Jackson roadshow expected at court

King of Pop Michael Jackson was due in court amid tight security today to face child abuse allegations.

The star will be asked to enter a plea after a grand jury decided he should stand trial over claims that he sexually abused a teenage cancer patient.

Jackson has called the allegations a “big lie” and said he would plead not guilty during the appearance before a judge in Santa Maria, California.

His previous day in court, in January, became an unprecedented media spectacle, with Jackson dancing on top of his van following the hearing.

He arrived late for the proceedings and was greeted by hundreds of fans who were later invited to a party at Jackson’s Neverland Ranch.

Police were hoping that there would be no repeat performance of the frenzy.

Barricades will be put in place to keep fans away from the pop star. Those who cross barricades will be taken into custody, police said.

A new chain-link fence has been erected around the court house.

Hundreds of media will be in attendance – 130 inside for the hearing – and as many as 2,000 fans are expected at the court.

Jackson’s official website has details of special bus services to take fans to the court.

Santa Barbara Police Chief Dan Macagni said he was diverting all extra resources to the court.

He pleaded with Jackson not to “meet and greet” fans as he entered the court.

“That would really, really be nice and would make our day,” he said.

Mr Macagni said police had a careful plan in place to control crowds at Jackson’s January court appearance.

“And then Mr Jackson decided to do the rooftop dance thing and everything changed. We’re going to try to make sure that doesn’t happen this time,” he said.

Jackson’s spokeswoman Raymone Bain was uncertain as to how the star would behave.

“I guess we’ll all have to wait and see,” she said.

It did not appear that members of the Nation of Islam would be controlling Jackson’s security, as they did at his last court appearance.

Jackson will be accompanied by the well-known lawyer Thomas Mesereau.

He hired Mesereau after firing high-profile celebrity lawyers Mark Geragos and Benjamin Brafman.

He said he needed the undivided attention of his legal team, adding: “My life is at stake.”

Jackson is charged with seven counts of performing lewd or lascivious acts on a child under 14 and two counts of administering an intoxicating agent, reportedly wine.

He is currently free on €2.5m bail.

The case has taken a series of twists since November last year, when the Neverland ranch, near Santa Barbara was searched by police and Jackson was arrested and later charged.

Soon after his arrest doubts were raised about the credibility of his accuser. It emerged that an earlier investigation into fears that Jackson was molesting the boy declared the claims “unfounded”.

According to legal papers, uncovered by US media, the boy told social workers in Los Angeles that Jackson never abused him.

An education official raised the concerns with the LA authorities after seeing the controversial Jackson documentary by Martin Bashir, early last year.

The accuser’s family also has a history of making compensation claims.

But weeks after the boy’s credibility was thrown into doubt, Jackson gave a television interview repeating his belief that it was appropriate to share a bed or bedroom with an un-related child.

“If you’re gonna be a paedophile, if you’re gonna be Jack the Ripper, if you’re gonna be a murderer, it’s not a good idea. That, I’m not,” he said.