Jackson Lawyer: Money Behind Claims

FOX News Online ^ | 11/26/2003 | Staff

[Luis Gonzalez]

LOS ANGELES

[Orangedog]

A month before the settlement, the boy's mother had filed for divorce, beginning a bitter fight that would include criminal charges of abuse.

Jackson is a whack-job for sure, but the DA should have done his homework on the mother before he pulled the trigger on this case. The mother has a history of using her kids for her own personal and financial gain. While public policy allows her to do this in divorce court, a high profile criminal case is another matter. Maybe a better case will surface soon. I think that's why the DA made his public plea for others to come forward.

[ppaul]

[LS]

I agree her case is looking weaker. But is is stunning what people with money---O.J., Kobe, MJ---can do to people who are on the other side of the court against them.

Far from making me suspicious of the DA, it makes me wonder what things in my life could be distorted if I ever tried to bring someone like that to justice.

[Orangedog]

He's a perv alright. I hope he gets what's coming to him. I'm just saying the DA should have done a little research and found out how the mother has a history of using her kids to play the legal system for her own gain.

[Judith Anne]

As far as the videotapes are concerned, what's the problem with making them? All planes should have a videotape in them to film what is going on, in case of malfunction of the plane.

[cake_crumb]

There are those who will brand Jackson guilty whether he's innocent of these charges or not, because he A: dangled his own child out a window, proving he's unstable, B: the other lawsuit and our need to pull down our idols when they seem to be getting just too big for their britches and C: the fact that he really IS just too weird for most people to comprehend.

I stayed out of this case, figuring the truth would come out in investigation and because Shawn Hannity was convicting him for sleeping with kids. Not having sex with them, but sleeping with them. My kids crawled into bed with me when they had nightmares, and sometines all 4 of us piled into the same bed for warmth when money was extremely tight and we lived in a drafty old house. The difference of course is that they were MY kids...but Hannity says he would never sleep with a child because it's abnormal. Apparently that includes his own. To each his own, but his charges did not prove a crime committed.

Personally, whether he's a paedophile or not, and there hasen't been any solid proof of that, I beleive he should have lost custody of his son when he dangled him out of that second story window. THAT is entirely different and not relevant to the suit though.

[cake_crumb]

The DA sounds like a wackjob in his own right.

[muawiyah]

There's a very good chance that Jackson's "team" knew all about the mother and any lawsuits long before he, Jackson, invited the kid to visit Neverland.

Remember, Jackson has lots of money and is in a position to select any potential victim with sufficient information to discredit their parents or guardians.

Again, Jackson invited the kid to Neverland, he didn't just walk in the front yard with a plan to cheat Michael!

[CindyDawg]

If she has a history why would she go for criminal charges instead of a settlement though?

[Restore]

I was forwarded the following e-mail today:

Jacko Tape Outlets could be in Violation of Federal Criminal Law.

Days ago I was contacted by a lawyer interested in having LANS represent the secretly recorded video and sound recordings of Mr. Michael Jackson and his lawyer flying aboard a private jet in-route to Santa Barbara, California. Because I have licensed or assisted in the licensing of more than $5,000,000 in exclusive news material, it was believed that I could get "top dollar" for the latest Jackson footage. I declined. The source of the videotape, Pilot Jeffery Borer has served time in Federal Prison (I won't bore you with the details) and I'm not about to join the club.

I pointed out that the tape was shot in violation of both Federal and State law. Specifically, Title 18 USC, Section 2511, and California's State Omnibus Act dealing with secret recordings made where one or more parties believe that they have a reasonable expectation or right to privacy.

Since this was a chartered flight, booked for the specific purpose of transporting Mr. Jackson and his Attorney back to California, Mr, Jackson had the unquestionable right to privacy while meeting with his lawyer.

Furthermore, the media could very well be subject to Federal Criminal prosecution under Title 18 USC, Section 2511 . 1 (b) , (d). that states:

obtains or is for the purpose of obtaining information relating to the operations of any business or other commercial establishment the operations of which affect interstate or foreign commerce; or (c) intentionally discloses, or endeavors to disclose, to any other person the contents of any wire, oral, or electronic communication, knowing or having reason to know that the information was obtained through the interception of a wire, oral, or electronic communication in violation of this subsection;

In short I and any media outlet that broadcast the illegal recording could have been charged with violation of Federal law. Not to mention the ethical ramifications. Television News has hit a new low. A temporary 44% to 55% increase in ratings isn't worth it.

My understanding is that the Federal Bureau of Investigation has been asked to conduct a criminal investigation.

Bob Tur Los Angeles News Service

Frankly I feel that Bob Tur doth protest too much.

[stanz]

Finally, someone I can agree with. Everyone including the media and some high profile lawyers are ready to find Michael Jackson guilty without any proof.
Dangling the child out of a window was a stupid, mindless thing to do, but then we as parents have all done stupid things we regret.
I'll wait before I condemn him. And yes, there have been plenty of nights when I crawled into my parents' bed and when my kid crawled into my bed for comfort or emotional closeness. So I can't agree with Sean Hannity on this one.

[Zipporah]

.."The father's attorney, Russell Halpern, said the mother had lied about the abuse.."

Sounds like what Mark Geragos is saying about Jackson.

[muawiyah]

No one is ready to find Michael guilty without proof. Rather, the defenses his lawyers, agents, servants and concubines are passing around have some serious problems in them.

He'd be better off having them keep their mouths shut!

[Zipporah]

The other difference .. not only were they your kids but you didn't have a revolving door into your bedroom.

[hope]

Geragos is such a scum-sucking, bottom feeder. Oh, wait, is that o.k. to say?

[Luis Gonzalez]

Because it's against the law, or so it seems.

[Luis Gonzalez]

"If she has a history why would she go for criminal charges instead of a settlement though?" This could be the end game after having sought some settlement back during the time that she and her son lived with Jackson. Jackson hired Garagos to handle this situation a while back, so they knew it was coming. From what I've been able to piece together, the molestation charges came up after Jackson had to ask the family to leave Neverland. Today, the police delayed officially charging Jackson for two weeks, the reason given was to give time for some website to gather more evidence or leads. Or maybe, they are taking a second, long look at this family.

[Luis Gonzalez]

"Maybe a better case will surface soon."

Do you think that it is OK for the D.A. to try creating a case against a citizen?

Would you feel like your rights were being violated if suddenly, the police in your town began advertising for people to come forward and accuse you of some crime so that they could prosecute you?

[Luis Gonzalez]

"He's a perv alright."

Based on what?

By the way, I would not take Garago's threats lightly, he could go after libel...even in net forums.