FOX ON THE RECORD WITH GRETA VAN SUSTEREN
November 24, 2003 Monday
[excerpt]
VAN SUSTEREN: Investigators may have discovered some damning evidence against Michael Jackson. Sexual love letters and poems written by the pop star to the alleged victim were reportedly found at his Neverland ranch. The story first broke over the weekend in an international tabloid, and yesterday Court TV's Diane Dimond confirmed it here on Fox News.
Let's get reaction from our panel. Steve, the report -- these love letters, possible love letters -- first of all, I mean, I don't know why I think it's sort of odd that -- usually, when you send a letter, it leaves your house, a love letter. But anyway, nonetheless, the police say that -- at least, we're hearing the police found something.
CRON: Well, Greta, I think that would be shocking if they found anything, and here's why. We know that he hired Mark Geragos about six months ago. Now, it would be improper for Mark to have said, Destroy any evidence in your house, but it wouldn't be improper if, when meeting with Jackson, his agents, his managers, his lawyers, they say, What do you think's going to happen next? The first thing that any experienced lawyer would say is, You can expect a search warrant. That's -- I mean, that's something you learn first day in law school. Mark's an experienced lawyer.
So given that information that he must have conveyed to them, I would be shocked if that place still had incriminating love letters, other things, video, audios, stuff like that. You would think that whoever is advising Michael Jackson would read between the lines and say, Gee, there's a search warrant coming somewhere down the line. We better make sure there's nothing here that's going to get Michael in trouble. So it would be shocking to me if it was still there.
VAN SUSTEREN: Nola, unless the letters, assuming they exist, or the poems -- unless they're explicit relating to this kid, indicating some activity with this child or this teen, whatever he is, 12-year-old or 13- year-old, what value is it to the prosecution?
FOULSTON: Greta, you're making an assumption, and the assumption is wrong. The letters, at this particular point in time, do not exist. I've been in contact with Mr. Sneddon, posed the same question to him, and he was surprised. First of all, when the search is over at a home, an inventory of what was taken is left at the residence. The inventory is specific only as to items such as documents, papers, videotapes, computer, et cetera. That is a requirement. There were, of course, items taken from the home. The items are removed to the custody of the sheriff's office, where they are then reviewed, inventoried, marked and looked at.
At the time, as late as today, there has been no discovery per se of any, quote, "love letters." And so any information that has come to you or to other members of the media is patently false.
VAN SUSTEREN: And that is extraordinary information. I guess you fall in a category with Trace and Pat tonight, breaking news, Nola, because that's extraordinary information, you know, that -- because people have been talking about these love letters...
(CROSSTALK)
FOULSTON: Well, I can tell you tonight that in my discussion with Mr. Sneddon within the last hour, there are no love letters that have been found. And I can't tell you that at a later point in time, but the information that is being disseminated is not from law enforcement. Certainly, it's not from Mr. Sneddon. Certainly, it's not been discovered in any documents that have been heretofore reviewed by law enforcement. And so somebody is setting a smokescreen or a fire so that later somebody can say, Well, we heard you had these love letters, now produce them, making the prosecution look like they're hiding something.
So I'm telling you this evening, there are no such animals. "The New York Post" has the wrong story and Diane Dimond has the wrong story because it is not correct.
November 24, 2003 Monday
[excerpt]
VAN SUSTEREN: Investigators may have discovered some damning evidence against Michael Jackson. Sexual love letters and poems written by the pop star to the alleged victim were reportedly found at his Neverland ranch. The story first broke over the weekend in an international tabloid, and yesterday Court TV's Diane Dimond confirmed it here on Fox News.
Let's get reaction from our panel. Steve, the report -- these love letters, possible love letters -- first of all, I mean, I don't know why I think it's sort of odd that -- usually, when you send a letter, it leaves your house, a love letter. But anyway, nonetheless, the police say that -- at least, we're hearing the police found something.
CRON: Well, Greta, I think that would be shocking if they found anything, and here's why. We know that he hired Mark Geragos about six months ago. Now, it would be improper for Mark to have said, Destroy any evidence in your house, but it wouldn't be improper if, when meeting with Jackson, his agents, his managers, his lawyers, they say, What do you think's going to happen next? The first thing that any experienced lawyer would say is, You can expect a search warrant. That's -- I mean, that's something you learn first day in law school. Mark's an experienced lawyer.
So given that information that he must have conveyed to them, I would be shocked if that place still had incriminating love letters, other things, video, audios, stuff like that. You would think that whoever is advising Michael Jackson would read between the lines and say, Gee, there's a search warrant coming somewhere down the line. We better make sure there's nothing here that's going to get Michael in trouble. So it would be shocking to me if it was still there.
VAN SUSTEREN: Nola, unless the letters, assuming they exist, or the poems -- unless they're explicit relating to this kid, indicating some activity with this child or this teen, whatever he is, 12-year-old or 13- year-old, what value is it to the prosecution?
FOULSTON: Greta, you're making an assumption, and the assumption is wrong. The letters, at this particular point in time, do not exist. I've been in contact with Mr. Sneddon, posed the same question to him, and he was surprised. First of all, when the search is over at a home, an inventory of what was taken is left at the residence. The inventory is specific only as to items such as documents, papers, videotapes, computer, et cetera. That is a requirement. There were, of course, items taken from the home. The items are removed to the custody of the sheriff's office, where they are then reviewed, inventoried, marked and looked at.
At the time, as late as today, there has been no discovery per se of any, quote, "love letters." And so any information that has come to you or to other members of the media is patently false.
VAN SUSTEREN: And that is extraordinary information. I guess you fall in a category with Trace and Pat tonight, breaking news, Nola, because that's extraordinary information, you know, that -- because people have been talking about these love letters...
(CROSSTALK)
FOULSTON: Well, I can tell you tonight that in my discussion with Mr. Sneddon within the last hour, there are no love letters that have been found. And I can't tell you that at a later point in time, but the information that is being disseminated is not from law enforcement. Certainly, it's not from Mr. Sneddon. Certainly, it's not been discovered in any documents that have been heretofore reviewed by law enforcement. And so somebody is setting a smokescreen or a fire so that later somebody can say, Well, we heard you had these love letters, now produce them, making the prosecution look like they're hiding something.
So I'm telling you this evening, there are no such animals. "The New York Post" has the wrong story and Diane Dimond has the wrong story because it is not correct.