For archival purposes, I added this to the forum-Whisper
NEWS FROM CNN
Tape Could Help Michael Jackson
Aired November 27, 2003 - 12:17 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Turning now to the Michael Jackson saga. Another side of the allegation of child molestation. It involves an affidavit by the alleged victim and an audiotape by the boy, his brother, and his mother. If authentic, the materials could help exonerate Jackson.
CNN's Frank Buckley has details.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
FRANK BUCKLEY, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): On the tape, voices described as those of the alleged victim, his brother, and their mother talk about Michael Jackson in effusive terms. CNN legal analyst Kimberly Guilfoyle Newsom heard the roughly 20-minute- long tape that was provided by a source close to Michael Jackson's defense team.
KIMBERLY GUILFOYLE NEWSOM, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: They kept saying that god had blessed them to have Michael in their life, that they were a family together. And that at all times, that he never acted inappropriately towards the son. And just one month after these alleged tapes were made, both the mother and the alleged victim in this case signed written affidavits under penalty of perjury stating that Michael Jackson never acted inappropriately towards the victim in this case.
BUCKLEY: Attorney Ira Salzman, who has not heard the tape, says it and the alleged affidavits could be damaging to the prosecution's case.
IRA SALZMAN, ATTORNEY: It depends what the alleged victim has to say. What the mother has to say isn't terribly determinative one way or the other. But if the young man says nothing happened, he never touched me in no uncertain terms, that's going to be pretty powerful.
BUCKLEY: Jackson's attorneys claim the current allegations against the singer are financially motivated. And while the boy and his family are not suing Michael Jackson now, court records indicate that they have sued for money before. Four years ago, they filed this lawsuit against a JC Penney store after a loss prevention agent accused the boy, then 8 years old, of shoplifting.
Details of the incident were disputed. Charges were ultimately dropped. And the family received a settlement of more than $137,000.
(on camera): Salzman believes it's unlikely that material will ever make it into court. But he and other legal experts say the alleged tape and affidavit could be damaging to the prosecution if the case against Michael Jackson ever gets to court.
Frank Buckley, CNN, Los Angeles.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
Source: http://www.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0311/27/nfcnn.05.html
NEWS FROM CNN
Tape Could Help Michael Jackson
Aired November 27, 2003 - 12:17 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Turning now to the Michael Jackson saga. Another side of the allegation of child molestation. It involves an affidavit by the alleged victim and an audiotape by the boy, his brother, and his mother. If authentic, the materials could help exonerate Jackson.
CNN's Frank Buckley has details.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
FRANK BUCKLEY, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): On the tape, voices described as those of the alleged victim, his brother, and their mother talk about Michael Jackson in effusive terms. CNN legal analyst Kimberly Guilfoyle Newsom heard the roughly 20-minute- long tape that was provided by a source close to Michael Jackson's defense team.
KIMBERLY GUILFOYLE NEWSOM, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: They kept saying that god had blessed them to have Michael in their life, that they were a family together. And that at all times, that he never acted inappropriately towards the son. And just one month after these alleged tapes were made, both the mother and the alleged victim in this case signed written affidavits under penalty of perjury stating that Michael Jackson never acted inappropriately towards the victim in this case.
BUCKLEY: Attorney Ira Salzman, who has not heard the tape, says it and the alleged affidavits could be damaging to the prosecution's case.
IRA SALZMAN, ATTORNEY: It depends what the alleged victim has to say. What the mother has to say isn't terribly determinative one way or the other. But if the young man says nothing happened, he never touched me in no uncertain terms, that's going to be pretty powerful.
BUCKLEY: Jackson's attorneys claim the current allegations against the singer are financially motivated. And while the boy and his family are not suing Michael Jackson now, court records indicate that they have sued for money before. Four years ago, they filed this lawsuit against a JC Penney store after a loss prevention agent accused the boy, then 8 years old, of shoplifting.
Details of the incident were disputed. Charges were ultimately dropped. And the family received a settlement of more than $137,000.
(on camera): Salzman believes it's unlikely that material will ever make it into court. But he and other legal experts say the alleged tape and affidavit could be damaging to the prosecution if the case against Michael Jackson ever gets to court.
Frank Buckley, CNN, Los Angeles.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
Source: http://www.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0311/27/nfcnn.05.html