12-19-2003, 06:08 AM
We can all hope so...
Michael Jackson is facing the music--lots of it.
Officials in Santa Barbara County, California, formally charged the Peter Pan-esque performer with seven felony counts of molesting a child, and two felony counts of plying the same child with an "intoxicating agent," reputed to be wine.
If convicted, Jackson, whose eccentric excesses have marginalized his Grammy-winning, Thriller-selling legend, faces up to 24 years in prison. Santa Barbara County District Attorney Tom Sneddon said special allegations, accusing Jackson of having "substantial sexual conduct" with the child, could make the singer ineligible for parole were he to be found guilty.
According to Jackson's own attorney, Mark Geragos, these are "horrible, horrible" charges. They are also, said the soundbite-ready lawyer, "wholly unfounded," "categorically untrue" and "driven by two things--money and revenge." Money, he argued, is what the alleged victim's family wants; revenge, what Sneddon wants.
"I'm here to tell you right now, Michael Jackson is going to fight these charges with every fiber of his soul," a worked-up Geragos told reporters nearly two hours after Sneddon's office, unlike in a prior Jackson investigation a decade ago, filed criminal charges at a courthouse in Santa Maria, California.
In a statement, Jackson's mother, Katherine Jackson, took up Geragos' theme, calling the accusations "totally untrue, malicious and motivated by pure greed and revenge."
For all the raised voices (Sneddon's, as well as Geragos'), all the teeming reporters, and all the play-by-play coverage afforded the stamping of papers ("It happens in courthouses all the time," Court TV reporter Diane Diamond intoned as the magic ka-thunks occurred, "except this time it happened to the King of Pop."), the three-page complaint, dense with formalese, contained none of the details that have been general news fodder for nearly a month now.
As is standard with cases involving minors, the complaint referred to the alleged victim only as "John Doe, a child under the age of 14 years." It is understood, however, that the boy, now 14, is a cancer victim who was shown holding hands with Jackson in the controversial documentary Living with Michael Jackson, which debuted on ABC last February.
The complaint's most notable contributions were in enumerating the charges against Jackson, and establishing a time frame for the case. Per prosecutors, the alleged incidents occurred just days, and possibly as little as one day, after the Jackson TV special first aired.
Five of the molestation charges, alleging Jackson committed a "lewd and lascivious act upon and with the body and certain parts" of the boy, reputedly occurred between last February 7-March 10, per the complaint. The other two alleged molestations were said to have occurred between February 20 and March 10.
Living with Michael Jackson premiered on ABC on February 6.
The two "intoxicating agent" incidents also are alleged to have occurred during the February 20-March 10 period.
NBC News reported Thursday that the boy's mother has claimed that Jackson gave her son wine in a soda can, and showed him porno videos on a computer during a family visit to the singer's Santa Barbara-area Neverland Ranch, where the alleged molestation reputedly occurred. The boy's younger brother is said to be the prosecution's prime witness.
Jackson, 45, is due to be arraigned January 16, one week later than originally announced, per a court request.
While Geragos portrayed his famed client as determined and ready for a fight, the Moonwalker star apparently hasn't altogether turned up his glove on glitz.
On Saturday, the singer reportedly will be feted at Neverland by his family before embarking for the United Kingdom. Jackson's reputed Neverland visit will be his first to his amusement park cum home since it was raided by evidence-seeking authorities last month. On Thursday, TV news cameras tracked catering trucks rolling in and out of the compound.
No word on what Sneddon thinks of the reputed Neverland bash, but he's okay by the U.K. trip. Prosecutors agreed to allow Jackson to "fulfill two contractual obligations" in Europe, Sneddon said. In addition to facing serious legal charges, Jackson is pushing the greatest-hits collection Number Ones, released the day of the Neverland raid. The collection has sold better in Europe than in the United States.
Jackson's passport, which he surrendered upon being booked on November 20, has been returned by authorities. His Euro sojourn is expected to end January 6. Sneddon said his office has taken "appropriate measures" to make sure there are no travel snags preventing Jackson from making the return flight home. Geragos reiterated that Jackson is not looking to run from the charges.
If Geragos was on the offensive from his home base Los Angeles, Sneddon was on the defensive in Santa Maria. Specifically, he defended his office's filing of charges in the wake of child-welfare investigators in Los Angeles passing on the case months ago.
"It's L.A.," Sneddon said. "L.A. is just a big place...and that particular department has a lot of problems."
Sneddon investigated, but failed to file charges against, Jackson in 1993-94, when a then-13-year-old boy accused Jackson of molesting him. Geragos claims Sneddon wants revenge for that earlier case, which culminated in a civil settlement between Jackson and the child's family.
Geragos' front-and-center appearance Thursday came amid reports he'll be shoved aside, possibly by O.J. Simpson (news) defender Johnny Cochran, as the militant Nation of Islam moves in on the Jackson case.
Sources tells the new Us Weekly, out Friday, "everyone is wondering what will happen to Geragos" now that the Nation of Islam has "taken over control of Michael's affairs." The New York Post says Jackson has converted to the religious faction.
Michael Jackson is facing the music--lots of it.
Officials in Santa Barbara County, California, formally charged the Peter Pan-esque performer with seven felony counts of molesting a child, and two felony counts of plying the same child with an "intoxicating agent," reputed to be wine.
If convicted, Jackson, whose eccentric excesses have marginalized his Grammy-winning, Thriller-selling legend, faces up to 24 years in prison. Santa Barbara County District Attorney Tom Sneddon said special allegations, accusing Jackson of having "substantial sexual conduct" with the child, could make the singer ineligible for parole were he to be found guilty.
According to Jackson's own attorney, Mark Geragos, these are "horrible, horrible" charges. They are also, said the soundbite-ready lawyer, "wholly unfounded," "categorically untrue" and "driven by two things--money and revenge." Money, he argued, is what the alleged victim's family wants; revenge, what Sneddon wants.
"I'm here to tell you right now, Michael Jackson is going to fight these charges with every fiber of his soul," a worked-up Geragos told reporters nearly two hours after Sneddon's office, unlike in a prior Jackson investigation a decade ago, filed criminal charges at a courthouse in Santa Maria, California.
In a statement, Jackson's mother, Katherine Jackson, took up Geragos' theme, calling the accusations "totally untrue, malicious and motivated by pure greed and revenge."
For all the raised voices (Sneddon's, as well as Geragos'), all the teeming reporters, and all the play-by-play coverage afforded the stamping of papers ("It happens in courthouses all the time," Court TV reporter Diane Diamond intoned as the magic ka-thunks occurred, "except this time it happened to the King of Pop."), the three-page complaint, dense with formalese, contained none of the details that have been general news fodder for nearly a month now.
As is standard with cases involving minors, the complaint referred to the alleged victim only as "John Doe, a child under the age of 14 years." It is understood, however, that the boy, now 14, is a cancer victim who was shown holding hands with Jackson in the controversial documentary Living with Michael Jackson, which debuted on ABC last February.
The complaint's most notable contributions were in enumerating the charges against Jackson, and establishing a time frame for the case. Per prosecutors, the alleged incidents occurred just days, and possibly as little as one day, after the Jackson TV special first aired.
Five of the molestation charges, alleging Jackson committed a "lewd and lascivious act upon and with the body and certain parts" of the boy, reputedly occurred between last February 7-March 10, per the complaint. The other two alleged molestations were said to have occurred between February 20 and March 10.
Living with Michael Jackson premiered on ABC on February 6.
The two "intoxicating agent" incidents also are alleged to have occurred during the February 20-March 10 period.
NBC News reported Thursday that the boy's mother has claimed that Jackson gave her son wine in a soda can, and showed him porno videos on a computer during a family visit to the singer's Santa Barbara-area Neverland Ranch, where the alleged molestation reputedly occurred. The boy's younger brother is said to be the prosecution's prime witness.
Jackson, 45, is due to be arraigned January 16, one week later than originally announced, per a court request.
While Geragos portrayed his famed client as determined and ready for a fight, the Moonwalker star apparently hasn't altogether turned up his glove on glitz.
On Saturday, the singer reportedly will be feted at Neverland by his family before embarking for the United Kingdom. Jackson's reputed Neverland visit will be his first to his amusement park cum home since it was raided by evidence-seeking authorities last month. On Thursday, TV news cameras tracked catering trucks rolling in and out of the compound.
No word on what Sneddon thinks of the reputed Neverland bash, but he's okay by the U.K. trip. Prosecutors agreed to allow Jackson to "fulfill two contractual obligations" in Europe, Sneddon said. In addition to facing serious legal charges, Jackson is pushing the greatest-hits collection Number Ones, released the day of the Neverland raid. The collection has sold better in Europe than in the United States.
Jackson's passport, which he surrendered upon being booked on November 20, has been returned by authorities. His Euro sojourn is expected to end January 6. Sneddon said his office has taken "appropriate measures" to make sure there are no travel snags preventing Jackson from making the return flight home. Geragos reiterated that Jackson is not looking to run from the charges.
If Geragos was on the offensive from his home base Los Angeles, Sneddon was on the defensive in Santa Maria. Specifically, he defended his office's filing of charges in the wake of child-welfare investigators in Los Angeles passing on the case months ago.
"It's L.A.," Sneddon said. "L.A. is just a big place...and that particular department has a lot of problems."
Sneddon investigated, but failed to file charges against, Jackson in 1993-94, when a then-13-year-old boy accused Jackson of molesting him. Geragos claims Sneddon wants revenge for that earlier case, which culminated in a civil settlement between Jackson and the child's family.
Geragos' front-and-center appearance Thursday came amid reports he'll be shoved aside, possibly by O.J. Simpson (news) defender Johnny Cochran, as the militant Nation of Islam moves in on the Jackson case.
Sources tells the new Us Weekly, out Friday, "everyone is wondering what will happen to Geragos" now that the Nation of Islam has "taken over control of Michael's affairs." The New York Post says Jackson has converted to the religious faction.
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