Testimony in the Michael Jackson trial has resumed today with former house manager at Jackson's Neverland ranch, Jesus Salas, telling jurors he saw three boys tour the wine cellar with the singer and come out drunk. "When I saw the boys coming out of the arcade they weren't acting right and I approached them and asked if they were OK. And that's when I noticed the kids were drunk. They had been drinking. ... They weren't normal. Something was wrong with the kids."
Not good from Jackson's point of view, certainly, but in my opinion a nonverbal episode in court on Friday may go down as one of THE light bulb moments in the case.
Santa Barbara County Dist. Atty. Tom Sneddon has said the evidence of previous similar acts and patterns of behavior would help prove that Jackson's current accuser is telling the truth, and he is presenting testimony that Jackson was seen "molesting, hugging, kissing or fondling" five other boys in the 1990s, including the boy who recieved a $20+ million settlement from Jackson in 1993.
On Friday, attorney Larry Feldman told jurors he represented the '93 accuser in a civil trial against Jackson involving seven claims of sexual molestation, which he said "was absolutely resolved in (the boy's) favor." AFP reports that then jurors were shown a photograph of that accuser, "who looked strikingly similar to the alleged victim in the current case." Both were 13 years old at the time they claim Jackson sexually molested them.
That accuser will not testify, but his mother will reportedly say that Jackson spent 30 consecutive nights with her son in the boy's bedroom in Los Angeles, according to the boy's uncle, Santa Barbara attorney Raymond Chandler told the L.A. Times. Chandler, whose 2004 book, All That Glitters, details the case and its effect on his family, also said 30 other sleepovers occurred at Jackson's Century City condominium, his Neverland ranch in the Santa Ynez Valley, and at hotels in Las Vegas, New York, Florida and Monaco. "What will be powerful is the length of the relationship and the number of times they slept together," he said.
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - bhw
Okay, the look-alike kids thing is weird, but what the fuck is THIS:
That accuser will not testify, but his mother will reportedly say that Jackson spent 30 consecutive nights with her son in the boy's bedroom in Los Angeles....
Who the hell are these parents and where do they get off NOT paying some sort of penalty for negligence and outright stupidity?
Christ.
2 - Eric Olsen
apparently, the prosecution doesn't mind at all if it come out looking like the mother "sold her son to Michael Jackson"
but I agree with you these parents share blame
3 - Eric Olsen
another accuser has now testified today
4 - Z.Z. Bachman
I see Jackson's bags being packed for Brando's island in the Pacific as I read this. He is a flight risk... watch and see. A prediction unless he is aquitted.
5 - Hope
This melodramatic "testimony" is far-fetched.
This kid's mom was fired by Jackson and both have already given statements to police that weren't believable a decade ago.
Why is it so many don't question the ability of witnesses to lie when large amounts of money are involved?
Just wait until the defense cross-examines him. Then you'll see what a load of lies this is!
6 - sandra smallson
Sadly, this previous bad behaviour has been allowed in. I hope all the so called accusers will testify. If they do not, then I trust Mesereau will rubbish their absence accordingly and rightly so. Jason Francia, I am indifferent to. I can't tell either way whether he is telling the truth or not. Somehow, I think he is not. He has blown the 1.2mill with mama and is now working some odd job and needs cash for life. He will get it via the daft press and TV who will now pay him to tell his supposed sad story. Good luck to him.
I hope they call Culkin and everyone else. Not just these deranged parents of the supposed accusers. It's all hearsay unless we get the accusers on the stand themselves.
What I hope the Jury has the sense to remember is that this is not a case prosecuting MJ for multiple molestation acts on MULTIPLE victims no matter how many mid 20s boys Sneddon rolls out. This is a case about Gavin Arvizo and so far that case HAS NOT BEEN PROVEN at all and the Arvizo's look like lying sacks of shit.
I look forward to more poverty stricken hispanic 20something yr old boys, telling us about how MJ put his hand in their pants.
I think what is more important though, is that the Prosecution finish with this stupid presentation they have and let the Defense get to it. It is clear that Sneddon realises he has a weak case and is now using alleged prior acts which have never stood the test of a trial or even any investigation to get a guilty verdict. That ought to be obvious to anyone with even half a brain.
7 - Eric Olsen
under the '95 California law, "patterns of behavior" are very much a part of the case -- and I agree there are potential civil liberties issues with this, but so far use of the law has been upheld -- so if the prosecution can establish that pattern, then they will have succeeded. At some point, the jury may well conclude "where there is smoke, there is fire," and that's why I think the "strikingly similar" picture is so powerful
8 - JP
MJ IS GUILTY AS HELL - AND IF YOU CANT SEE THAT THEN YOU ARE A THICK DUM ARSE!! HE'S A PROFESSIONAL PEDO WHO'S BEEN ABUSING AND USING KIDS FOR YEARS!!! STRING HIM UP FOR THE WORLD TO SEE THE REAL M-JACKSON PEDO-POP!!
AS FOR ALL OF THE THESE CHILDREN!! HOW MANY HAVE TO LINE UP AND TELL THERE STORIES BEFORE YOU BLIND IDIOTS SEE THE TRUTH!! I HOPE THAT THOSE PEOPLE IN THE JURY HAVE MORE SENSE AND SEE HIM FOR WHAT HE IS A KIDDIE FIDDLING NONCE!!!
9 - Richard Porter
I too believe that Jackson is guilty but how are the parents penalized for allowing this molestation to occur? They didn't find it odd that their sons slept with a grown adult?
10 - Eric Olsen
I dig British insults, and I basically agree with the assessment, although I don't have an opinion yet if he is "guilty" of the crimes with which he is currently charged - clearly he has had a lengthy series of inappropriate relationships with boys for at least 15 years.
Richard, I also agree that the parents who allowed these things to happen, especially after the publicity of the Chandler case in '93, share culpability, although I am not sure how to enforce it
11 - Richard Porter
Eric
I can only guess that after this trial has finished and the dust begins to settle, that the state where they reside begin their own investigation into the parents. Honestly though, this probably will never happen.
12 - Eric Olsen
I think it would be very difficult to prove that the parents should have known that allowing thier children to consort with Jackson constituted actionable negligence
13 - Richard Porter
I agree Eric. Unfortunately, whether MJ is found guilty or not, the parents will be let off the hook completely.
It also makes me sick when I hear about children getting taken "accidentally" when a car is stolen. Everyone talks about the person who stole the car (without knowing that there was anyone in the car at all) but never about the parents who left their children in the car "for a few minutes" to run into a store.
14 - Eric Olsen
being a parent is very difficult, but I believe we should be able to ask, at minimum, an absence of overt stupidity
15 - LOUISE BELL
I KNOW FOR A FACT THAT MJ IS INNOCENT AND ALL THESE STUPID 20 ODD YEARS OLD BOYS SAYING THESE THINGS ARE LYING!WHY HAS IT TAKEN THEM SO LONG TO COME OUT WITH THESE ACCUSATIONS?AND THEY ARE PROBABLY JUST IN IT FOR THE MONEY??WHY DOES EVERY ONE INSIST ON HURTING HIM,AND MAKING HIS LIFE HELL LOOK WHAT HE HAS DONE FOR SO MANY ILL CHILDREN,AND THERE IS RAPISTS AND CHILD ABUSERS OUT THERE AND WHAT IS BEING DONE TO THEM?(NOTHING...)WHY CANT THEY JUST LEAVE HIM ALONE..THE WORLD HAS TURNED INTO SUCH A BAD PLACE.IMAGINE WHAT THE WORLD WOULD BE WITH OUT MJ?HE MAKES IT A WHOLE LOT BETTER
16 - LOUISE BELL
I LOVE MICHAEL JACKSON 4 EVA,HE IS INNOCENT....
17 - Eric Olsen
Louise, how do you "know for a fact" he is innocent?
18 - HW Saxton
She probably gets her info from the same
folks that told her the earth is flat.
19 - Eric Olsen
by the way, Louise, do you think Jackson paid out in the neighborhood of $30 million in '93 and '94 to the two accusers because of their good looks?
20 - Richard Porter
Eric
Those were very expensive slumber parties...
21 - Eric Olsen
I wonder if he was able to write them off
22 - Richard Porter
His first offer to the victims were the rights to songs on the Beatles' Sgt Pepper album.
23 - Eric Olsen
I wonder why one accuser got ten-times as much dough as the other
24 - DrPat
It sounds like that money was a failed investment, since the previous accusers were paid off and get to rehearse their accusations in court, as well.
If you pay the Danegeld, you never get rid of the Dane...
25 - Eric Olsen
perhaps gelding is the best punishment