Jackson jurors leave court without reaching a verdict

JURORS in the Michael Jackson child molestation trial completed a scheduled half-day of deliberations on Wednesday and left court without reaching a verdict.

The panel has spent more than 22 hours deliberating over five days.

The reason for the short day was not released by the court, but the judge noted last week that some jurors had obligations to attend school graduation ceremonies.

On Wednesday, Jackson made another trip to the hospital for more treatment to his back problems. The singer had gone to the emergency room Sunday because of a back problem exacerbated by stress, and Wednesday’s visit was a scheduled follow-up, spokesperson Raymone Bain said. “Mr Jackson is now at home with his family,” she said.

About the same time Ms Bain released the statement late Wednesday, one of Jackson’s black sport utility vehicles and one of his bodyguards pulled up at the Santa Ynez Valley Cottage Hospital. More than an hour later, the SUV pulled around the back of the hospital and sped off a few minutes later with its headlights off and curtains drawn.

The departure was similar to one after Jackson’s visit to the emergency room Sunday, when his bodyguards put up scaffolding around his SUV to block reporters’ views before the vehicle sped off.

Jackson has complained of a back problem since early March, when he made a morning emergency room visit and raced back to court in his pyjama bottoms when the judge threatened to have him arrested.

Jackson, 46, is accused of molesting a 13-year-old cancer survivor in 2003, plying him with wine and conspiring to hold his family captive.

On Wednesday, a controversy over the gag order in the case arose when the singer’s attorney issued a statement saying he had not authorised anyone to hold news conferences on the pop star’s behalf.

The court-approved statement from attorney Thomas Mesereau Jnr appeared aimed at assuring the court that his defence team had not violated the judge’s gag order.

Mr Mesereau did not name anyone, but his statement came shortly after Ms Bain held a news conference indicating her comments had been approved by Mr Mesereau. Others, including Rev Jesse Jackson, also have spoken on the pop star’s behalf recently.

Ms Bain insisted in the wake of Mr Mesereau’s statement that it had not been directed at her. She said she runs everything she says by Mr Mesereau and does not violate the gag order because she talks about how Jackson is feeling and not about the case.