So said Senior Deputy District Attorney Ron Zonen when he argued this morning for the admissibility of two books of pictorial essays containing pictures of nude boys that had been seized from Jackson's Neverland Ranch by the Los Angeles Police Department as part of a previous investigation of earlier allegations of molestation by Jackson in 1993.
Defense lawyer Robert Sanger argued the evidence was too "remote in time," irrelevant to the current case and would prejudice the jury with "innuendo." "It's just plain stale," Sanger told Judge Rodney Melville. "At some point the court has to draw the line. This case really isn't about 1993." Ah, but in many ways it is since California law permits evidence of "prior bad acts" that demonstrate a "propensity" in child molestation cases.
And as such Melville allowed the books (Zonen had said that one book was about 90 percent pictures of nude boys and the other about 10 percent) to be admitted on the grounds that their "probitive value exceeds the prejudicial effect."
With the jury returned to the courtroom, LAPD detective Rosibel Smith testified that she seized the books from a locked file cabinet in Jackson's master-bedroom closet, but under cross examination by Sanger she said The Boy: A Photographic Essay appeared to have been a gift to Jackson from a fan, bearing the inscription, "To Michael from your (heart symbol) fan, XXXOOO, 'Rhonda'," and dated 1983.
The other book, Boys Will Be Boys, was inscribed by Jackson with this rhapsody, "Look at the true spirit of happiness and joy in these boys' faces. This is the spirit of boyhood, a life I have never had and will always dream of. This is the life I want for my children."
Meanwhile, attorney Gloria Allred, a well-known non-fan of Mr. Jackson, participated in an online chat about the Jackson trial at the Washington Post site. Here are some key quotes:
"The jury can always take into account the credibility of witnesses and in determining whether or not to believe them to think about what bias they may have when they testify. For example, Debbie Rowe clearly wants Michael Jackson to allow her to see her children. In fact, she's in litigation and is attempting to see them but to date has not been permitted to see them. Some people speculate that she may have wanted to help Michael Jackson in order to get him to change his mind about allowing her to visit with the children. She may have been telling the truth but the jury can take into account all of the facts and circumstances in weighing whether or not to believe what she says.
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - Mihos
I know he's a real child rapist now.
Lynch that N****r!
http://lordoftheflies.org/img/lotfboy1.htm
http://members.aol.com/lacillo/boysbr.html
2 - Eric Olsen
thanks for the links although the reaction was pretty over the top.
The Lord of the Flies book looks like the right one, but I don't think Boys Will Be Boys: Breaking the Link Between Masculinity and Violence is the other book.
Why do you think it's that one?
3 - Mihos
Im actually reacting to what Nancy Grace is talking about as we type.
The second book has the photo of a bunch of adolescent boys jumping into water one holding his crotch.
The director of photography of Jackson's stranger in Moscow and Earth Song was DP on Lord of the Rings and author of the book
4 - Helen Willis
Another biased view without looking at the facts.
One of the books was given to him by a fan in 1993 and was found amongst thousands of books.
The other book has an inscription which Jackson says he wishes his kids to be like the kids in the book.
Wow, so we have two books. One from 22 years ago and the other which has Jackson describing his feelings about youth.
What is this supposed to prove? He has a book from 1983 from a fan. And?
These books are NOT illegal. They are NOT child porn and they offer no probative value to the case.
The prosecution is resorting to looking at gifts from 20 years ago to prove he was a paedophile? Where is the child porn sneddon? Nowhere.
5 - Helen Willis
Also, the Debbie Rowe argument is ridiculous. If she had said negative things about Jackson, that would benefit HER, seeing as Jackson going to prison would almost definitely get her kids back. What a disgusting spin.
I'm sure if she had pronounced salacious mistruths, you wouldn't be questioning her credibility at all.
6 - Jamie Thorn
You have someone calling Jackson a ****** as a comment to your piece and you say 'your reaction was pretty over the top'.
No condemnation for the use of the word at all on your site?
Speaks decibels.
7 - Eric Olsen
this particular post is utterly dry, factual, and without the slightest commentary from me. Or do you think I'm Gloria Allred?
I think the introduction of these two books is basically meaningless given the context
8 - DEATH TO SNEDDON
Let me say first off MIHOS that you are a worthless sack of skin that is not even worthy of the word "asshole".
This is being brought forward as "evidence" clearly because THAT ASSHOLE SNEDDON is losing his case because THERE IS NO CASE....it has been a witch hunt all along, using a 12 year old FALSE case as a model to discredit someone SNEDDON has a personal vendetta against. If anyone should be lynched it should be SNEDDON right along with BASHIR.
9 - Eric Olsen
for those of you who don't know Mihos, he was being deeply sarcastic
10 - Mihos
Eric one solution would be to open a blog chapter on the unethical coverage presented by the all white menopause brigade
11 - Eric Olsen
I don't disagree that a selection of obviously biased coverage would be interesting and entertaining, if not revealing
12 - Helen Willis
It wasn't dry and factual in the slightest. Especially with the garb at the end.
You have picked and chosen which quotes to include from so called experts. That does not indicate key facts.
State your opinion but don't misrepresent them describing it as factual because it isn't.
And Gloria Allred has been after Jackson since 93. She files lawsuits every other month on behalf 'of the children' against him with no basis whatsoever. If you call that looking at the facts, you are crazy.
13 - DEATH TO SNEDDON
I apologize, Mihos! I see now that you WERE being sarcastic and I was being the asshole! OOPS! But the biased journalism just gets my hackles up and I just finished reading some Gloria Allred nonsense right before I came here so my dander was up! Sorry :)
You gotta love how so many of the headlines are falsified and quotes are cut in half to make MJ look bad..what's up with that? Can't people see how stupid some of that shit is?? Like the VASELINE?? Please! That would so never happen!
14 - Eric Olsen
note the introduction to the Allred segment: "a well-known non-fan of Mr. Jackson"
15 - Mihos
I would really enjoy an opportunity to make
a difference in finding a solution to unethical yellow journalists.
if Eric starts a new Blog journal utilizing transcipts from diane Dimond and Nancy Graceless we will have alot more to talk about and we don't have to argue for or against because we are only going to be discussing how objective the reports are.
16 - Matt
I don't know who is scarier: Jacko himself, or the wackadoos that support this guy.
I'm going with the latter.
17 - Mihos
Im scared of the apathetic masses that knowingly and willingly allow their country to be run by power hungry losers. big power little dick eager to cheat rob and steal natural resources from everybody. What's better is all the powerful allies of apathy
sit around day dreaming about the next heist. History has taught some of us that the first weapon in dismantling the enemy with the resources is to destroy their credibility and once they are weakened by stress, give them more of the medicine they need the least.
Alcohol of Indians, Guns for scary black people controling the oil and blood diamonds in the Ivory coast, famine for the Irish and with old moe joe, Gavin the Grifter.
Ingratiating Gavin the grifter was supposed to be a guest ended up leavng his underwear in the bathroom of the man he is accusing. Makes me wonder how Jacksons supporters can sleep at night knowing how far gone their idol is.
It also makes me wonder how the Jackson haters can survive in todays societies where the races are mixed.
18 - Mihos
Im watching court tv right now, watching a bunch of white cops in kodiak alaska beating up on drunk indian women. it is so sad. its impossible not to feel their pain.
19 - Mihos
and now they are chasing and tackling a black guy -bloodied him up - oh ten minutes later hes released wrong guy
20 - Mihos
But the white lady is batting her eyelashes and swears she is innocent oh my god no breathalizer nothing- if that was an indian or a black woman she would have been tested for drugs and aaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrgggggggggggggghhhhhhh. I hate Tivo now im going to have to review this again.
21 - Helen Willis
Matt based on the facts what is your opinion of the case? With certain discussions on the facts of the case if you will.
22 - WTF
Never heard of Tivo Jackson.
Let's see... Name the Jacksons
Germaine
LaToya
Michael
Janet
Tito... oh yeah and Tivo. Was LaToya in the band? I remember Beat it, and that early MTV Billie Jean King video. No wait... she's the tennis player...
Sorry all, I've been writing reseach papers all day and my mind it wiped.
L8tr
Did I miss any? Harpo maybe?
23 - Eric Olsen
Jermaine, Randy, Reebie, Abraham, Martin and John
24 - HW Saxton
You're forgetting: Manny, Moe & Jack.
25 - RJ
Hey, kids! It's time for "Fun With Facts" brought to you by RJ!
Who's the guy who has admitted to sleeping in bed with numerous little boys [no relation]? Michael Jackson!
Who's the guy who has had numerous people testify that he has sexually molested them, back when they were young boys? Michael Jackson!
Who's they guy who owns multiple books containing pictures of young, naked boys? Michael Jackson!
Who's the guy who can't seem to have a normal relationship with adult women? Michael Jackson!
That's right! And Michael Jackson is also a disfigured freak, thanks to countless, purely-optional, plastic surgeries!
Let's give a big round of applause to our "hero for the day" Michael Jackson!
[wild applause from deranged MJ-fanatics...]