Re: The Trial 2005-English Version

Da szwaby82 Gio Ott 20, 2011 12:14 pm

April 10 , 2005

Day 27: Former Employees Sold False Stories to Fund Suit Against Mr. Jackson, Jackson Won

Thursday, April 7, 2005 Day 27 of Michael Jackson's trial featured testimony from a security guard that had been fired for stealing at Mr. Jackson's ranch before he ever brought any accusations against Mr. Jackson.

The former security guard, Ralph Chacon, was attacked by Mr. Jackson's lawyer as making the whole thing up "to get even." Defense attorney Thomas Mr. Mesereau Jr. accused Chacon of having tried to "extort" $16 million from Mr. Jackson in a lawsuit and lengthy trial that he and the former maid lost, forcing Chacon into bankruptcy.

"After a six-month trial, this is a good way to get even with him, isn't it?" said Mr. Mesereau, drawing a strong objection from the prosecution.

Mr. Jackson's lawyers exposed Ralph Chacon, painting him as a cash-strapped, disgruntled former employee who was out to extort Mr. Jackson.

The boy, that Chacon says he saw engaged in what he defines as 'inappropriate behavior' with Mr. Jackson, received a financial settlement, from Mr. Jackson in 1994. The boy did not cooperate with a police investigation and no charges were filed against Mr. Jackson. The boy is not scheduled to testify in the trial.

Adrian McManus, a Mr. Jackson maid between 1990 and 1994, also testified Thursday that she saw Mr. Jackson kiss Macaulay Culkin on the cheek while his hand was on Culkin's bottom. The defense has asserted that Culkin has repeatedly said he was never molested, and a spokeswoman for the actor has said he has no plans to be part of the case.

But McManus also testified that when subpoenaed in the lawsuit that resulted in the 1994 settlement she did not tell attorneys that she had seen Mr. Jackson touching the boy.

"I didn't tell the truth. I said I didn't see anything," she said.

Chacon also acknowledged he was ordered to pay $25,000 for allegedly stealing Mr. Jackson's property, which Chacon said was only a candy bar, and that he and others, including McManus, were ordered to pay more than $1.4 million in a judgment won by Mr. Jackson. Chacon said he had not paid anything because he filed for bankruptcy.

Lead defense lawyer Thomas Mr. Mesereau pointed out that Chacon and other former Neverland employees had lost a wrongful dismissal lawsuit against Mr. Jackson and that trial jurors found they had acted with malice toward Mr. Jackson.

In heated cross-examination, Chacon acknowledged that when he and other employees decided to sue Mr. Jackson they consulted a lawyer who told them the only way they could fund the suit was to sell stories to tabloids. He said they sold a story for $17,000 and all the money went to the lawyer.

Mr. Mesereau pressed him on whether he drafted the story at the lawyer's office.

"I probably did," said Chacon. "It's been a long time."

"Well, it's no longer than some of these events you claim to have witnessed with Mr. Jackson," Mr. Mesereau replied.

The witness paused and said, "I probably did. I did."

He fended off Mr. Mesereau's suggestions that he has added "more lurid facts" each time he has told his story, but he acknowledged that this week he met with Sneddon and gave him additional details.

"Did you say you forgot to say things about Mr. Mr. Jackson molesting young men in 1993?" asked Mr. Mesereau.

"Yes, sir," said the witness.

"And now you remember them in 2005?" Mr. Mesereau said.

"Vaguely, yes," Chacon said.

Contrary to news reports, Mr. Jackson's mother left the courtroom during her son's child molestation trial last week to use the rest room - not to avoid hearing graphic testimony.

"Accusing me of leaving due to graphic testimony when I simply went to the rest room is not fair, not accurate," she said in a written statement.

Katherine Jackson stepped out during a break when attorneys were meeting in the judge's chambers. When she tried to re-enter, the jury had already been seated and she had to wait until the next break

Da szwaby82 Gio Ott 20, 2011 12:14 pm

April 10 , 2005

Day 28: 'But your idea of justice was millions of bucks?' Defense Exposes Former Employees

Friday, April 8, 2005 On Day 28 Michael Jackson's former maid testified Friday at the singer's child molestation trial that she and other employees of the pop star used a "media broker" to sell stories to tabloids including one claiming inside knowledge of Mr. Jackson's sex life with ex-wife Lisa Marie Presley.

Adrian McManus, who earlier testified for the prosecution that she saw Mr. Jackson in compromising positions with young boys, insisted under cross-examination that she was not out to get Mr. Jackson's money even when she and four other Neverland employees sued him for millions.

"I wanted justice," she said of the suit, which backfired and resulted in a large judgment against the plaintiffs.

"But your idea of justice was millions of bucks?" asked Mr. Jackson lawyer Thomas Mr. Mesereau Jr.

"That's not what I call justice," said the witness. "Honestly, a simple 'sorry for what we did to you' would have been enough for me."

But Mr. Mesereau noted that McManus and the others spent many months and large amounts of money pursuing their suit against Mr. Jackson, and he elicited from her the fact that they went to tabloids to fund their lawsuit.

McManus acknowledged that she signed agreements with the Star and the Splash media and picture agency to sell purported secrets about Mr. Jackson's life with Presley.

Mr. Jackson married Presley in May 1994. Presley filed for divorce in January 1996, saying they had formally separated the previous month. McManus was a Neverland maid from 1990 to 1994.

"Do you recall trying to sell what you called Mr. Jackson's sex secrets?" Mr. Mesereau Â asked McManus.

"Something like that," she said.

She identified in court the contract with Star.

"And you were quoted in a Star story with the headline, 'Kinky secrets of Michael and Lisa Marie's bedroom,' " Mr. Mesereau Â said.

"I didn't say that," the witness insisted, adding, "A lot of times with those tabloids they say other stuff."

But she acknowledged that during the time she was at Neverland she saw Presley visit and that through a media broker she offered the tabloids information on the relationship.

"And in that contract you agreed to provide information on Mr. Jackson's relationship with Lisa Marie Presley?" Mr. Mesereau Â asked.

"Yes," she said, and also confirmed that a security guard, Ralph Chacon, signed the contract as well.

Another ex-employee took the stand against Mr. Jackson Friday testifying that he once saw Mr. Jackson with his hand inside child star Macaulay Culkin's shorts but didn't tell anyone because "nobody would have ever believed this."

Macaulay Culkin has repeatedly denied anything inappropriate happened.

Phillip LeMarque, who said he and his wife worked for Mr. Jackson for 10 months in 1991, said he never made his allegations until 1993, when authorities came to him in connection with another child's claims against Mr. Jackson.

Under cross-examination by Mr. Jackson's attorney Thomas Mesereau Jr., LeMarque acknowledged that he and his wife considered selling the story to the tabloids and that he told an intermediary he wanted $500,000.

LeMarque said he and his wife sued Mr. Jackson after they quit, claiming they were owed overtime pay. He said the lawsuit was settled.

During a break in testimony, Judge Rodney Melville barred the defence from raising the issue of LeMarque's later work as the operator of a pornographic Web site.