2005 trial of Michael Jackson

In 2005, Michael Jackson went to trial on child molestation charges. The alleged victim was a boy, Gavin Arvizo, referred to as "the accuser." Arvizo was 13 years old at the time of the alleged crimes. Michael Jackson was indicted for conspiracy with five (unindicted) co-conspirators to abduct the accuser, his sister, and his brother, falsely imprison and extort the same children and their mother, and for sexually molesting the accuser. On June 13, 2005, the jury found Jackson not guilty on all charges.

Grand jury proceedings and indictment

Grand jury proceedings (without defense and without judge) in Santa Barbara, starting in March 2004, led to Jackson's indictment on April 21 2004. The grand jury was composed of nineteen jurors; the indictment required the votes of at least twelve jurors. Prosecution witnesses testified without defense cross-examination. The judge ruled that witnesses before the grand jury could talk to defense attorneys about their knowledge of the case as long as the witnesses did not tell what they saw in the grand jury room or what questions they were asked and their answers. Many grand jury witnesses were sneaked into the building where the grand jury is meeting, sometimes covered in blankets to hide their identities. In February 2005 The Smoking Gun published the secret transcript.

Related Topics:
Grand jury - Santa Barbara - Indictment - April 21 - 2004 - Witness - Testified - Cross-examination - The Smoking Gun

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Thus pre-trial hearings to prepare a preliminary hearing were no longer needed.

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A sudden change of the Jackson defense team was announced in late April, 2004. Ben Brafman and Mark Geragos were replaced by Robert Blake's defense attorney Thomas Mesereau, and allegedly at the behest of Jermaine and Randy Jackson. According to CNN legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin, tension from the Jackson family from not having Geragos' full attention, because of the Scott Peterson death penalty case being at trial, and quick responses to their questions regarding media coverage of Michael's case were the reasons for the dismissal. Brafman and Geragos learned of their replacement not directly from the family but through telephoned press inquiries into the dramatic shake-up.

Related Topics:
Ben Brafman - Mark Geragos - Thomas Mesereau

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The second arraignment was on April, 30, and attended by lame-duck defense counsel Mark Geragos. The new charges, to which Jackson pleaded not guilty, were similar to the earlier ones, allegedly "on or about and between" 20 February and 12 March 2003, but with the addition of conspiracy involving child abduction, false imprisonment and extortion. Apparently the first two referred to the allegation that the accuser, although he was free to move within Neverland, was at some stages not allowed to leave the ranch, even when his mother wanted that.

Related Topics:
Arraignment - Conspiracy - Abduction - False imprisonment - Extortion

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News organisations' cases for releasing evidence were heard at a hearing on 28 May 2004. The judge refused to release the full indictment or grand jury testimony.

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On July 28, 2004 judge Melville granted a delay in the trial.

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On December 3 and 4, 2004, Neverland was searched again. Also in that month Jackson's DNA was taken.

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Jackson intends not to place himself in so vulnerable a position again. Geraldo Rivera, a longtime friend of the Jackson family, explained that Michael Jackson will never have sleepovers with boys not related to him again, because he understands that, however innocent his conduct has been, it violates a social norm.

Related Topics:
Geraldo Rivera - Social norm

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Alleged co-conspirators

The indictment named five alleged co-conspirators (not indicted themselves):

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• Frank Tyson (also called Frank Cascio), 23, who was Jackson's personal assistant, and might have threatened the accuser's younger brother, who was a witness of part of the alleged crimes. Tyson and Jackson have been friends since Tyson was a small boy. Tyson's father was the concierge at a NY hotel where Jackson stayed. Right after the 1993 allegations, Cascio and his younger brother were seen traveling the world with Jackson.
• Vince Amen (also called Vinnie), 24, who worked for Jackson's production company and might have been holding the family at Neverland against their will - got acquainted with Jackson through Tyson
• Marc Schaffel - producer of the unreleased song What More Can I Give featuring various celebrities on vocals in an attempt to raise funds for disaster relief following the September 11, 2001 Terrorist Attack; former producer of homosexual pornography - his house was searched by the police in 2004
• Dieter Wiesner - German
• Ronald Konitzer - German-born Canadian

None of them agreed to testify during the grand jury proceedings.

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