Jacko case closes ranks

THE judge in Michael Jackson’s child-molestation case drew a curtain of secrecy tighter around the allegations, continuing to seal not only grand jury materials but also requests for release of unspecified evidence.

Santa Barbara County Superior Court Judge Rodney Melville, who had said at the last hearing that he would consider releasing the entire indictment as well as the grand jury transcript, said yesterday he had reviewed the material and decided to keep all of it sealed.

Melville expressed concern that “in the extraordinary, high publicity environment of this proceeding, the integrity of the jury pool is threatened” by possible disclosure of evidence that may or may not be admissible at trial.