THE mother of Michael Jackson’s accuser took the stand outside the jury’s presence yesterday and immediately invoked her Fifth Amendment right to not testify about welfare payments she has received.

A man who gave emotional testimony that he was molested by Michael Jackson more than a decade ago repeatedly pleaded a poor memory today as the pop star’s defence cross-examined him about accounts he gave to authorities as recently as December.

Jurors in Michael Jackson’s child molestation trial will be allowed to hear evidence that the accuser's mother had made claims of improper touching against department store security guards, a judge ruled today.

The child abuse trial of Michael Jackson was delayed until next week after the singer was rushed to hospital with flu.

Jury selection in the Michael Jackson child abuse case will be delayed for a week because of a death in the family of the pop star’s lawyer, a judge said today in Santa Maria, California.

A judge today rejected a defence attempt to remove the district attorney in the Michael Jackson child molestation case on the grounds that the pop star had been the victim of an overzealous prosecution.

Michael Jackson is replacing high-profile lawyers Mark Geragos and Benjamin Brafman in his child molestation case.