Transcript: The Today Show
Air date: March 25 2004
Mike Taibbi report
MATT LAUER, Today Show Co-host: …But the singer has already been formally charged raising the question why a grand jury now. And what does it say about the prosecution’s case? Here’s NBC’s Mike Taibbi.
(begin video)
MIKE TAIBBI (voiceover): Of the hundreds of Santa Barbara County residences who received this grand jury summons, 19 will be chosen to decide on a child molestation indictment against Michael Jackson. NBC news has learned Jackson’s now 14 year old accuser and his brother, sister and mother will be brought to Santa Barbara Monday prepared to tell their stories from the witness box for the first time under oath and for a room full of strangers, but in secret and with no cross-examination.
DAWN HOBBS, Santa Barbara News-Press: It’s a less adversarial environment for the alleged victim and the witnesses to tell their story.
TAIBBI: Reporter Dawn Hobbs of the Santa Barbara News-Press has covered the Jackson case extensively. She was the first to report that Jackson’s initial accuser from 1993 in a case that never went to trial because the boy’s family accepted a sizable monetary settlement and stopped cooperating with authorities–will also be brought to Santa Barbara prepared to tell his story to this grand jury.
HOBBS: We’ve understood that it’s likely he will testify if need be. If it comes to a point where he’s needed.
TAIBBI: Which raises a couple of questions. Why seek a grand jury indictment when Jackson has already been formally charged? And is DA Tom Sneddon taking a risk that he won’t be able to convince at least 12 of 19 grand jurors to return an indictment?
New York attorney Joe Tacopina, who represents two Jackson employees who are of interest to the prosecution, says Sneddon’s case may not be strong enough.
JOE TACOPINA, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Five months after charges have been levied against Jackson they’re still fishing. They’re still trying to solidify their case (inaudible) at this stage.
TAIBBI: But local defense attorney Bill Duvall says he can’t remember a single case when a DA in this county was turned down. He says Sneddon won’t be.
Duvall: He’s a very experienced attorney. He’s a bulldog.
TAIBBI: He’ll get his indictment?
DUVALL: I would predict that he’d get his indictment
TAIBBI: That’ll be up to the grand jurors to decide. They can hear from the first witness as soon as Monday. For Today, Mike Taibbi, NBC News, Santa Barbara.
Transcribed by MJEOL
Air date: March 25 2004
Mike Taibbi report
MATT LAUER, Today Show Co-host: …But the singer has already been formally charged raising the question why a grand jury now. And what does it say about the prosecution’s case? Here’s NBC’s Mike Taibbi.
(begin video)
MIKE TAIBBI (voiceover): Of the hundreds of Santa Barbara County residences who received this grand jury summons, 19 will be chosen to decide on a child molestation indictment against Michael Jackson. NBC news has learned Jackson’s now 14 year old accuser and his brother, sister and mother will be brought to Santa Barbara Monday prepared to tell their stories from the witness box for the first time under oath and for a room full of strangers, but in secret and with no cross-examination.
DAWN HOBBS, Santa Barbara News-Press: It’s a less adversarial environment for the alleged victim and the witnesses to tell their story.
TAIBBI: Reporter Dawn Hobbs of the Santa Barbara News-Press has covered the Jackson case extensively. She was the first to report that Jackson’s initial accuser from 1993 in a case that never went to trial because the boy’s family accepted a sizable monetary settlement and stopped cooperating with authorities–will also be brought to Santa Barbara prepared to tell his story to this grand jury.
HOBBS: We’ve understood that it’s likely he will testify if need be. If it comes to a point where he’s needed.
TAIBBI: Which raises a couple of questions. Why seek a grand jury indictment when Jackson has already been formally charged? And is DA Tom Sneddon taking a risk that he won’t be able to convince at least 12 of 19 grand jurors to return an indictment?
New York attorney Joe Tacopina, who represents two Jackson employees who are of interest to the prosecution, says Sneddon’s case may not be strong enough.
JOE TACOPINA, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Five months after charges have been levied against Jackson they’re still fishing. They’re still trying to solidify their case (inaudible) at this stage.
TAIBBI: But local defense attorney Bill Duvall says he can’t remember a single case when a DA in this county was turned down. He says Sneddon won’t be.
Duvall: He’s a very experienced attorney. He’s a bulldog.
TAIBBI: He’ll get his indictment?
DUVALL: I would predict that he’d get his indictment
TAIBBI: That’ll be up to the grand jurors to decide. They can hear from the first witness as soon as Monday. For Today, Mike Taibbi, NBC News, Santa Barbara.
Transcribed by MJEOL