King of Talk speaks for King of Pop, May 19th....

THURSDAY, MAY 19, 2005 – CNN talkshow host Larry King made an appearance at superstar Michael Jackson’s trial last Thursday. King was in Santa Maria to testify for the defense about a lunch meeting he had with attorney Larry Feldman. Feldman represented the Arvizo family weeks before the molestation was first alleged and was also involved in the 1993 allegations against Jackson. He referred both cases to Stan Katz, the psychologist who reported suspicions of child molestation to the authorities. King was accompanied by three attorneys, led by Jeff Blum. Blum asked Judge Rodney Melville to “conduct a brief 402 hearing to determine the scope of the direct and cross-examination to protect Mr. King’s rights under California shield law and the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.” Judge Melville agreed to the hearing and wanted to hear what King would say before deciding whether the jury would also hear the testimony. King began the hearing by telling defense attorney Thomas Mesereau that he had known Feldman for about ten years. He said he regularly met with the attorney and had discussed Jackson’s case “sometime before this trial started,” at a lunch meeting. MR. MESEREAU: Who else was present? MR. KING: One of my producers, Nancy Baker, and three friends, Sid Young, Asher Dan and Michael Viner. MR. MESEREAU: And who arranged the meeting? MR. KING: We contacted him -- I contacted Larry Feldman in order to try to convince him to come on our show. MR. MESEREAU: And did Mr. Feldman show up at Nate ‘n Al’s? MR. KING: He did. MR. MESEREAU: Did he show up with anyone else? MR. KING: No. ------- MR. MESEREAU: Did Mr. Feldman express any interest in working with your show? MR. KING: Very much. MR. MESEREAU: How long did the meeting last? MR. KING: About 45 minutes. MR. MESEREAU: Okay. Did Mr. Feldman say anything to you about the Michael Jackson case? MR. KING: He did. MR. MESEREAU: What did he say? MR. KING: He said that -- that the case of ten years ago, when he represented the other person when there was a settlement, that was a definite good case. But he thought the woman in this case, the mother, was a whacko, was the term he used, and he thought she was in it for just the money. He had met with her. He didn’t want to represent her. He advised her to see someone else and he informed the authorities. He didn’t tell me which authorities. MR. MESEREAU: Did he say that this woman told him she wanted money? MR. KING: No, I think he said he thinks she wants money. MR. MESEREAU: Did he say what he based that opinion on? MR. KING: No. MR. MESEREAU: Did you ask him? MR. KING: No. He just said she was a whacko. That -- he said “whacko” a couple of times, and he said, “She’s in this for the money.” Mesereau asked King if he had questioned what Feldman meant by the term “whacko”. “No, I think that’s self-explanatory,” replied King. He testified that Feldman said he refused to take the Arvizo case because he thought “she was just in it for the money, and she was a little erratic, or whacko, as he said and he didn’t want to represent her.” King said that Feldman told him that he had met Janet Arvizo but could not recall how many times and did not know where, although he assumed it was in Feldman’s office. King said Feldman had told him the “authorities” had asked him for his opinion on the case, but could not remember which authorities he had referred to. MR. MESEREAU: Did he say anything else about the Michael Jackson case that you remember? MR. KING: Other than that he would like to be a regular on our show. MR. MESEREAU: Okay. And after that meeting, did he pursue any further discussions with you about being a regular on your show? MR. KING: Well, we left the meeting and we would call him to pick a date for him to come on and he would be a regular panelist during the course of the trial. And then we called him a week later. He didn’t respond. And then a couple weeks later, I saw him at another restaurant at lunch, and I said, “What’s going on?” And he said, “Well, there’s -- something came up.” And that’s the last -- last we heard of it. He never came on. MR. MESEREAU: And at some point you learned he had decided to represent Janet Arvizo, correct? MR. KING: I learned that just through reading it in the paper. MR. ZONEN: I’ll object as lack of foundation. Hearsay. THE COURT: Sustained. ------- THE COURT: I’m not going to cut off examination, but at this point I don’t find any reason to allow Mr. King to testify. MR. ZONEN: I have no questions. THE COURT: All right. Based on the offer of proof, I don’t find that Mr. King’s testimony would impeach Mr. Feldman, based on the record that you presented in your points and authorities. So I’ll disallow his testimony. MR. MESEREAU: Okay.

• A hearing was conducted to determine whether or not Michael Viner’s testimony would be admitted in court. Viner testified outside of the jury’s presence that he was present at a lunch meeting between Larry Feldman and Larry King. They were discussing the possibility of using Feldman as a guest or expert during the MJ Trial. The meeting was held approximately six months ago, before the trial had started. Viner stated that he was an ear party to the discussion and sat in the corner of one of the side by side booths at the Nate ‘n Als’ Restaurant. • Viner stated that Feldman had discussed the case at hand and stated that it was his (Feldman’s) belief that Janet Arvizo was out for money and that he (Feldman) didn’t believe her or her son’s (Gavin) story. Viner stated that Feldman did not state that Janet Arvizo said to him that she was out for money. Viner said that he was more of a “wallflower” in the conversation because it wasn’t directed at him. • When asked by Mesereau, Viner testified that Feldman had told Larry King that Janet had told him Gavin was molested by MJ, but that Feldman didn’t believe her story. • On cross examination (Zonan), Viner stated that he wasn’t in direct conversation with Feldman, but that there were some back and forth about the case. He also stated that he couldn’t clearly remember statements made by Feldman were of his opinion or based on statements directly made by the mother (Janet). • On re-direct, Mesereau asked Viner without reference to exact quotes, did Feldman in effect state that Janet Arvizo wanted money and Viner said yes. The rest of the re-direct went as follows: BY MR. MESEREAU: Did Mr. Feldman ever say words to the effect Janet Arvizo told him she wants money from Mr. Jackson? A. That is my belief, yes. MR. ZONEN: Your Honor, I’d like the record to reflect there was a 15-second pause between the conclusion of the question and the answer. And I’ll move to strike the answer as an opinion. MR. MESEREAU: His belief is based on what he heard, Your Honor. THE COURT: Just a moment. Let me read this. The objection is overruled. MR. MESEREAU: No further questions. MR. ZONEN: No further questions. THE COURT: All right. I do not believe that this witness’s statements are sufficient to impeach Mr. Feldman, so I will not allow him to testify. You may step down. • Before Azja Pryor was brought in to testify, a couple of motions were argued regarding the defense showing two videotapes ~~ one involving the demonstration of MJ’s bedroom alarm system and the other, a tape of MJ’s residential grounds. While Sneddon did not object to the first tape, he objected to the showing of the second one: MR. SNEDDON: And with regard to the second video, I really think the Court should see the entire video, because there is a lot of things in there, including notes from Mr. Jackson’s children to him, and a lot of focusing on photographs showing him with children, and I’m not -- in my recollection, some of the stuff that’s in there wasn’t even at the ranch at the time these events occurred, and I believe -- we object to it. We object to -- if they’d just simply shown the grounds and done a straightforward presentation, that’s one thing. But this is clearly a puff piece that has a lot of stuff that is really not relevant to this -- to this -- to this case. And I think if you see it, that you will see it in that manner and not for simply being an illustration of where the guest cottages are or the bedroom is or where this is. It really doesn’t reflect that. And I would ask the Court to please view it ahead of time before you allow the jury to see it. It’s about 19 minutes, I think. It’s not unduly long, but I do believe it’s unduly -- I don’t want to use the word “prejudicial,” but it’s really -- it’s a self-serving documentary that goes far beyond just simply showing what the ranch is like. So that is our objection. THE COURT: Well, if you -- I would have to review it first, if that’s your request, before I determine its admissibility. • Azja Pryor Direct • Azja Pryor gave her background. She said that she was a casting agent at Paramount Studios. When asked, Azja testified that she knew Chris Tucker and that he was the father of her 6 year old son and that they had known one another for 8 years. She also stated that she DID NOT know the man sitting at the defense table, Michael Jackson, but had been to his home 3-4 times, beginning in 1999. She stated that Jackson was not present during her visits. • Azja goes on to state that she met the Arvizo children in October, 2000, along with their father, David at her home. She stated that Chris brought them over and they were all going out to an amusement park. They went to this amusement park and were gone most of the day and night (until 1:30 am). She testified that she had the impression that Chris had only known the family for about a month. She stated that she met Janet Arvizo in July or August of 2001 at the Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills. • Azja stated that she at first stayed in contact with the Arvizos through Chris and that they had taken them to various places, including horseback riding. She stated that Chris had ordered a plane to go to a Raider’s game and had taken the Arvizos with him (but that she didn’t go). Azja stated that she would often take the Arvizos to dinner. She stated that it was usually the children and David and that when David was in the picture, David was always with his children. • Azja stated that at first, she wasn’t as close to the Arvizos as Chris was (she stated that Chris had taken a liking to the Arvizo children), but that after she got to know them, she started calling them and the children would call her. But she stated that this didn’t involve the mother at all until after she met her in 2001. Azja stated that she felt it was around that time that she felt that she had a relationship with them by then. • Azja stated that she had really grown close to Davellin. Davellin was in some sort of cadet or space explorer’s program that she was graduating from and Azja attended the graduation (December 2001). She stated that she talked with Davellin more than the other two children and with the boys equal time. She stated that when she was on the phone with them, that she never spoke to David and that David had only been to her home about 4-5 times. • Azja testified that she knew about the fundraiser for Gavin’s illness through Chris and that she was aware of more than one fundraiser. • Mesereau asked about her relationship with Janet Arvizo. Azja stated her relationship with Janet was based on the love that she had for her children. (This is the point that the press reported Azja broke down on the stand). She said that this was hard for her because she loved those kids a lot. She said that because of the kids and Gavin’s illness ~~ that she was a mother and that there was a lot of things that she and Janet could talk about. She said that she wouldn’t use the word ‘friends’, but rather they had a mutual feeling about things that they could talk about. Azja stated that after she had met Janet, that she would stay in touch with her by phone where she and Janet would talk 2-3 a week, or there may be many weeks to go by before they would talk again. • Azja testified that she had invited Janet and her children to her son’s birthday party being held at Neverland. They all met at the Beverly Hills Hotel and took a [chartered] bus up to Neverland. Janet’s then boyfriend, Jay Jackson was with them on this outing. Chris and several other family members were on the outing as well. Azja stated that she didn’t recall speaking to Janet much while at Neverland during that trip. • Azja stated that Chris had asked MJ if his son could have a birthday party at Neverland and he said yes. Azja testified that she spoke briefly to MJ on the phone where he and Chris were in Las Vegas about it. Azja made the arrangements through MJ’s assistant, Evvy. Evvy made the arrangements for the party and Azja made transportation arrangements. • Azja stated that Davellin was at her side for the entire day at that party (Sept. 2002). She stated that Gavin and Star were all over the place because they knew their way around, having been there before. Azja did state that it was her 2nd or 3rd trip to Neverland. • Azja stated that after the party was over, Chris and the Arvizo children stayed at Neverland overnight. She didn’t recall if Janet had stayed behind with them, but that she wasn’t on the bus that she was on (they had taken 2 bus loads to Neverland that day). David was not at the party and had been out of the picture for about a year. • Azja stated that from Sept. 02 to Feb. 03, she did not have any contact with the Arvizos. She said that she may have spoken to them once on the phone. She stated that in Feb. 03, the Arvizo kids called her up and asked her to take them to Neverland and she agreed. • Azja testified that the Arvizo children had stayed at her home. She stated that they would ask to stay at her place. She said that she once went to pick up Davellin for a ‘girls night out’ and her brothers insisted on going and just jumped in the car. She stated that Gavin even jumped in the trunk trying to go. Azja told Gavin that he could not go, that it was just for girls and that he had to get out of the car and complied. • Mesereau asked about Azja’s observation of the Arvizo boys: Q. BY MR. MESEREAU: Well, during the time that Davellin came to your house to spend the night -- A. Uh-huh. Q. -- the same time where Gavin jumped in your trunk and you had to get him out, did you have an occasion to observe the behavior of the children? A. On that day? Q. Yes. A. Yes. Q. And what was your observation? A. Same observation I’ve always had when watching the children, is that the boys were a little rough. My son at the time was only four, and Gavin and Star were older, and they were a little rough. And it would concern me sometimes, because my son would want to play, but they really roughhoused a lot, so I would be extra -- I would have to be extra careful around them. Q. Okay. When you say they roughhoused a lot, what do you mean? A. Wrestling, you know, doing the things that boys do that just -- play-fighting and things like that. Q. And I gather the boys never did spend the night at your house, right? A. No. • Azja testified that Janet never asked her for money or assistance but that she had given them money. She said that around the time of Davellin’s graduation, that she had given them $600 as a Christmas present (Dec. 2001). She said that Janet Arvizo told her that her husband David had left her and took the car and they had no money. Azja stated that she didn’t recall the children ever asking for money, but she said that they would tell her about things that they didn’t have. She said for example, Gavin didn’t have the right equipment and he had broken his arm playing baseball because he had caught a ball with a torn glove, according to Janet. Azja said that she was aware of the hardships that they were going through. She knew about this because Janet would periodically tell her about it. Mesereau asked Azja to describe some of the things that Janet would say: Q. BY MR. MESEREAU: Sure. What kinds of things would Janet say to you about the family’s hardship? A. Janet told me how much of a horrible, awful husband and father David Arvizo was, and from that, she told me about the abuse. She told me that he told the children he did not love them. She told me that money that had been raised from the benefit -- the fund-raiser at The Laugh Factory, or I’m not sure if it was The Laugh Factory or somewhere else. She just said “the fund-raiser”; that he had spent it all taking his family out to show them a good time, things of that nature. • When Mesereau asked again about how Gavin had broken his arm, Azja testified that Janet had told her that Gavin broke it playing baseball. When asked Azja stated that she was not aware of the JC Penney lawsuit that the Arvizos had filed. • Mesereau asked Azja whether Davellin had asked for a car: Q. Okay. Do you recall whether or not Davellin11 ever asked you for a car? A. If she asked me for a car? Q. Yes. A. Yes. Q. When was that? A. This was in February of 2003. Q. Okay. And explain what she asked you. A. She didn’t ask me to give her the car out of the blue. There had been a discussion about them receiving a car of mine from Chris. Q. And who did you have that discussion with? A. Janet. Q. What did Janet say about that? A. She thanked me profusely for -- for giving them the car. I knew nothing about it until they actually told me. Chris had not even told me. They told me. Q. So Janet thanked you for giving her a car? A. For giving her the car, yes. Q. Had you given her a car? A. I had not given it to her yet. Q. Were you surprised when she thanked you for giving her a car that you never gave her? A. Obviously I was a little surprised. However, I felt like -- I kind of knew it was coming, because Chris had spoken about it before, that he wanted to help them out. He knew that Janet was taking Gavin to his weekly doctor appointments on the bus. Q. Is that what Janet told him? A. Yes. Q. So it’s in approximately February of 2003 that she thanks you for the car? A. Yes. She told me that Chris said he would give them the car. And she called me to thank me, and I guess I assumed to ask when it was going to be handed over to her. Q. And what did you say to her? A. The car was not in my name, so I told her it needed to be changed. She needed to wait till Chris got back in town to switch the registration and everything. Q. Was it your intention to give them the car? A. No, not necessarily. Q. Did you ever give them a car? A. No. Q. Did Janet ever ask you for a car on another2 occasion? A. No. Q. How many phone conversations did you have with Janet when she asked you for a car? A. Too many to remember. I don’t know. Q. What do you mean by that? A. A lot of times. If Janet wouldn’t call me, Davellin would call me. Q. Asking you for a car? A. For the car. Q. And did Davellin act as if they owned the car? A. No, I think it was more so they just wanted to know when they were going to get it, to gain possession of the car. Q. And during these many conversations, what would you tell them about the car? A. It was out of my hands. There was nothing I could do about it. Q. Is that what you said to them? A. Uh-huh. I told them they had to wait on Chris. Q. At some point, did they stop calling you and asking for a car? A. Well, yes. Q. Approximately what was that? A. The last conversation I had with Davellin,which was in April of 2003, I believe. Q. Okay. A. That was the last time I talked to her. Q. Was it your choice not to talk to her anymore? A. No, not at all. Q. Why did you stop talking to her? A. I have no idea. Q. Did they stop calling you? A. Yes. Q. Did you stop calling them? A. I didn’t have a number to reach them. Q. Okay. If you can guess, how many times do you think Janet asked you for a car? A. If it was my guess, I would say anywhere from seven to ten times. Q. And did this all happen in the year 2003? A. Yes. Q. If you can estimate, how many times did Davellin ask you for a car? A. I don’t remember. I know Davellin would leave me messages, because I wouldn’t always answer the phone. So there were numerous messages. Q. Okay. And in those numerous messages, was Davellin requesting the car? A. Yes. Q. And all this was in the year 2003? A. This was all in February. Q. February of 2003? A. Uh-huh. Q. Okay. Now, did Janet tell you in February of 2003 that they had no car? A. Yes. Q. Did Davellin tell you in February of 2003 that they had no car? A. Yes. Q. All right. In any of these phone conversations, were Janet and Davellin on the phone together? A. No, there was no kind of three-way or two different phones where they were. You know, I would maybe start on the phone with Davellin and she would hand the phone to her mom, or vice versa. Q. Do you recall whether or not Gavin was ever on the phone when you were asked to give them a car? A. I don’t remember Gavin ever even mentioning the car to me. Q. How about Star? A. I don’t remember Star either. • Mesereau asked about the behavior of Gavin and Star: Q. And could you describe their behavior? A. I don’t like to call people’s kids bad, but Gavin and Star really needed attention, I felt like. Q. In what -- A. They really needed attention. Q. What do you mean by that? A. You know, they would do little things, very mischievous. One time I remember us sitting down in front of Chris’s big-screen television and there was a drink on the floor. I don’t remember what it was. But Gavin, I saw him look at the glass and I saw him just kind of do his foot and kick it over and then act like it was an accident, you know, just to get that reaction out of us. Like, “Gavin,” you know, “what happened?” You know, they would do little things like that. Or, you know, like I said, roughhousing, just playing around. I mean, they were kids. You know, I think at the time they were maybe 11 or 12. I don’t remember. Q. Would you describe them as well behaved? A. At times. But I think that they lacked discipline. Q. And what do you mean by that? A. I think that anytime I saw David Arvizo with his kids, I never saw him discipline them, even when they got out of hand. And I think -- because Gavin was sick, I think that he did not discipline them when I think -- I felt like they needed it at times. • Mesereau asked Azjo about her discussion with Janet regarding the Bashir video: Q. Okay. Now, did you talk to Janet about the22 Bashir documentary? A. Yes, I did. Q. What did she say to you? MR. SNEDDON: Object. Hearsay. MR. MESEREAU: It’s impeachment, Your Honor. THE COURT: I can’t tell really. The question is too general. I’ll sustain the objection. MR. MESEREAU: Okay. Q. Did Janet ever complain to you about the Bashir documentary? A. Yes. MR. SNEDDON: Object. Hearsay. THE COURT: You’re offering this for impeachment? MR. MESEREAU: Yes, Your Honor. Yes. THE COURT: All right. I’ll overrule the objection. Q. BY MR. MESEREAU: You can answer. A. Can you repeat that? MR. MESEREAU: Sure. I’ll withdraw the question and repeat it. Q. Did Janet Arvizo ever complain to you about the Bashir documentary? A. Yes, she did. Q. Approximately when did she complain about that documentary? A. In the first conversation I had with her after the documentary. Q. Okay. Would that be in 2003? A. Yes. Q. And what did she say to you? A. She said that there had been a documentary aired showing Gavin and her children which she had not given her permission for. She had not given permission for her children to be taped. Q. And did she say she was going to do anything about it? A. No, not that I can remember. Q. Did Janet ever tell you that David was on drugs? A. Yes. Q. When was this? A. After Davellin’s graduation. Q. Did she ever tell you that David was spending all the money they raised on drugs? A. She did tell me that he was spending -- I wouldn’t say “all.” She didn’t use the word “all,” but she said that he was spending some of the money on drugs and to take his family out and show them a good time. Q. Did she ever tell you that she had spent any of that money? A. No. Q. Okay. Let’s go to 2003, after the Bashir documentary airs, okay? A. Uh-huh. Q. You have this conversation with Janet about the documentary, right? And when do you talk to her again after she complains about the documentary? A. There’s no way for me to say. There were many conversations after that initial conversation. Q. Well, did you talk to her on a regular basis in the year 2003? A. In February I did. Q. Okay. And is there any particular reason why you were talking to her so often in February of 2003? A. I think Janet was in over her head, and I don’t think she really knew what to do. So I believe that she knew I was always there, at least to listen, you know. And if I could help in any kind of way, she knew I was there. She knew I was good for that. Q. Did she ever tell you she was looking for an attorney? A. No. I don’t remember. Q. Did she ever tell you she was going to do anything about the Bashir documentary? A. No. Again, like I said, I believe she was in over her head, and I don’t think she really knew what to do at that moment. I believe I suggested to her that she should get an attorney. Q. Okay. Did she ever tell you she got one? A. No, she never told me she did. Q. Did she ever tell you she had joined in any complaint in England against the Bashir documentary? A. No. • Mesereau asked Azja about her knowledge of a trip to Brazil that Janet and her family were supposed to be going on: [i]Q. Did Janet ever mention a trip to Brazil to you? A. Yes. Q. What did she say? A. She said that they -- MR. SNEDDON: I’ll object as hearsay. MR. MESEREAU: Impeachment, Your Honor. THE COURT: The objection’s overruled. THE WITNESS: She said that they were going to Brazil for Carnivale. Q. BY MR. MESEREAU: And what is Carnivale, to your knowledge? A. Beautiful costumes, beads. I guess it’s kind of like Mardi Gras. Q. Kind of a holiday celebration, right? A. A holiday celebration. Q. Did she ever ask you to go with her? A. Yes, she did. Q. And when did Janet ask you to go to Brazil with her to attend Carnivale? A. During a phone conversation. It was sometime in February. Q. Okay. And did you say anything in response to her invitation? A. I said, “Sure, I’d love to go.” Q. And did you ever talk to her about Brazil again? A. Yeah, we talked a couple of times about Brazil. Q. And did you talk about your going with her? A. I’m sure -- I’m sure I did. I told her I couldn’t go for too long. I was in school at the time, so I would only be able to be there for, like, three or four days. Q. Did she say that was okay? A. Yes. Q. Okay. Did she seem excited about you going to Brazil with her? A. I don’t know. I don’t know if she was excited. Janet’s always excited. She’s excited -- either she’s excited or she’s sad. So it was kind of hard to gauge whether she was excited about me going or this is just during one of the times that she was really happy. Q. But you had a number of discussions about you and she going to Brazil? A. No more than two, maybe three. On occasion. Q. And were all these conversations on the phone? A. Yes. Q. Did she call you or did you call her, if you remember? A. I would guess she called me during this time. I didn’t really know where they were staying, so my guess is that she called me. Q. Okay. And do you think this is February of 2003? A. I know it was February of 2003. Q. And did you have any discussions with her about going to Brazil in March of 2003, if you know? A. I don’t remember. Q. Okay. Did she tell you what she wanted to do in Brazil other than attend Carnivale? A. No, she didn’t say. Q. Did she seem excited about going to Carnivale? MR. SNEDDON: Object. Asked and answered. THE COURT: Sustained. Q. BY MR. MESEREAU: Did Janet tell you when Carnivale is in Brazil? A. No. Q. But there’s no question she mentioned Carnivale, right? A. Yes. Q. Did she tell you whether or not her family were going to be at Carnivale in Brazil? A. Yes. Q. And what did she say about that? A. Well, she said that Michael and I guess his family and their family, they were all going to go to Carnivale. That’s all she said. Q. Do you mean Michael Jackson? A. Yes. Q. So she said Michael Jackson and his family are going to Carnivale with her? A. Yes. Q. And this is in February of 2003? A. This is in February. Q. Okay. Did she ever tell you that she had learned that Michael Jackson was not going to Brazil? A. Yes, I believe she did. Q. Do you know approximately when that was? A. It would have been in early March. Q. Okay. Was she upset about that? A. No. Q. Okay. Did she still, as far as you know, plan to go to Brazil? A. By this time I don’t think she wanted to go. Q. Okay. Was that -- did she tell you she didn’t want to go because she found out Michael wasn’t going? 16 MR. SNEDDON: Object. That’s a leading question, Your Honor. 18 THE COURT: Sustained. Q. BY MR. MESEREAU: Did Janet tell you why she no longer wanted to go to Brazil? A. Because there were a lot of unknowns. Her children had been out of school for one month. She didn’t know when they were going back to school. She didn’t know exactly where she was staying in Brazil. Q. Did she ever tell you she had cancelled the trip? A. No. I don’t even remember when we stopped talking about Brazil. Q. Okay. A. It just kind of went away. We didn’t talk about it anymore. Q. Did you learn at some point she never went to Brazil? A. No. Q. Okay. Did she tell you that tickets had never been purchased to go to Brazil? A. Had never been purchased? Q. Yes. A. No, she didn’t tell me that. Q. Okay. Now, do you think the last time you talked to Janet was in March of 2003? A. Yes. Q. And where were you when you talked to her in March of 2003? A. At my house. Q. Did Janet ever tell you that Michael Jackson had falsely imprisoned her? A. No. Q. Did Janet ever tell you that Michael Jackson had kept her family against their will? A. No. Q. Did Janet ever tell you that Michael Jackson had extorted her family? A. No. Q. Did Janet ever tell you that Michael Jackson was in a conspiracy to commit crimes against her family? A. Absolutely not. Q. And you were talking to her on a regular basis in February 2003, right? A. Yes. Q. And would that be daily? A. I don’t remember if it was daily. And again, if I got calls, sometimes they were from Davellin and sometimes they were from Janet. Q. Okay. Did Davellin ever tell you that the2 family was being held against their will? A. No. MR. SNEDDON: Object as hearsay, Your Honor. THE COURT: Overruled. The answer was “No.” Next question. Q. BY MR. MESEREAU: Did Davellin ever tell you that the family was being falsely imprisoned by Michael Jackson? A. No. Q. Did Davellin ever tell you that her family were the victims of extortion by Michael Jackson? A. No. Q. Did Davellin ever tell you that there was some conspiracy to injure her family? A. No. Q. Did you have any discussions with Gavin during February of 2003? A. Yes. Q. And would he call you or would you call him? A. If his sister would call me, he would get on the phone. Normally if Davellin would call, they would all get on the phone. Q. Okay. A. One by one. Q. And that would include Janet? A. Sometimes -- no, not all the time. A lot of times during this period Janet had a headache, she would say. Q. Okay. A. They would tell me their mom was lying down. Q. Okay. Now, when Janet invited you to go to Carnivale in Brazil, were the kids around, to your knowledge? A. I don’t know. Q. Do you know if the children were on the phone at the same time? A. Not the same time, meaning there was more than one phone, no. Q. Okay. But you think you had two or three conversations with her about Brazil? A. Yes. Q. Did she ever tell you she was being forced to go to Brazil? A. No. Q. Did Janet say anything about whether or not Jay Jackson was going to go to Brazil with her? A. No, she didn’t mention it to me. Q. Okay. And did she express disappointment that Michael Jackson wasn’t going to go to Brazil with her? MR. SNEDDON: Your Honor, I object. Asked and answered. THE COURT: Sustained. Q. BY MR. MESEREAU: Did Janet Arvizo ever complain to you about Michael Jackson in February of 2003? A. No. Q. Did Janet Arvizo ever complain to you about Michael Jackson in March of 2003? A. No.

Mesereau now asks Azja about attending an interview with the Arvizos and social workers: Q. Now, there was a point in time where you attended an interview between the Arvizo family and some social workers in Los Angeles, right? A. Correct. Q. And did you attend that interview? A. Yes, I did. Q. Why did you do that? A. Janet asked me to. Q. Do you know approximately when she asked you to? A. I would say approximately about a week before the interview. Q. Okay. Do you remember whether she called you or you called her? A. Again, I’m sure she called me during that time. They were from place to place, so I had no way of reaching them. Q. Okay. And was she calling you often during this particular part of February? A. Yes. • Mesereau asked Azja if Janet ever complained about being forced to do anything against her will: Q. Now, when Janet called you in February of 2003, did she ever tell you she was being forced to go to any location? A. No. Q. Did Janet ever tell you she was being forced to get into anyone’s car and go anywhere? A. No. Q. Did Janet ever tell you in February of 2003 that her children were being forced to travel to various locations -- A. No. Q. -- by anybody? A. No. Q. Did Janet ever tell you that she was forced to do any interview about Michael Jackson? A. Never. Q. Did Janet ever tell you that her family was forced to rehearse lines that they were then to articulate in an interview about Michael Jackson? A. No. Q. Did Janet ever tell you that she or her family were given scripts to memorize -- A. No. Q. -- for an interview? A. No. • Mesereau asked Azja about the what Janet had to say about her participating in a rebuttal video and her thoughts about her, Chris and MJ, as well as her references to them being like family: Q. Did she ever complain about having to do any interview for a rebuttal documentary? A. No. As a matter of fact, she was happy to do the rebuttal video. Q. Please explain what you mean. A. She was very upset about the uproar that had been caused by this documentary. Not only that her children had been taped without permission, but that the relationship, the friendship that her son had with Michael was taken completely out of context and made -- and made into something that was bad. She was upset about that. Q. And she told you that? A. She told me that. Q. Okay. Now, when did she tell you she was happy to do an interview for the rebuttal documentary? A. Her exact words were not, “I’m happy to do this,” but she was very excited about doing it. She was very anxious to do it, to tell the world that this friendship was nothing more than what they saw, a beautiful friendship, and that’s it. Q. She used those words to you? A. She’s used the word “beautiful friendship” before in regards to Michael, yes. I don’t know in this specific conversation if she used it. Q. Is there anything else she told you about Michael and her family, that you remember? A. Janet told me the same thing about Michael as she said about Chris and I. She praised Chris and I to the point where it made me uncomfortable, saying that we were sent -- we were angels and how we just have done so much for her family. And while I believe that we did provide the children with happiness and maybe love that they were not receiving from the other parent, David, you know, me, as a woman, I feel uncomfortable because I’m only a human being, you know. And I would tell her all the time, “Janet,stop. Stop. I’m only doing what anyone else would do with a heart,” you know. She praised Chris. She praised myself. She praised Michael. Q. When she praised Michael, what did she say? A. I don’t remember exact words, but she -- it3 was something to the effect of, “What a great man he is,” “He’s an angel,” “His love is great.” Q. Did she ever refer to you and Chris Tucker 16 as part of her family? A. All the time. Q. What would she say about that? A. “You are our family.” She said it over and over and over. The children said it. I said it. I would call them my Mexican brothers and sisters, because they were like my little brothers and sisters. Q. Would Gavin say you were part of his family? A. Yes. Q. Would Star? A. They called me -- Q. I’m sorry. A. They called me “big sister.” Q. Okay. Did Star say you were part of the Arvizo family? A. Yes. Q. Would Davellin say you were part of the Arvizo family? A. Yes. Q. Do you recall whether or not Janet said Michael Jackson was part of the Arvizo family? A. I’m sure over the three-year relationship we’ve had she’s mentioned that at some point in time. I don’t remember any specific conversation, but I’m sure she has. Q. Now, during February of 2003, do you recall whether or not Janet ever referred to Michael Jackson as a father figure to the Arvizo family? A. Yes. • Mesereau queried Azjo some more about the social workers interview: Q. Now, Janet asked you to come to the interview with the social workers, right? A. Yes. Q. Did she tell you why? A. Why -- Q. She wanted you to be there. A. For support. Janet has asked me -- well, first of all, I -- Janet had been interviewed, or the children had been interviewed by social workers before, so Janet was very scared that her children were going to be taken away from her. So I believe that’s why she asked me to come, for support. Q. And did you agree to come? A. Yes. Q. Okay. Did you go to that interview? A. Yes, I did. Q. Was your child with you? A. Yes, he was. Q. Okay. Did you drive to Major Jackson’s home for the interview? A. I don’t know if it was Major Jackson’s home, but I drove to an apartment. Q. And what street was that on? A. St. Andrews. Q. That’s in Los Angeles, right? A. Yes. Near Western. Q. Okay. And do you know about what time of day you and your child drove there? A. It was in the morning. I think about nine o’clock. 9 a.m. Maybe earlier. Q. Did you park on the street? A. Yes. And I got a parking ticket. Q. Okay. And you then went into the apartment, right? A. Yes. Q. Did you have to go up the stairs to do that? A. I took an elevator up. Q. Okay. And when you first got into the apartment, what did you see? A. First of all, I rode up in the elevator with the three social workers. I didn’t know they were the social workers until I got in the apartment, till we went to the same place. When I got in, I saw the -- I saw Janet and three children. Q. And so you walked in at the same time the social workers did, right? A. Yes. Q. And what’s the next thing you remember3 seeing? A. Oh, and there was another guy there. I don’t know his name. The first thing that I saw, Janet was talking to the social workers. Q. Okay. Did you hear what she said? A. I don’t remember. Q. And you met the social workers, obviously. A. Yes. Q. And did you talk to the social workers at all? A. Briefly, yes. Q. And what did you say to them, if you remember? A. We were introduced. Q. By who? I’m sorry. MR. SNEDDON: Go ahead. THE WITNESS: We were introduced, and they were commenting about how cute my son is. Because he really is cute. MR. SNEDDON: That’s why I let you say it. Q. BY MR. MESEREAU: And do you remember anybody showing a video? A. Yes. Q. What do you remember about that? A. I remember -- I don’t know who put it in, if the kids put it in or Janet, but the video was of Michael Jackson and Gavin when Gavin was very ill. He was undergoing chemo at the time. You could tell he was very weak, very pale, little to no hair. At times I don’t think he was walking. I think Michael was maybe pushing him around in a wheelchair. And there was a part of them where Gavin kind of just plops on a blanket. You could tell he was just so weak he can’t really just sit down. He kind of just falls. His knees buckle. And they’re by a lake. And that’s it. Q. And you watched that with the social workers and Janet and the Arvizo children? A. Yes. Q. Okay. Did it -- do you know whose idea it was to watch that video? A. I believe -- yeah, I think it was Janet’s. Q. Okay. After the -- after you -- excuse me. Let me rephrase the question. After you all watched the video, what happened next? A. After the video, I believe that’s when the interview started and I was asked to leave. My son and I were asked to leave. Q. And who asked you to leave? A. One of the social workers. Q. And did you leave? A. I did, but Janet put up a fight. She wanted me to stay. Q. Okay. When you say she put up a fight, now, what do you mean? A. She said, “Absolutely not. Azja is our family and I want her here.” Q. And did you see Janet have a discussion like that for a while? A. For about a minute. Q. And what was the result of that discussion? A. The social workers told her she understood that, but, you know, I guess by law, that no one else outside of the family could be present. Q. Okay. And then what did you do? A. I told Janet it was okay, and I would go wait outside. And as soon as she was done, “Come get me.” Q. Did you go wait outside? A. Yes. Q. How long do you think you waited outside? A. Well, I went and got something to eat. And I came back, and it was still another hour, hour and a half, so it was altogether maybe two hours. Q. And then did you go back in? A. Yes. Q. And what did you see when you went back in? A. A completely different scene from the beginning. Everyone was hugging each other. And it was like the tension had left the room. You could tell that everyone was happy. Q. And when you say “everyone,” who are you referring to? A. The kids and Janet, and the social workers. Q. Okay. A. It was very tense at first when the social workers first arrived. It was very tense. And by the end of the interview, it was a completely different scene. Q. And at the end of the interview, what did you do? A. I stayed around for a while. Q. Okay. Did you stay with Janet and the children? A. Uh-huh. Q. All right. Now, you made a comment about Janet having a prior experience with the Department of Children & Family Services, right? A. Yes. Q. And what were you referring to? MR. SNEDDON: Your Honor, I’m going to object. Lack of foundation and calls for hearsay. No personal -- HE COURT: Sustained. Q. BY MR. MESEREAU: Were you ever with Janet before this particular time when she had an experience with the Department of Children & Family Services? A. No, I was not with Janet. I was with the children. Q. And when was this? A. It’s unclear to me if it was in December of 2001 or early 2002. It was somewhere around that time, though. Q. And you say you were with the children? A. Yes, I went to visit them at the apartment. Q. Okay. Which apartment now? A. The one near downtown. Q. Okay. Was that on Soto Street? A. I believe so. Q. Was that in East Los Angeles? A. Yeah. I think East L.A. Q. And why were you at the apartment that day? A. I went to visit, to check on them. This was during a time that Janet and I were talking a lot on the phone, and she had told me about the abuse from her husband, and I was worried about them. And I’m a very spiritual person, as well as Janet is, so I went over to pray with her. Q. Did you do that? A. She wasn’t there. Q. Were the children there? A. Yes. Q. Were they alone? A. They were alone. And they told me that the -- MR. SNEDDON: Your Honor, I’m going to object. It’s nonresponsive and it’s hearsay. THE COURT: Sustained. I’ll strike after she said, “They were alone.” Q. BY MR. MESEREAU: Did you stay at the home that day? A. I stayed for a couple of hours. Q. Okay. Did you ever see Janet that day? A. No. Q. Why did you go to the home that day? A. For support. MR. SNEDDON: That’s asked and answered. THE COURT: Overruled. You may answer. Q. BY MR. MESEREAU: For support, did you say? A. For support and to pray with her. Q. And you mentioned that this had some relationship with the Department of Children & Family Services? A. Yes. Prior to me getting there, the children told me that a social worker or two, I don’t know, had come to their apartment. Q. On that day? A. On that day. Q. And was the mother not home that day? A. She was not home, and she had given the children instructions not to answer the door, but Star had let them in. Q. Okay. And you never saw Janet that day at all? A. Nope. MR. SNEDDON: Your Honor, I’m going to object as asked and answered. THE COURT: Overruled. Next question. • Azja continues to state that after that second visit with Children and Family Services, Janet and the children appeared to be very happy and Janet and her children asked her to take them to Neverland. After the interview: Q. BY MR. MESEREAU: Sure. You agreed to take the Arvizo children and your son to Neverland, right? A. Correct. Q. This is after the interview with the social workers? A. Yes. Q. Did you have an understanding where Janet was going to be? A. Yes. A young man came to the house, and Janet told me that they were going to retrieve some birth certificates to get their passports. Q. Was that for the Brazil trip? A. I assumed it was. Q. Did she ever complain to you about the Brazil trip? MR. SNEDDON: Your Honor, I’m going to object as asked and answered. THE COURT: Sustained. MR. SNEDDON: Vague as to time. THE COURT: Sustained. Q. BY MR. MESEREAU: After the interview with the three social workers A. Yes. Q. -- when you were in the apartment on St. Andrews Place, did Janet ever complain about the Brazil trip? A. Yes. Q. What did she say? A. This was in a conversation about two or three weeks later -- Q. I’m talking about this particular day now. A. Oh. No. No, no, not that day. Q. Did she say anything negative about the Brazil trip on that day? A. No. She seemed eager to go to get the birth certificates to take care of the passport situation. And she told me she’d come to Neverland after that. Q. Okay. Now, you drove to Neverland after that? A. Uh-huh. Q. Took the children to Neverland? A. Uh-huh. Q. And about what time do you think you arrived at Neverland? A. About three o’clock. Q. And what did you do when you arrived at Neverland around three o’clock? A. What do you do when you go to Neverland? Q. You do everything. I mean, I probably got on the bumper cars. I don’t know. I turn into, like, a child. I turn into a child when I go to Neverland. I maybe got on the Ferris wheel. I don’t know. I was all over the place. Q. On that particular day? A. Yes. Q. So you were -- so you were essentially playing with the children at Neverland, right? A. Yes. Q. At some point, did you see Janet at Neverland that day? A. No. Q. Okay. When did you next see Janet Arvizo? A. I never saw her again. Q. Did you ever talk to her again? A. Yes, I did. On the phone. Q. When was that? A. The only time I remember -- the only time that’s clear in my head is a phone conversation we had two to three weeks after this interview with the social workers. Q. Okay. We’ll get to that. Did you leave the Arvizo children at Neverland? A. Yes. Q. Okay. And where did you leave them, if you remember? A. What do you mean where did I leave them? Q. Did you leave them in the main house? Did you leave them in the guest units? What went on? A. I believe we were in the main house. Q. Okay. Did you talk to Janet while you were at Neverland? A. No. Q. What time do you think you left that day? A. I spent the night that day, and that was a Thursday. I did not leave until about ten or eleven o’clock Friday night. Q. Okay. So Thursday night you stayed at Neverland, right? A. I stayed overnight, yes. Q. Did you see Michael Jackson there? A. No. Q. Did you see Michael Jackson the next day? A. No. Q. Do you know where the Arvizo children stayed that night? A. No. Q. Where did you stay? A. In a guest unit. • Mesereau later asked Azja about what Janet had to say about the Germans: Q. BY MR. MESEREAU: When did Janet first talkto you about some German people? A. I don’t remember the first conversation when she first talked to me about them. Q. Was it in the year 2003? A. Yes. Q. And did she call you the first time she mentioned some German people? A. I’m sure she did. Q. Okay. And do you remember what she said about them? A. She didn’t like them. Q. Did she tell you why? A. They were rude. They said mean things to her. She didn’t elaborate what mean things they said, but she just did not care for them at all. And it was obvious that they didn’t care for her. Q. Did she ever complain that these German people were keeping her away from Michael Jackson? A. Yes. Q. What did she say? A. It was in an answer following a question that I asked her. I asked her -- with all the mean things they were saying, I said, “Does Michael know anything about this? And she said, “No, they won’t let us around him, because they know that the children tug at his heart strings.” Q. Tug at whose heart strings? A. Michael’s. Q. Okay. Now, was this conversation about the German people after the interview with the three social workers? A. Yes, this conversation in particular I’m talking about was two to three weeks after the social workers’ interview. Q. Was that the first time you had spoken to Janet since the social workers’ interview? A. I don’t know if it’s the first time, but it’s the only time that’s clear in my head right now. • Azja describes pictures that the defense entered into evidence: [i]Q. BY MR. MESEREAU: Miss Pryor, I’m showing you the exhibits I just described, and I’d like you to first look at Defense Exhibit 5090, okay? A. Okay. Q. Have you seen that photograph before? A. Yes. Q. And where have you seen that photograph? A. At my house. Q. And how did you ever see that photograph? A. It was mailed to me, along with other photographs. Q. Okay. And do you know who mailed it to you? A. The children did. Q. Okay. Would you please read what’s on the back of that photograph? A. Sure. MR. SNEDDON: Well, Your Honor, it’s not in evidence yet, so I’d object. But to save some time, I’ll just indicate to the Court, I’ll stipulate to the admissibility of all these, just to make the record clear. THE COURT: You’re offering all of them? MR. MESEREAU: We are. We are. THE COURT: They’re admitted. MR. MESEREAU: If I can approach, I’ll just put them all in front of the witness, then. Q. Will you please read what’s on the back of the first exhibit? A. “Hi, Azja. I am sending you a picture of us so when we are not with you, you can see us. I love you, Azja. Your little guy, Gavin Arvizo.” Q. Do you know if Gavin sent that to you? A. I’m assuming he did. Q. And when did you receive it? A. I don’t know. Q. Okay. Do you know which year? A. I don’t remember. Q. Okay. Could you read the back of each exhibit in front of you? A. Sure. THE COURT: Tell us the number you’re reading. THE WITNESS: Oh. Sorry. 5091. This one is for Chris. It says, “Chris, this is a picture for you to remember us always and when you are far away from us you can see us. I love you, Chris. See you soon, big bro. Your little bro, Gavin Arvizo.” Q. Okay. A. 5092. “Hi, Boo-Boo.” That’s my son’s nickname. “Hi, Boo-Boo. This is your big brother. Now you can see us all the time. I love you, Boo-Boo, and I miss you. Your big brother, Gavin Arvizo.” 5093. “Dear, Azja. I give this to you with love. I love you. Love, your little brother, forever, Star.” 5094: “Dear, Chris. I love you and miss you with all my heart. Love, Star David Arvizo.” Q. Now, these are all photographs of the Arvizo children, right? A. Yes. And were they mailed to you at once or did you get them periodically? A. No, they all were mailed at one time. Q. And do you know approximately when that was? A. No. Q. Okay. A. Sometime during our friendship.

THANKS TO MJJFORUM