Perspectives on Criminology

[Extract]On May I, 2004, pop music superstar Michael Jackson pleaded not guilty in a packed Santa Maria, California, courtroom to child molestation charges and charges of conspiracy to commit child abduction, extortion, and false imprisonment.5 The charges stemmed from a grand jury indictment containing 10 felony counts that had been returned against Jackson on April 21, 2004, and that accused him of not only molesting a young cancer-stricken boy whom Jackson had befriended, but also of keeping the boy and the boy's family at his Santa Ynez Neverland Valley Ranch against their will. At an earlier arraignment in January 2004, Jackson, 45, had pleaded not guilty to seven counts of committing lewd acts with a child and two counts of allegedly administering alcohol to a child to commit the molestation. Court documents show that deputies serving search warrants at Jackson's ranch had seized a total of 400 items, including computers and bedding-much of which had been viewed by members of the grand jury.6 Jackson's trial is scheduled to begin about the time that this book goes to press. His defense team includes noted attorneys Joe Tacopina, Thomas A. Mesereau, Robert Sanger, Susan Yu, and Steve Cochran. Mark Geragos and Benjamin Brafman, two high-profile attorneys who had appeared with Jackson at earlier proceedings, are no longer working with the team. As Jackson left the May hearing under $3 million bail, his lead attorney, Joe Tacopina, who has also represented boxer Mike Tyson and actor Robert Blake, told reporters: "In no way, shape or form do I even remotely concede there is an ounce of truth to these charges.... Frankly, I don't think I'll have any difficulty in challenging the credibility of those allegations." Jackson's lawyers have said that the molestation allegations were brought by the child's family after a failed attempt to get money from the star. If convicted, Jackson could be ordered to serve up to 18 years and 8 months in prison. Keep up to date with the Jackson trial and associated happenings at Web Extra 1-1 at crimtoday.com.