Jackson and entourage arrive and leave court

(16 Apr 2005) SHOTLIST

APTN
Santa Maria, 15 April 2005
1. Michael Jackson gets out of vehicle
2. Shots of Jackson walking towards courthouse
3. Jackson walks through metal detector and into courtroom
4. Mother of accuser (with coat over her head) walks through metal detector and into courtroom
5. Defence attorney Tom Sneddon walks towards courthouse
6. Jackson and entourage leave courthouse


ACCUSER'S MOTHER ADMITS LYING UNDER OATH

The mother of Michael Jackson's young accuser acknowledged on Friday that she twice lied under oath in a lawsuit as the singer's lead defence attorney fired a barrage of questions meant to portray her as the mastermind behind fake molestation charges.

The furious exchange between attorney Thomas Mesereau Jr. and the witness prompted Judge Rodney S Melville to chide them both.

Melville struck so many comments from the record during cross-examination that he stopped testimony at one point to explain to jurors the significance and consequences of his actions.

Looking to shatter the woman's credibility, Mesereau focused many of his questions on what he calls her bogus lawsuit against a department store.

The family received more than 150,000 US dollars in 2001 after alleging they were roughed up by JC Penney security guards.

Mesereau noted that in a sworn deposition taken during the suit, the woman said she had never been abused by her husband at the time, a factor because her alleged injuries may have been caused by such violence.

Earlier, the witness testified that she gave a poor performance on a videotaped interview with Jackson associates because she was a "poor actress."

Mesereau replied: "No, I think you're a good one."

Melville chastised Mesereau for unprofessional conduct and asked the woman again to refrain from delivering lengthy answers unrelated to attorneys' questions, telling her, "It's as much your fault."

Cross-examination of the witness was expected to continue when court resumes on Monday.

Jackson, 46, is accused of molesting a 13-year-old former cancer patient, plying the boy with alcohol, and holding his family captive at his Neverland ranch and elsewhere in February and March 2003 to get them to help rebut a damaging documentary.

In the so-called rebuttal video, the mother and her three children, including the accuser, offer testimonials to Jackson's kindness and describe themselves as his family.

The woman testified on Friday that everything on the video, including even breaks where she jokes with her son about gang signals and he complains about his seat, was intricately scripted by Jackson aides.

She said the only departure from the script was when she discussed God, cancer and child welfare workers.

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