Very interesting... read on:

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Jackson Defense Seeks to Toss Indictment
By LINDA DEUTSCH, AP Special Correspondent

LOS ANGELES - Michael Jackson (news)'s lawyers asked a judge to throw out his grand jury indictment on molestation charges, claiming prosecutors bullied and argued with witnesses and "ran the proceedings as if they employed the grand jurors."

"There is no case in the history of the state of California that has condoned anything like the abuse of power demonstrated in this grand jury proceeding," said the motion signed by attorney Robert Sanger.

Filed Tuesday, the motion was released by the court Wednesday after being heavily edited by Santa Barbara County Judge Rodney Melville to remove names of witnesses and references to the specifics of the indictment.

The dismissal issue is to be argued at a future hearing in Santa Maria.

In the dismissal motion, the defense accused prosecutors who ran the secret grand jury hearings of proceeding "by innuendo and sarcasm, impugning Mr. Jackson by ridiculing those allegedly associated with him and even those who sought to legally represent him."

One witness whose testimony was quoted at length was clearly identifiable as Russell Halpern, the attorney who represented the father of Jackson's teenage accuser in a custody dispute with the boy's mother. The parents are divorced.

In the transcript section quoted, Halpern and District Attorney Tom Sneddon argued about the attorney's initial efforts to get information from the prosecutor's office.

"I found the D.A.'s office to be hostile when I called," said Halpern. "I found the head D.A., that being yourself, to be very uncooperative."

He said he first inquired whether his client's son was the boy making molestation claims.

"You initially refused to tell me," he testified. "I asked you if my client's son was dying. You initially refused to tell me. It was only after I told you that I might have to tell the press of your reaction that you called back and then told me."

Sneddon shot back: "That is not the way that conversation went and you know it."

"You know it too," said Halpern.

The witness said he had a clear recollection of the events because he took notes.

"So did I," said Sneddon.

The testimony was given as an example of the prosecutor testifying rather than asking questions.

Halpern said he couldn't comment Wednesday because of the gag order in the case. He added that Sneddon is improperly using the gag order to silence him.

"Mr. Sneddon has misused his powers as district attorney to try to keep me from talking at all. I am not a potential witnesses, and his description of me as a potential witness is disingenuous."

Jackson, 45, has pleaded not guilty to committing a lewd act upon a child, administering alcohol, and conspiracy to commit child abduction, false imprisonment and extortion.

Interesting, indeed. I doubt the indictment will be withdrawn. It's clear they're out to get him one way or another, as evidenced by Snedon's behavior. He's acted as private investigator in the past on this case (which could potentially have him calling himself as a witness), without negative consequence. I don't see this changing anything.

and there's no real penalty or consequence for sneddon since he'll be retiring after this case.

probably not. sounds like standard pre-trial wrangling by the defense. there are always motions to drop the charges/indictments early on in procedings.

i dont think so but in the end he'll come out clean

LightOfArt said:

do u really think the D.A. will come out clean ??? cool

thought we were gonna cool it with the Mj threads?

as for my opinion
its standard defence motion
The Lack of evidenc eis showing on the Prosecution side
but as some of my colleagues have said
this is sneddons last case, he is not backing done without a fight

this case gets weirder and weirder each day.

Well...
its a weird case
the weirdest since the Lindberg babyy trial...

LightOfArt said:

And won't that be a damn shame

CalhounSq said:

i don't agree with him, but he's funny lol

"Flash forward, 2045

What did you stand for in the life of your pride

When faced with the final judgment of today

Couldn't profit from the game

That you and your play

Radical man...."

[Let's not use the 'N' word, even in a quote, eh? - June7]

CalhounSq said:

yeah it will be a shame, innocent men belong to jail

Luv4oneanotha said:

Correction: silly nonsense threads.

No, but I'm sure his salad will be in prison.

okaypimpn said:

Something tells me he'd be the one doing the salad tossing!! I just can't imagine Jacko making anyone his bitch in prison!!

JediMaster said:

I heard that Jacko can actually fight.

June with the above Moronic Comments
i believe this has turned into a silly nonsense thread....

oh and BTW... found this Article

Jackson prosecutor to take stand

Defense questions raid on private investigator's office

SANTA MARIA, California (AP) -- In a highly unusual move, the judge in the Michael Jackson child-molestation case ordered the district attorney Friday to take the stand and explain a raid on a private investigator's office.

Superior Court Judge Rodney Melville wants to know if the seizure of videotapes and computer hard drives from investigator Bradley Miller's office in November 2003 violated Jackson's attorney-client privilege.

The defense says Miller was working for the pop star's lawyer at the time, Mark Geragos.

District Attorney Tom Sneddon said Friday he did not know Miller was working for Geragos when authorities with a search warrant broke into Miller's office with sledgehammers.

"I have nothing to hide," Sneddon said.

The judge said he wants to find out what Sneddon knew at the time.

"I have been very concerned about the factual issue, whether or not the district attorney ... knew Mr. Geragos was working for Mr. Jackson and knew that Mr. Miller had been retained by Geragos," Melville said.

The judge at first ordered Sneddon to cancel his vacation -- a prepaid trip to Alaska for his 37th wedding anniversary -- to testify July 27. He then suggested the defense try to accommodate the prosecutor, either with a videotaped deposition or an appearance at a later hearing.

Jackson fired Geragos in April. His legal team is now led by Thomas Mesereau Jr.

Jackson, 45, is charged with molesting a boy and plying him with alcohol.

Judge to Michael: Zip It
By Joal Ryan

Michael Jackson's been reminded to gag it.

In a Santa Maria, California, courtroom Friday, the judge in the entertainer's child-molestation imbroglio warned that the pop star came close last month to violating the gag order that has kept the case under wraps.

Jackson, who was not present, found himself the target of Superior Court Judge Rodney S. Melville for a June statement that reasserted his innocence in the unfounded child-molestation probe of 1993-94.

Per Reuters, Melville said he didn't "want to prevent someone from speaking out and saying they are innocent," but, well, he'd rather someone, namely Jackson, not speak out and say they are innocent.

"From now on, follow the gag order," Melville said in court, the wire service reported.

Defense attorney Thomas Mesereau Jr. stuck up for the pop oddity, saying Jackson didn't not follow the gag order covering the current case. Mesereau said Jackson merely was defending himself from leaked documents that showed the Thriller star paid out more than $20 million to the family and attorney of the accuser in the decade-old old case.

But Melville said the 1993-94 investigation could be relevant again if he allows evidence from that case to be heard in the new one.

If the judge deigns Jackson's lips loosen again, the singer could face contempt charges.

Melville also got on Jackson's camp for asking for a delay on a hearing to determine whether Santa Barbara County prosecutors crossed the line in their investigation.

The defense team, which had asked for the hearing, told Melville Friday it wasn't ready.

"I think you failed me," Melville responded, per the Los Angeles Times.

Playing no favorites, Melville proceeded to go after Santa Barbara District Attorney Tom Sneddon for mentioning he had a non-refundable Alaskan trip scheduled for later this month--around the time the judge wants the official to testify about his allegedly wayward probe.

"If I can cancel my vacation, I guess you can cancel yours," the sunny Melville said, the Times reported.

Later, Melville cut Sneddon slack, suggesting that the D.A. might be able to keep his reservations by supplying testimony via videotape.

Sneddon's crew is in the crosshairs over a raid last November on the office of a Beverly Hills private eye. Investigators seized computer files and videotapes in the door-busting event.

Jackson's side is arguing the search, which went down the same day Neverland was swarmed by authorities, was wrong because the P.I. was working for the singer's then-attorney Mark Geragos, and therefore was a breach of lawyer-client confidentiality.

Team Jackson is also arguing that the entire 10-count felony indictment against the entertainer be tossed because Sneddon "bullied" grand jurors into their findings.

Melville did not rule on that motion Friday. And in a twist, it appears he didn't chew out anybody regarding it, either.

Jackson's trial is scheduled to begin Sept. 13. The 45-year-old father of three has pleaded innocent to all charges, ranging from child molestation to conspiracy.

In a related development, the mother of Jackson's current reputed accuser has told prosecutors that letters written to her son by the pop star were flinched by the same Beverly Hills gumshoe that the defense says was unfairly searched.

Court documents relating to this claim were posted Friday on The Smoking Gun. In another twist, nothing's blacked out on the documents--perhaps because, as the Website says, the papers were heavily edited prior to their release.

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Does that mean he has to stop singing...

"Tom Sneddon is a cold man,
Tom Sneddon is a cold man,
Tom Seddon is a cold man, a collld man, a cooollllld man!"

LightOfArt said:

Your avatar says it all

CalhounSq said:

June7 said:

June7 said:

What'sscary is that I live 12 miles away from Santa Maria.....

MaquisVixen said:

that actually is scary... lol

[This Just In!!]



Jackson Seeks to Push Back Trial
Thu Jul 15, 6:45 PM ET
By Sarah Hall

Michael Jackson is looking to push back his trial date. Just how far back is as much a mystery as the man himself.

As has happened time and time again in Jackson's child-molestation case, Judge Rodney Melville has elected to seal the documents pertaining to the motion made by the defense.

Melville gave no reason for his decision, except to say he chose to do it with "good cause having been shown."

In May, Melville set a trial date of Sept. 13 but acknowledged that Jackson's defense team might not be prepared by that date. He called the September starting point a "bull's-eye that we're shooting at."

Now it appears that the target might be missed. However, it's impossible to determine by how much, due to the web of secrecy cast over the case.

Media attorney Theodore Boutrous Jr., who has been fighting on behalf of news organizations in favor of having more documents unsealed, was frustrated by the latest development.

"We've been arguing that the public has a right to know what happens in court," Boutrous told the Associated Press. "Now we don't even know when it's going to happen."

Jackson has been indicted on 10 felony counts, ranging from child molestation to conspiracy. The 45-year-old father of three has pleaded innocent across the board.

However, prosecutors in the case apparently have substantial evidence that Jackson paid several cronies large sums of money to keep his accuser and the accuser's family silent and virtually imprisoned at Neverland Ranch, according to reports by ABC News.

Jackson's alleged henchmen include Vinnie Amen and Frank Tyson, who worked for Jackson at Neverland; the entertainer's financial advisors Dieter Wiesner and Ron Konitzer; and Mark Shaffel, a video producer who allegedly dealt with the accuser's family after they appeared in the controversial documentary Living with Michael Jackson.

According to ABC News, sources claim that all five men were named as unindicted coconspirators by Santa Barbara District Attorney Tom Sneddon.

Prosecutors allegedly have evidence that Tyson received a $1 million paycheck from Jackson, while the other men each pulled in hundreds of thousands for their roles.

Tyson's lawyer, Joe Tacopina, denied his client's involvement in any conspiracy.

"It's disprovable, but it's also laughable," Tacopina told ABC News.

According to Tacopina, Tyson was once in possession of $1 million belonging to Jackson--apparently, he picked the cash up for his boss at the bank after Jackson asked him to do so.

"This is how he [Jackson] got his cash," Tacopina said. "It wasn't something that was common for Michael to walk into a bank and take out large cash withdrawals. He had one of his confidants, employees, friends, i.e., Frank Tyson, go and do that for him. They [prosecutors] are looking at the transaction with blinders on! They're saying, 'Aha! You know Michael Jackson permitted Frank Tyson to take $1 million, it was a thank you.' "

According to Tacopina, Jackson often had large amounts of cash at the ready.

"You know, maybe Michael needed a million dollars because he wanted to put two more Ferris wheels in his backyard and buy another car," Tacopina said. "Who knows? But it's not really something that the average person can relate to. That does not make it criminal."

The other alleged conspirators also deny that Jackson made any payments to them outside of legitimate business transactions.

Attorneys for both sides are due back in court Aug. 16 to battle over the suppression of evidence in the case. The judge has ruled that Jackson will not have to appear in court at that time.

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Your thoughts?

JediMaster said:

I'm sure pictures like these don't help either!!! LOL

June7 said:

it would be absolutely silly for him to push back his trial. may as well act like a fuckin grown-up for once and get it overwith, instead of tuckin shit back. the more you put something off, the longer it'll go on.

Handclapsfingasnapz said:

Chico1 said:

they don't want to go to trial, defense is extremely close to getting the indictment tossed out
plus the D.A. hasn't given them the full list of evidence to cross examine for Discovery
This type of motion is protocol
no big deal