Jackson lawyers dispute actions
Sneddon's actions now in question
8/3/04
Michael Jackson's defense lawyers are questioning whether Santa Barbara County District Attorney Tom Sneddon violated a judge's gag order when he warned fellow prosecutors at a conference about the pitfalls of handling high-profile criminal cases.
The defense lawyers also question whether Senior Deputy District Attorney Ron Zonen violated the gag order when he came to the defense of Mr. Sneddon, whose remarks led to criticism that he overstepped his power as a prosecutor in the Jackson case by allegedly naming people as witnesses whom he had no intention of calling to testify. By doing that, the critics charged, the people named would fall under the gag order.
Lead defense lawyer Thomas Mesereau requested that Superior Court Judge Rodney Melville clarify the gag order at the next hearing scheduled for Aug. 16, according to documents released Monday.
Mr. Sneddon made his comments during a panel discussion July 20 at the National District Attorneys Association's summer conference in Vancouver, British Columbia. They were first reported in Canada's Globe and Mail and then in dozens of news accounts by television and wire services.
Mr. Sneddon told The Associated Press on July 23 that his comments were taken out of context and misinterpreted.
Mr. Zonen, contacted by the News-Press on the same day, also sought to clarify the statement.
"We were notifying witnesses of the presence of the protective order and that to comment on the case could put them in violation of the order," he said. "There was no one we sent a letter to who we did not call as a witness."
Mr. Zonen told the News-Press that Mr. Sneddon had been assured that no press would be present and that someone had snuck in and misquoted him.
"He did not discuss Michael Jackson," he said. "And he did not violate the gag order."
-- Dawn Hobbs
:nav Source: http://news.newspress.com/topsports/080304jackson.htm
Sneddon's actions now in question
8/3/04
Michael Jackson's defense lawyers are questioning whether Santa Barbara County District Attorney Tom Sneddon violated a judge's gag order when he warned fellow prosecutors at a conference about the pitfalls of handling high-profile criminal cases.
The defense lawyers also question whether Senior Deputy District Attorney Ron Zonen violated the gag order when he came to the defense of Mr. Sneddon, whose remarks led to criticism that he overstepped his power as a prosecutor in the Jackson case by allegedly naming people as witnesses whom he had no intention of calling to testify. By doing that, the critics charged, the people named would fall under the gag order.
Lead defense lawyer Thomas Mesereau requested that Superior Court Judge Rodney Melville clarify the gag order at the next hearing scheduled for Aug. 16, according to documents released Monday.
Mr. Sneddon made his comments during a panel discussion July 20 at the National District Attorneys Association's summer conference in Vancouver, British Columbia. They were first reported in Canada's Globe and Mail and then in dozens of news accounts by television and wire services.
Mr. Sneddon told The Associated Press on July 23 that his comments were taken out of context and misinterpreted.
Mr. Zonen, contacted by the News-Press on the same day, also sought to clarify the statement.
"We were notifying witnesses of the presence of the protective order and that to comment on the case could put them in violation of the order," he said. "There was no one we sent a letter to who we did not call as a witness."
Mr. Zonen told the News-Press that Mr. Sneddon had been assured that no press would be present and that someone had snuck in and misquoted him.
"He did not discuss Michael Jackson," he said. "And he did not violate the gag order."
-- Dawn Hobbs
:nav Source: http://news.newspress.com/topsports/080304jackson.htm