Grand Jury Indicts Jackson

AP News ^ | April 21st, 2004

[missyme]

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Pop star Michael Jackson was indicted by a Santa Barbara County grand jury investigating child molestation allegations, television news organizations reported Wednesday.

The reports by ABC, CNN and MSNBC cited sources that were unidentified. They had no details about the indictment, nor was there any official confirmation or announcement.

Grand jury indictments are usually secret until a defendant is arraigned.

Jackson attorney Mark Geragos, reached by telephone, would not answer questions from The Associated Press about whether there was an indictment.

(AP) Pop star Michael Jackson reaches for his umbrella as he leaves the Santa Maria Courthouse following... Full Image

Geragos, other defense attorneys and prosecutors in the case are covered by a gag order. The district attorney's office also would not comment about the media reports.

"This probably is a court matter, to be able to give the information out, not the district attorney's office," said Susan Tellem of Tellem Worldwide, hired to handle media inquiries for District Attorney Tom Sneddon in the case. "There's a gag order ... and that means the district attorney really can't speak."

Calls by the AP to Sneddon and others in his office were not immediately returned.

Jackson's spokesman, Raymone Bain, did not immediately return calls. Jackson's father, Joe Jackson, was overseas, said a man who answered the phone at his home in Nevada.

Tellem said court administrator Gary Blair would determine when the court would officially release any information about the grand jury. Messages left at Blair's office were not immediately returned.

The grand jury has spent the last three weeks hearing from witnesses, including a 14-year-old boy who claims the pop superstar sexually abused him.

Four months ago, county prosecutors charged Jackson with seven counts of lewd or lascivious acts on a child under the age of 14 and two counts of administering an intoxicating agent, reportedly wine. Jackson pleaded not guilty in January to those charges.

[Jorge]

Here we go....

[litany_of_lies]

This was a given, or the prosecutor wouldn't have wasted his time in the first place.

I'm not at all confident the prosecutor can get a conviction, and if he doesn't get one, the cries of racism will be deafening.

An interesting side question is whether Jackson really has the money to pay Geragos. I have my doubts.

[missyme]

No he won't be convicted either will Kobe as they follow the verdict of OJ....

[SevenofNine]

Yeah this big story right now on local Talk radio here in SO CAL

Jacko indicted
Now he going be on fast track to go to court

[litany_of_lies]

If the trial is held at the "downtown" LA courthouse with a jury pool from that area, Michael Jackson won't get convicted even if it's proven he's a serial killer. I speak from painful personal (civil) experience.

If the trial is in Santa Monica, it could go either way.

If it's in Santa Barbara, assuming they do jury trials there, he's going down.

Look for Geragos to furiously lobby for the "downtown" courthouse.

[Samwise]

What's the difference between Michael Jackson and a grocery bag?


One is white, plastic, and dangerous for children to play with, and the other one can carry groceries.


My 12-year-old told me that one.

[bayourod]

Well, isn't that nice.

[pacfan63]

I agree. This will end up being about "race"so he will get off.People in this country have come to fear the repercussions of the black population. They would rather let a black person get away with child molestation than see him go to prison only because he is black. It's O.J.all over again!

[kaktuskid]

The same night South Park showed its "The Jeffersons" episode with you-know-who buying a home in that mtn. burg!
COINCIDENCE?