14 Feb. In History

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Last Year Jackson's All-Star Witness List by Josh Grossberg Feb 14, 2005, 2:45 PM PT What if they held a Michael Jackson's child-molestation trial and a Love Boat episode broke out? We might soon find out. As juror questioning began Monday, Jackson's lawyers released a list of potential witnesses that reads like the Hollywood phone book and includes the likes of Elizabeth Taylor, Kobe Bryant, David Blaine, Jay Leno and 60 Minutes newsman Ed Bradley. Thomas Mesereau Jr. unveiled the star-heavy list while grilling prospective jurors who will ultimately decide whether the pop star is guilty of 10 counts of child molestation, conspiracy, plying the boy with wine, false imprisonment and extortion. Jackson's camp released the names to ensure that the 243 potential panelists did not have any connection to witnesses before the lawyers on both sides whittled the field down to a 12-person jury--already dubbed the "Jackson 12"--plus eight alternates. Other marquee names that could make courtroom cameos on Jackson's behalf: Backstreet Boy Nick Carter and little bro Aaron, Chris Tucker, Barry Gibb, Larry King, Maury Povich and lifestyle guru Deepak Chopra. There could be a mini-Motown reunion--Stevie Wonder and Diana Ross are both on the roster. Quincy Jones, who produced "Thriller" and "We Are the World," could be taking the stand, along with relatives of the late Marlon Brando, a longtime Jackson ally. Two of Jackson's children, Paris and Prince Michael, are also listed as potential witnesses. About the only name missing was Bubbles the Chimp. On the flip side, the prosecution witness list lacked the name value, but gives a hint into possible trial strategies. District Attorney Tom Sneddon is aiming to call former child star Corey Feldman, who has already admitted that Jackson once showed him pornography; ABC journalist Martin Bashir (whose documentary Living with Michael Jackson got this whole circus rolling to begin with and has already shot a sequel); ex-Jackson attorney Mark Geragos; ex-wife Debbie Rowe, with whom Jackson is engaged in a custody spat; Jamie Masada, the comedy club owner who introduced Jackson and his alleged victim; and the young man who was at the center of 1993 molestation allegations against Jackson that the singer settled out of court. The former King of Pop was in the Santa Maria, California, courtroom to watch the second phase of jury selection kick off Monday. He wore a black suit with a medallion and smiled at his would-be peers. The judge, meanwhile, cautioned all prospective jurors to be open-minded. "I have not made up my mind in this case and I want to select a jury that feels exactly the same way," Superior Court Judge Rodney S. Melville told the jury pool at the beginning of the session. Melville and attorneys for both sides are expected to quiz jurors over the next two weeks before a jury is finally empanelled, weeding out so-called "stealth jurors" who may be biased for or against Jackson. This "voir dire" phase was supposed to begin last week but was postponed following the death of Mesereau's sister. The trial itself could last upward of six months. The postponement gave Jackson's attorneys and prosecutors extra time to study juror questionnaires filled out two weeks ago. Per the questionnaires, nine out of 10 would-be jurors said they had either read or watched news reports about the case, while 67 said they had either friends or acquaintances who had either known or previously met Jackson or paid a visit to his Neverland Ranch. Of the 243 members of the jury pool, which ranges in age from 18 to mid-80s, a majority are white, one-third are Hispanics and only a handful are African-American. Sixteen potential jurors admitted not being able to judge someone fairly because of their race (apparently it matters to them if you're "black or white"); others confessed to being a victim of "inappropriate sexual behavior of any kind" or knowing someone who was. Both sides have 10 peremptory challenges, in which they can dismiss jurors without offering a reason. They can also challenge and remove as many times as needed those candidates whom they feel has an obvious bias. As of Monday afternoon, only one person had been dismissed--an 82-year-old man was allowed to leave for health reasons.

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