Jackson Accuses D.A. of Loose Lips
by Sarah Hall
Aug 3, 2004, 3:05 PM PT
Michael Jackson wants to be starting something with District Attorney Tom Sneddon.
Legal eagles for the embattled King of Pop have accused the Santa Barbara County prosecutor of violating the gag order that restricts individuals involved with Jackson's child-molestation case from discussing it with the press.
After Sneddon appeared at a conference of district attorneys in Vancouver on July 20, some of his more colorful remarks were published in Canada's Globe and Mail newspaper.
"We sent letters to some people saying we intended to call them as witnesses in order to keep them off TV," Sneddon told his fellow lawyerly types at the conference.
Legal experts were startled both by Sneddon's candor and his seemed insinuation that the power of the grand jury had been used to silence people whom the prosecutor had never intended to call as witnesses.
Meanwhile, Jackson's attorneys quickly filed documents requesting that the court further investigate the matter.
"Mr. Jackson respectfully requests the court for clarification as to whether the ... statements by Mr. Sneddon violate the protective order," head attorney Tom Mesereau wrote in the court papers filed Monday.
Sneddon's spokesperson, Susan Tellem, said the prosecutor denied breaking the gag order.
"Mr. Sneddon has said publicly that he has not violated the gag order," Tellem said in response to Monday's filing.
There's no love lost between Jackson and Sneddon. The D.A. was once dissed as a "cold man" by Jackson in the track "D.S." off 1995's HIStory Past, Present and Future, Book 1. Jackson's lawyers, meanwhile, have claimed Sneddon is a bully and are trying to change the focus of the case to the sometimes prickly prosecutor.
Jackson, 45, is due in court on Jan. 31, 2005 to face trial on 10 felony counts, ranging from child molestation to conspiracy. He has pleaded innocent across the board and remains free on $3 million bail.
The trial was originally scheduled to begin Sept. 13, but was pushed back in order to give Jackson's defense team more time to prepare.
In the meantime, disappointed Jackson watchers who can't wait until January to get their moonwalk on can find a temporary fix on VH1.
The network will debut the original feature-length film Man in the Mirror: The Michael Jackson Story on Friday. The telepic follows the popster's journey through his early Motown days, his rise to superstardom and, of course, his legal problems past and present.
The 5-foot-11 Jackson is portrayed by the 6-foot-4 Flex Alexander—-something of a stretch, no?—-who through the wonders of makeup and high-pitched vocal coaching (we're guessing) manages to do a passable Jackson impression, even performing all of his own dance moves.
The film ends with Jackson's now infamous dance atop the roof of an SUV after he pleaded innocent at his January arraignment.
Alexander currently stars in UPN's One on One. We're thinking that his new gig as Michael Jackson impersonator is just what he needs to jumpstart his career.
:nav Source: http://www.eonline.com/News/Items/0,1,14645,00.html
by Sarah Hall
Aug 3, 2004, 3:05 PM PT
Michael Jackson wants to be starting something with District Attorney Tom Sneddon.
Legal eagles for the embattled King of Pop have accused the Santa Barbara County prosecutor of violating the gag order that restricts individuals involved with Jackson's child-molestation case from discussing it with the press.
After Sneddon appeared at a conference of district attorneys in Vancouver on July 20, some of his more colorful remarks were published in Canada's Globe and Mail newspaper.
"We sent letters to some people saying we intended to call them as witnesses in order to keep them off TV," Sneddon told his fellow lawyerly types at the conference.
Legal experts were startled both by Sneddon's candor and his seemed insinuation that the power of the grand jury had been used to silence people whom the prosecutor had never intended to call as witnesses.
Meanwhile, Jackson's attorneys quickly filed documents requesting that the court further investigate the matter.
"Mr. Jackson respectfully requests the court for clarification as to whether the ... statements by Mr. Sneddon violate the protective order," head attorney Tom Mesereau wrote in the court papers filed Monday.
Sneddon's spokesperson, Susan Tellem, said the prosecutor denied breaking the gag order.
"Mr. Sneddon has said publicly that he has not violated the gag order," Tellem said in response to Monday's filing.
There's no love lost between Jackson and Sneddon. The D.A. was once dissed as a "cold man" by Jackson in the track "D.S." off 1995's HIStory Past, Present and Future, Book 1. Jackson's lawyers, meanwhile, have claimed Sneddon is a bully and are trying to change the focus of the case to the sometimes prickly prosecutor.
Jackson, 45, is due in court on Jan. 31, 2005 to face trial on 10 felony counts, ranging from child molestation to conspiracy. He has pleaded innocent across the board and remains free on $3 million bail.
The trial was originally scheduled to begin Sept. 13, but was pushed back in order to give Jackson's defense team more time to prepare.
In the meantime, disappointed Jackson watchers who can't wait until January to get their moonwalk on can find a temporary fix on VH1.
The network will debut the original feature-length film Man in the Mirror: The Michael Jackson Story on Friday. The telepic follows the popster's journey through his early Motown days, his rise to superstardom and, of course, his legal problems past and present.
The 5-foot-11 Jackson is portrayed by the 6-foot-4 Flex Alexander—-something of a stretch, no?—-who through the wonders of makeup and high-pitched vocal coaching (we're guessing) manages to do a passable Jackson impression, even performing all of his own dance moves.
The film ends with Jackson's now infamous dance atop the roof of an SUV after he pleaded innocent at his January arraignment.
Alexander currently stars in UPN's One on One. We're thinking that his new gig as Michael Jackson impersonator is just what he needs to jumpstart his career.
:nav Source: http://www.eonline.com/News/Items/0,1,14645,00.html