson intends not to place himself in so vulnerable a position again. Geraldo Rivera, a longtime friend of the Jackson family, explains that Michael Jackson will never have sleepovers with boys not related to him again, because he understands that, however innocent his conduct has been, it violates a social norm. Geraldo Rivera (born July 4, 1943) is a television journalist with an affinity for dramatic high-profile stories and a style that has often been accused of sensationalism. ... In sociology, a norm, or social norm, is a pattern of behavior expected within a particular society in a given situation. ...

Alleged co-conspirators

The indictment names five alleged co-conspirators (not indicted themselves):

• Frank Tyson (also called Frank Cascio), 23, who was Jackson's personal assistant, and might have threatened the accuser's younger brother, who was a witness of part of the alleged crimes. Tyson and Jackson have been friends since Tyson was a small boy. Tyson's father was the concierge at a NY hotel where Jackson stayed. Right after the 1993 allegations, Cascio and his younger brother were seen traveling the world with Jackson.
• Vince Amen (also called Vinnie), 24, who worked for Jackson's production company and might have been holding the family at Neverland against their will - got acquainted with Jackson through Tyson
• Marc Schaffel - producer of the unreleased song What More Can I Give featuring various celebrities on vocals in an attempt to raise funds for disaster relief following the September 11, 2001 Terrorist Attack; former producer of homosexual pornography - his house was searched by the police in 2004
• Dieter Wiesner - German
• Ronald Konitzer - German-born Canadian

None of them agreed to testify during the grand jury proceedings. The World Trade Center on fire The September 11, 2001 attacks were a series of coordinated terrorist attacks against the United States on September 11, 2001. ... Homosexuality is a sexual orientation characterized by esthetic attraction, romantic love, or sexual desire exclusively for another of the same sex. ... Pornography (from Greek πορνογραφια pornographia — literally writing about or drawings of harlots) is the representation of the human body or human sexual behaviour with the goal of sexual arousal, similar to, but (according to some) distinct from, erotica. ...

Trial

The jury selection for the jury trial started on January 31, 2005, and lasted less than a month. This article is confusing for some readers, and needs to be edited for clarity. ... The jury trial (not to be confused with grand jury proceedings or trial by jury) is a bench trial wherein the Judge uses a jury to advise him on the facts while he determines the law. ... January 31 is the 31st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 2005 is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Both the prosecution and the defense have many witnesses. For the defense there are about 300 people, incuding Elizabeth Taylor, Ed Bradley, and Diana Ross. This page is about witnesses in law courts. ... Elizabeth Taylor Elizabeth Taylor (born February 27, 1932) is an English-born Academy Award winning actress. ... Ed Bradley (born June 22, 1941) is an American journalist, reporting for CBS News since 1967. ... Diana Ross on the cover of her collection Diana Ross: The Ultimate Collection Diana Ross (born Diane Ernestine Earle Ross [1] on March 26, 1944 in Detroit, Michigan) is an African-American soul, R&B and pop singer and actress. ...

Because no television cameras are allowed inside the courtroom, E! and British Sky Broadcasting are broadcasting a re-enactment of the trial. E! (Entertainment Television) is an American cable television and direct broadcast satellite network. ... British Sky Broadcasting (BSkyB - formerly two companies, Sky Television and British Satellite Broadcasting, which merged) is a company that operates the most popular subscription television service in the Ireland. ...

Bashir refused to answer any question regarding unpublished footage of his documentary, or anything about how it was prepared and produced. This refusal was based on the California Constitution's journalist shield law and the First Amendment privilege for journalists. Melville decided that the defense can submit a motivated request to Melville to have Bashir return to testify more, against which Bashir can file opposition. Also Melville agreed that before possibly charging Bashir with contempt of court for refusing to answer, Bashir will be heard. General Contempt of court is the failure of someone to obey a lawful order of a court, disrespect for the judge, disruption of the proceedings through poor behavior, or publication of material deemed likely to jeopardize a fair trial. ...

Adult materials found at Neverland were both heterosexual and homosexual, though legal. However, some had fingerprints of the two brothers on them; Jackson is alleged to have shown these adult materials to the brothers for the purpose of grooming, and gave them alcohol. Both were allegedly for the purpose of lowering inhibitions to sexual behavior. Jackson denies; he claims that the accuser and his brother were sometimes “out of control” at Neverland, and read his magazines and drank his alcohol without permission, though it could be reasoned that these items could easily have been made unavailable. Disseminating pornography to a minor is the act of showing pornography of any kind to a minor. ... Grooming a child is befriending a child, often in the negative context of lowering the inhibitions of the child to sexual behavior with the other person; in addition to acts which by themselves are legal, grooming may include showing pornography to the child, perhaps even child pornography. ... An inhibitor is a type of effector that decreases or prevents a chemical reaction. ...

On 10 March 2005, the judge was on the brink of issuing an arrest warrant and forfeiture of the bail, when Jackson was an hour late for the trial (see also WikiNews). Search and seizure is a legal tool whereby police who suspect that a crime has been committed may do a search of the property. ...

The accuser's brother testified that on two occasions, each during a few seconds, while not been seen, he had seen that Jackson had outercourse with the apparently sleeping accuser (counts 4 and 5). Details of the sexual act on the second occasion contradict what the accuser's brother told psychologist Katz, according to Katz' testimony before the Grand Jury. He explains this by saying that there were actually three occasions. Outercourse is sexual activity that does not involve penetration. ...

The boy admitted that he had lied under oath in an unrelated court case.

During the alleged sexual incidents, Jackson wore underpants, and the accuser wore underpants or pyjamas. On one brief occasion the brothers saw Jackson naked. According to the accuser's brother, Jackson's penis was erect, but according to the accuser it was not. Even if the incident was non-sexual this was special to the brothers, because they had never seen a naked adult before. Nudity or nakedness is the state of wearing no clothing. ... The penis (plural penises or penes) or phallus is the external male copulatory organ, and, in mammals, the external male organ of urination. ... An uncircumcised penis in both flaccid and fully erect states. ...

The accuser told a school administrater at a date after he had left Neverland that Jackson had not molested him. Later, at the trial, he said that this was not true, that he had lied because he was already teased after the airing of the Bashir documentary, and he feared that the teasing would get worse if he would have told the truth, which, as he now said, is as follows: on one occasion Jackson manipulated the accuser's genitals for about five minutes, causing the accuser to ejaculate (count 2); the next day Jackson started it again (count 3) and also tried to guide the accuser's hand to Jackson's genitals, but the accuser pulled away (count 6). A sex organ, or primary sexual characteristic, narrowly defined, is any of those parts of the body (which are not always bodily organs according to the strict definition) which are involved in sexual reproduction and constitute the reproductive system in an complex organism; namely: Male: penis (notably the glans penis... Semen or ejaculate is the fluid discharged from the penis during ejaculation, usually at the time of orgasm. ...

The accuser said that he was happy at Neverland, and that only after leaving did he realize he didn't want to be there anymore.

Defense witness George Lopez, who has been a friend of the accuser's family, gave the family money, but the father kept asking for more. It was alleged by the defense that the family tried to extort money from Lopez, by claiming that Lopez stole $300 from the family. This allegation was used to illustrate a pattern of family behavior. However, the prosecution says these problems were caused by the father, before the divorce. George Lopez (born April 23, 1961 in Mission Hills, California) is a Latino American comedian, actor and entertainer and star of a self-titled, ABC sitcom, The George Lopez Show. ...

House manager Jesus Salas testified that the accuser's mother was at no time held at Neverland against her will and that she had never complained of her children being taken advantage of at Neverland.

The accuser's mother took the Fifth regarding welfare fraud she has committed. For that reason the defense asked Melville not to allow her as a witness at all, but Melville ruled that she could testify without being questioned about the fraud. The defense will later present other evidence for the welfare fraud (which is relevant for the credibility of the witness). The Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which is part of the Bill of Rights, guarantees several protections related to legal procedure. ... Welfare has four main meanings. ...

She admits that she has lied under oath in an unrelated court case.

In May 2005 the witnesses for the defense started testifying.

Prior bad acts (Evidence Code 1108)

Melville has allowed the prosecution to present evidence regarding five men (out of seven requested [8] (http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=106&ncid=742&e=1&u=/nypost/20050327/cm_nypost/jacko39s739bad39priors)) who, as a boy, allegedly have been involved in bad behavior of Jackson (see also n:Past Jackson abuse claims to be used in court). A total of nine people are called to testify, including only one of these five men, Jason Francia. The purpose is to demonstrate a pattern of behavior of Jackson. Bringing in evidence of so-called "prior bad acts" to suggest that a defendant had a propensity to commit certain crimes, is only allowed in a few US states, and only for sex crimes; in California this is Evidence Code 1108.

• Jason Francia (born 30 May 1980) is the son of Jackson's former maid Blanca Francia, who moved from El Salvador to the US in 1975. She worked for Jackson in the period 1986-1991 at the Jackson family home in Encino, Los Angeles, at Jackson's Century City, Los Angeles apartment which he called "The Hideout", and at Neverland. She often brought Jason along to her work. Jason was a friend of Jackson in the period 1988-1991, when he was 7-10 years old. Allegedly Jackson touched Jason's crotch twice over his shorts, and once touched his testicles from under his shorts, on each of these three occasions for a few minutes during a tickling game. On the first two occasions he received $100 each for not telling his mother. Ca. 1996 Jackson paid the family an additional $2,000,000 to settle the case. Blanca Francia also received $20,000 for a TV interview. She testified too, in spite of the settlement. She did not see sexual activity, just an occasion where Jackson and Jason were lying together partly on, partly in a sleeping bag.
• Jordan Chandler, who allegedly was molested by Jackson in 1993 (see Michael Jackson: 1993 allegation of child sexual abuse) has, according to his uncle Ray Chandler, left the country to avoid testifying. Former security guard Ralph Chacon says that at Neverland he saw Jackson putting Chandler's penis in his mouth on one occasion, and touching Chandler's crotch with his hand on another occasion. However, Chacon's reliability is disputed, he has had a conflict with Jackson. Chandler's mother has also testified, see the other article. Former maid Adrian McManus says she once saw Jackson touch Chandler's crotch over his clothes. Bob Jones, who worked for Jackson from 1987-2004 as PR-man and Stacy Brown have written the book "The Man Behind the Mask," to be published in May 2005. As a witness Jones was hesitant whether he did or did not remember Jackson licking Jordy's head.
• Macaulay Culkin - Former cook Phillip LeMarque said he saw Jackson once with his hand down the front of Culkin’s pants, while the pair played video games. Adrian McManus only saw that once Jackson kissed Culkin on his cheek, and had his hand "kind of by his leg, kind of on his rear end". However, Culkin denounced the molestation allegations as "absolutely ridiculous" and said that nothing inappropriate has happened. Culkin testified that he slept in Jackson's bed several times between the ages of 10 and 14, sometimes with other boys as well. He said the sleepovers weren't planned and that he and others would just fall asleep when they were tired.
• Wade Robson - He has confirmed that he has slept in the same bed with Jackson, but he denies that anything inappropriate has happened. Blanca Francia only said that she once saw that they took a shower together, but even that has not happened, according to Robson.
• Brett Barnes - Like Robson, he has confirmed that he has slept in the same bed with Jackson, but he, also, denies that anything inappropriate has happened. Adrian McManus only saw that once Jackson kissed Barnes on his cheek, and put his hand on Barnes' rear end.

Charlie Michaels and Charmayne Sternberg were also planned prosecution witnesses, but they did not testify. The witnesses include some of the "Neverland Five" (former security guards Ralph Chacon, Kassim Abdool, and Melanie Bagnall, former office manager Sandi Domz, and former maid Adrian McManus) who lost a lawsuit in 1995 against Jackson. The two boys about whom Melville does not allow evidence are Jimmy Safechuck and Jonathan Spence. Encino is a neighborhood of the City of Los Angeles, California located in the San Fernando Valley. ... Century City is a 176-acre commercial and residential district in western Los Angeles, California. ... , one of the Mr. ... A security guard is a private person who is employed to protect property and people. ... Macaulay Culkin at Party Monster (2003) release party. ... Wade Robson is a choreographer and the creator and host of MTVs Wade Robson Project. By the time he was seven, Wade had appeared in three of Michael Jacksons biggest videos Black or White, Jam and Heal the World. Since then, he has choreographed and appeared with Britney... Nudity or nakedness is the state of wearing no clothing. ...

Chris Carter

Prosecution witness Chris Carter, who has been Jackson's bodyguard from August 2002 - August 2003, has been put in jail in Las Vegas. He is accused of robbing a Radio Shack in October 2003, Subway sandwich shop in August 2004, a KB Toy Store in January 2005 and a Jack in the Box restaurant in February 2005. He was arrested on 19 February 2005 after police searched his mother's house, and found a handgun. He has pleaded not guilty. A bodyguard is a person who protects someone from personal assault, kidnapping, assassination, loss of confidential information, or other threats. ... This article is about the city of Las Vegas in Nevada. ... RadioShack Corporation (formerly Radio Shack) (NYSE: RSH) runs a chain of electronics retail stores in the United States, as well as parts of Europe. ... Subway is the name of a multinational restaurant franchise that sells sandwiches and salads. ... A jack-in-the-box is a childrens toy. ...

In 2000, Carter was convicted of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, and therefore not allowed to possess a gun. [9] (http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/0323052carter1.html) Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ...

In 2004 Carter has been questioned before the Grand Jury [10] (http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/0222051carter1.html). He appealed the decision that he would be sent to Jackson's trial to testify. He announced that if he had to go, he would take the Fifth Amendment against self-incrimination. The prosecution, after first having him brought to a California prison, and after convincing Melville to allow him as a witness, did not have him testify after all. The Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which is part of the Bill of Rights, guarantees several protections related to legal procedure. ...

Carter witnessed family members at Neverland and when he acted as their driver on a few occasions, and he was on the plane from Miami.

Jackson's finances

The prosecution is seeking to have Jackson's financial records exposed in the trial.

They claim that Jackson is a "spendaholic" who was, from 1999 to 2001, spending $35 million a year while earning $11 million to $12 million a year, and as a result is on the brink of bankruptcy.

They argue that this could have been a motive for Jackson to resort even to the alleged conspiracy to control the PR damage of the Bashir documentary, and thus control the resulting financial damage.

The judge ruled that the prosecution can subpoena the financial records, but that they will only be opened in the trial after he heard testimony that they are relevant. A subpoena (pronounced suh-pee-nuh) is a writ commanding a person to appear under penalty (from Latin). ...

Court days

As of 15 April 2005, all weekdays from 28 February 2005 were court days, except: April 15 is the 105th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (106th in leap years). ... 2005 is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

• 31 March - César Chávez Day (holiday)
• 6 April - funeral of Johnnie Cochran

A few court days were without jury and without Jackson. On these days motions were discussed and ruled about. These were on 11, 18 March, and the first part of 28 March. March 31 is the 90th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (91st in Leap years), with 275 days remaining, as the final day of March. ... César Chávez, middle-aged César Estrada Chávez (March 31, 1927 – April 23, 1993) founded the National Farm Workers Association that later became the United Farm Workers. ... April 6 is the 96th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (97th in leap years). ... Johnnie Cochran Johnnie L. Cochran, Jr. ...

See [11] (http://mjni.com/support/weekly.aspx?dsDays_currentPage=0).

The accuser

The accuser was born in December 1989, hence he was 13 years old in February and March 2003, when allegedly the crimes were committed.

The accuser admits that he has often misbehaved in class at his middle school, and never did his homework. At some stage he had problems with almost all teachers. Middle school and junior high school cover a period of education that straddles primary education and secondary education and serve as a bridge between them. ...

In 2000 he was diagnosed with cancer. Soon after that, through Jamie Masada [12] (http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/0222053masada1.html), the owner of a comedy club, his wish was fulfilled to meet Jackson, and the boy often visited Neverland, also when Jackson was not home. In 2001 there were no visits but he and Jackson had many telephone conversations. In 2002 was the filming for the documentary, which was aired in 2003. When normal cells are damaged or old they undergo apoptosis; cancer cells, however, avoid apoptosis. ...

His father was several times at Neverland in 2000, sometimes with the whole family, other times with just the children. According to witnesses the father has been persistent in begging celebrities for money for the family, and after receiving money, persistently asking for more.

After 2000 the accuser's parents were divorced, his mother has custody over him and his older sister and younger brother. After having completed classes in parenting and anger management, the father has applied for having a restraining order against him temporary lifted, to allow him to see his three children. He wants to see for himself how his health is and hopes to find out whether the boy and Jackson have had sex. He blames his ex-wife for having allowed the boy to sleep in the same room with Jackson and claims that she has been in a mental hospital, and that she sometimes coaches her children to lie. Divorce or dissolution of marriage is the ending of a marriage, which can be contrasted with an annulment which is a declaration that a marriage is void, though the effects of marriage may be recognized in such unions, such as spousal support, child custody and distribution of property. ... Child custody and guardianship are the legal terms used to describe the legal and practical relationship between a parent and child, including e. ... Parenting comprises all the tasks involved in raising a child to an independent adult. ... Anger Management is a 2003 comedy film starring Adam Sandler and Jack Nicholson. ... An injunction is an equitable remedy in the form of a court order that either prohibits or compels (enjoins or restrains) a party from continuing a particular activity. ...

He was featured in Bashir's documentary as one of many guests at the Neverland ranch; subsequent airings of the Bashir documentary on American VH1 after the 2003 allegations have blurred Jackson's accuser's and his siblings' faces, as well as muted out his name. Until February 2005, the accuser was officially anonymized as "John Doe" by the court and the media, although his full name was already available all over the Internet. VH1 (which stands for Video Hits 1) is an American cable television channel that was created in 1985. ... Anonymity is the state of not being identifiable within a set, called the anonymity set. When referring to human beings, we say that a person is anonymous when the identity of that person is not known. ... In English-speaking common-law jurisdiction, the name John Doe is used for a defendant or victim in a legal example or for a person whose identity is unknown or is intended to be anonymous. ...

Possible civil lawsuit

If Jackson is convicted, he may on top of that be forced to pay damages to the accuser: a civil lawsuit to that end would be easier for the accuser to win; it would be possible until the accuser turns 20, in December 2009.

See also

• Michael Jackson: 1993 allegation of child sexual abuse
• Jay Leno - defense witness, has been allowed to continue making jokes about Jackson and the case as long as they are not related to an incident about which he is going to act as a witness in the trial.
• media circus

Jay Leno James Douglas Muir Leno (born April 28, 1950 in New Rochelle, New York) is an American comedian best known as the host of the popular NBC television program The Tonight Show. ... A media circus is an event that occurs when an aspect of a popular news event receives almost ludicrously high levels of media attention. ...

External links

• MJJSource (http://mjjsource.com/) – Michael Jackson Official Website.
• Mary Fischer GQ Article: "Was Michael Jackson framed?" (http://www.mjnewsonline.com/mj.txt)
• Magpie's Michael Jackson Case Page (http://www.geocities.com/magpieix)
• Testimony of 12 y. o. J. Chandler (http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/mjsearch1.html) (The Smoking Gun Magazine)
• E! Online: The Michael Jackson File – From Superstar to Suspect, Complete Coverage of Trouble in Neverland (http://www.eonline.com/Features/Features/JacksonNews/index.html)
• Court TV Special Report: Michael Jackson Accused (http://www.courttv.com/news/jackson/)
• Michael Jackson Trial Watch (http://breakingnewsblog.com/michaeljackson/)
• Aerial photograph of Neverland, and more (http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/fronts/JACKSONINTERACTIVES?SITE=CADIU&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT)

News

• Michael Jackson Trial Watch (http://breakingnewsblog.com/michaeljackson/index.php)
• E! Online: The Michael Jackson File – From Superstar to Suspect, Complete Coverage of Trouble in Neverland (http://www.eonline.com/Features/Features/JacksonNews/index.html)
• Court TV Special Report: Michael Jackson Accused (http://www.courttv.com/news/jackson/)
• MJNewsOnline.com: Latest Michael Jackson News (http://www.mjnewsonline.com/index.php) (Pro-Jackson Website)
• Timeline of news (http://www.mjni.com/support/fulltimeline.aspx)
• Chaos 2004: the Michael Jackson trial (http://www.chaos2004.com/mjj3.php)

Police and courts

• Opening statements of the trial, by prosecution and defense, including the indictment: [13] (http://www.mjj2005.com/transcripts/MJJCaseOpeningStatements1.pdf) [14] (http://www.mjj2005.com/transcripts/MJJCaseOpeningStatements2.pdf) [15] (http://www.mjj2005.com/transcripts/MJJCaseOpeningStatements3.pdf) [16] (http://www.mjj2005.com/transcripts/MJCourtTranscript-March012005.pdf) (pdf)
  • applicable sections of California Penal Code:
    • count 1, overt acts 1-28: 182(a)(1) - conspiracy (http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/cacodes/pen/182-185.html), involving unlawful controlling, withholding, concealing, enticing, and threatening the accuser, his mother, his sister, and his brother, to commit:
      • 236 - false imprisonment (http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/cacodes/pen/236-237.html)
      • 278 - child abduction (http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/cacodes/pen/277-280.html)
      • 518 - extortion (http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/cacodes/pen/518-527.html)
    • count 2-6: 288(a) - lewd act upon a child (http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/cacodes/pen/281-294.html): four times plus one attempt (664) (http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/cacodes/pen/654-678.html): two times (counts 2 and 3) reported by the accuser, two times (counts 4 and 5) witnessed by his brother, while the accuser slept, and an attempt to have the accuser perform a non-penetrative sexual act on Jackson (count 6). 288(a) should not be confused with 288a.
      • counts 7-10: 222 - administering alcohol to enable and assist oneself to do this (http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/cacodes/pen/220-222.html) (four times)
• Evidence Code 1108 (http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/cacodes/evid/1100-1109.html) - allowing in a sexual offense trial, evidence that the defendant has committed another sexual offense, as evidence of a person's character or a trait of his or her character
• Trial transcripts: [17]  (http://www.mjjforum.com/main/index.php?option=com_remository&Itemid=0&func=selectcat&cat=4&orderby=4) (not after 11 April and not 16, 17, 18, 21, 23, 24, 25, 28 (2nd part), 30 March, 1 April)
  • Overview of court days (http://mjni.com/support/weekly.aspx?dsDays_currentPage=0)
• Transcripts of questionings before the Grand Jury (http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/021505mjgrandjury.html)
• Sheriff and DA (http://www.sbsheriff.org/mj/)
  • Tom Sneddon vendetta theory: Site investigating evidence against Santa Barbara DA T. Sneddon, alleging malicious prosecution (http://sneddonexposed.com)
• The Smoking Gun: List of items seized from Neverland (http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/mjreturn1.html) (but with large parts erased)
• Felony complaint, Dec 2003 (http://www.countyofsb.org/da/documents/CE-FelonyComplaint-12-18mj.pdf)
• DCFS memo (http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/dcfsmemo1.html)

Secrecy is the condition of hiding information from others. ... Seduction is the process of deliberately enticing another person into an act (see motivation). ... A threat is an unwanted (deliberate or accidental) event that may result in harm to an asset. ...

Interviews

• michaeljackson.ru (http://www.michaeljackson.ru/english/gravity/interviews/rinterviews.html)
• mjshouse.com (http://www.mjshouse.com/stories/living_with_mj_transcript.wm)
• CBS News (http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/12/28/60minutes/main590381.shtml)
• USA Today: Neverland (http://www.usatoday.com/life/2003-11-23-neverland-believe_x.htm)