Judge Allows Testimony From Michael Jackson's Ex-Wife

Tuesday, April 26, 2005

After a three-day weekend, court resumed with yet more rulings from Judge Rodney Melville as well as testimony from a former Neverland Valley ranch bodyguard.

The Judge ruled that Prosecutors could question Michael Jackson's ex-wife (and Mother to his two eldest children) Debbie Rowe about a rebuttal video she had made around the same time the Arvizo family had made their video. Senior Deputy District Attorney Ron Zonen argued that Rowe would tell jurors she participated in a "highly scripted interview and that the incentive was to suggest she would have visitation with her children if she did this." Defence attorney Robert Sanger opposed the arguments, stating that the Defence were willing to present the three-hour video of her interview as well as footage that Rowe had secretly taped in which she never says anything bad about Michael. After arguments, Melville made his ruling, "I will admit the testimony and will look to ways to restrict that testimony."

District Attorney Tom Sneddon announced to the court (outside the presence of jurors) that a witness they had planned to call, former Neverland security guard Chris Carter, will not be testifying according to the Associated Press. The Judge had given Prosecutors permission to question Carter, who was going to invoke the Fifth Amendment to not be questioned about his recent arrest for burglary, robbery and first-degree kidnapping, all with a deadly weapon, however Sneddon made the announcement without giving any apparent reason as to why he will no longer be testifying.

Melville allowed Prosecutors to grant witness Cynthia Montgomery immunity so that her testimony given in this case cannot be used against her in any other. Montgomery is currently under investigation by the FBI for her role in secretly taping a conversation between Michael and his former attorney Mark Geragos on the XtraJet flight that took them back to Santa Barbara in November 2003. Montgomery will testify about the flight as well as alleged plans by Michael's employees to fly the Arvizo family to Brazil.

Prosecutors were denied a request to bring in testimony from a man who claimed his son went missing at Neverland for 90 minutes and ended up in Michael's bedroom. Sanger stated the motion showed desperation on the part of the Prosecution's case.

Once jurors entered the courtroom testimony by Kassim Abdool, a former Neverland bodyguard who sued Michael for wrongful termination along with previous Prosecution witnesses Ralph Chacon and Adrian McManus and lost, resumed. The witness claimed that he saw Michael and Jordan Chandler (the '93 Accuser) leave the Jacuzzi area with their swimming trunks on the floor, and that Michael (wearing a towel) was giving Chandler (wearing a robe) a piggyback ride as they left. Abdool also claimed his life was threatened during his employment at Neverland. During cross-examination the witness admitted to selling his story to a tabloid for $15,000 but claimed that the money all went to legal costs.

Attorney Brian Oxman left the Defence team yesterday with no explanation given according to the Santa Maria Times. Oxman had been a part of pre-trial hearings and attended the proceedings since the trial began at the table behind the Defence team's position.

Source - MJNI.COM