Jackson lawyers slam authenticity of evidence

LAWYERS in the Michael Jackson child molestation trial argued yesterday over whether some documents used in the prosecution case had been sufficiently authenticated to be admitted into evidence.

The discussion followed District Attorney Tom Sneddon’s announcement yesterday that the prosecution was resting its case, pending Superior Court Judge Rodney Melville’s decisions on admitting various items.

The debate at the Santa Maria court in California focused on 22 documents or other items, including an address book, legal agreements, emails, financial records, and a copy of a $1 million (E772,296) (£520,000) cheque cashed by a Jackson associate, Marc Schaffel, who is in a group of men named by prosecutors as unindicted co-conspirators in the case. The judge said yesterday that the prosecution might be allowed to re-open its case depending on his decisions on whether to formally admit various items into evidence.

Also to be heard yesterday was a defence motion, filed immediately after the prosecution rested, asking that Jackson be acquitted on grounds that prosecutors hadn’t proven the child molestation and conspiracy case.

Prosecutors set out to prove that in 2003 Jackson fondled a 13-year-old cancer survivor, plied him with alcohol, and arranged to detain him and his family so they would rebut a damaging documentary about the singer.

Defence lawyers typically file such motions when the prosecution rests, and they rarely succeed.

The prosecution’s case included an often mesmerising cast of more than 80 witnesses.