Friday, August 13, 2004
Jackson, Sneddon to face off in court
By Quintin Cushner/Staff Writer
The glove may be off in the Michael Jackson child molestation case, as the singer apparently plans to appear in court Monday to watch Santa Barbara County District Attorney Tom Sneddon take the witness stand.
Jackson, his parents and some siblings plan to attend the pretrial hearing at Superior Court in Santa Maria, Santa Barbara County Administrator Mike Brown confirmed Thursday. Sheriff's department, police and court officials were notified Tuesday that Jackson would show, and they met Wednesday to modify their planning.
Superior Court Judge Rodney Melville has allowed Jackson to skip routine hearings in the case, an option the entertainer has exercised until now.
Jackson fans have long claimed that Sneddon wields personal animosity toward the singer. Jackson himself once recorded a song attacking a character named "Dom Sheldon" - a clear allusion to the district attorney.
Several hundred to 1,000 fans may turn up to see Jackson and his family at the courthouse, said Darrel Parker, assistant executive officer of the Santa Barbara County Superior Court.
The family members who are supposed to appear in court for the hearing include Jackson's parents, Joe and Katherine Jackson, sisters Janet and LaToya, and brothers Jermaine, Jackie and Randy, sources said.
Parker said officials will use existing fencing and partitions to keep the Jackson proceeding separate from other cases being heard Monday. This round of hearings in the Jackson case is supposed to last all week, though it's unknown if the singer or his family will attend beyond Monday.
The Santa Maria Police Department will have about 30 officers patrolling the area around the courthouse, according to Sgt. Jerel Haley. Though the department won't close Miller Street near the courthouse, it will set up barricades to control pedestrian traffic, he said.
Longtime Jackson fan Tracee Renaud of Santa Maria said she was pleased that the singer would appear for the hearing, during which Sneddon is expected to testify.
"It's great that he's going to stand up for himself," Renaud said. "I feel this (case) is a personal vendetta by Tom Sneddon."
In an unusual legal move, Sneddon was subpoenaed by the defense to testify during the pretrial hearing on the probe of Bradley Miller, a private investigator with ties to Jackson, whose office was searched by law enforcement officers on Nov. 18, 2003. Sneddon allegedly visited Miller's office and photographed the investigator's building on Nov. 8.
The defense contends prosecutors violated Jackson's attorney-client privilege by seizing audio and video tapes from the office, knowing that Miller was employed on the case by former Jackson defense attorney Mark Geragos. The defense is trying to suppress the tape on those grounds.
Jackson, 45, has pleaded not guilty to engaging in lewd acts with an unnamed boy under the age of 14 on four occasions between Feb. 20 and March 12, 2003, and four counts of "administering an intoxicating agent" - reportedly wine - to help him with the alleged molestations.
He also has pleaded not guilty to a conspiracy charge involving child abduction, false imprisonment and extortion and a count of attempted child molestation.
* Staff writer Quintin Cushner can be reached at 739-2217 or by
e-mail at qcushner@pulitzer.net.
Aug. 13, 2004
:nav Source: http://www.santamariatimes.com/articles/20...ocal/news02.txt
Jackson, Sneddon to face off in court
By Quintin Cushner/Staff Writer
The glove may be off in the Michael Jackson child molestation case, as the singer apparently plans to appear in court Monday to watch Santa Barbara County District Attorney Tom Sneddon take the witness stand.
Jackson, his parents and some siblings plan to attend the pretrial hearing at Superior Court in Santa Maria, Santa Barbara County Administrator Mike Brown confirmed Thursday. Sheriff's department, police and court officials were notified Tuesday that Jackson would show, and they met Wednesday to modify their planning.
Superior Court Judge Rodney Melville has allowed Jackson to skip routine hearings in the case, an option the entertainer has exercised until now.
Jackson fans have long claimed that Sneddon wields personal animosity toward the singer. Jackson himself once recorded a song attacking a character named "Dom Sheldon" - a clear allusion to the district attorney.
Several hundred to 1,000 fans may turn up to see Jackson and his family at the courthouse, said Darrel Parker, assistant executive officer of the Santa Barbara County Superior Court.
The family members who are supposed to appear in court for the hearing include Jackson's parents, Joe and Katherine Jackson, sisters Janet and LaToya, and brothers Jermaine, Jackie and Randy, sources said.
Parker said officials will use existing fencing and partitions to keep the Jackson proceeding separate from other cases being heard Monday. This round of hearings in the Jackson case is supposed to last all week, though it's unknown if the singer or his family will attend beyond Monday.
The Santa Maria Police Department will have about 30 officers patrolling the area around the courthouse, according to Sgt. Jerel Haley. Though the department won't close Miller Street near the courthouse, it will set up barricades to control pedestrian traffic, he said.
Longtime Jackson fan Tracee Renaud of Santa Maria said she was pleased that the singer would appear for the hearing, during which Sneddon is expected to testify.
"It's great that he's going to stand up for himself," Renaud said. "I feel this (case) is a personal vendetta by Tom Sneddon."
In an unusual legal move, Sneddon was subpoenaed by the defense to testify during the pretrial hearing on the probe of Bradley Miller, a private investigator with ties to Jackson, whose office was searched by law enforcement officers on Nov. 18, 2003. Sneddon allegedly visited Miller's office and photographed the investigator's building on Nov. 8.
The defense contends prosecutors violated Jackson's attorney-client privilege by seizing audio and video tapes from the office, knowing that Miller was employed on the case by former Jackson defense attorney Mark Geragos. The defense is trying to suppress the tape on those grounds.
Jackson, 45, has pleaded not guilty to engaging in lewd acts with an unnamed boy under the age of 14 on four occasions between Feb. 20 and March 12, 2003, and four counts of "administering an intoxicating agent" - reportedly wine - to help him with the alleged molestations.
He also has pleaded not guilty to a conspiracy charge involving child abduction, false imprisonment and extortion and a count of attempted child molestation.
* Staff writer Quintin Cushner can be reached at 739-2217 or by
e-mail at qcushner@pulitzer.net.
Aug. 13, 2004
:nav Source: http://www.santamariatimes.com/articles/20...ocal/news02.txt