Prosecutors in the Michael Jackson molestation case lost a key battle when a judge refused their request to allow testimony from a domestic violence expert to explain why the mother of Jackson’s accuser lied under oath.

A media lawyer asked an appeals court to overturn an order preventing access to the grand jury in the Michael Jackson molestation case, hours after the panel apparently convened in a secret location.

On the eve of grand jury hearings in the Michael Jackson molestation case, a judge barred pictures or communication with any prospective or final panellists, or grand jury witnesses.