Monday, 20 June 2005The prosecutor in the Michael Jackson child abuse case had a "personal vendetta" against him, the singer's lawyer Thomas Mesereau has said.
Mr Mesereau said prosecutor Tom Sneddon had been hunting for willing accusers. "It was like an open casting call on Michael Jackson," he said on US TV.
"The best they could come up with was this family, which we thoroughly discredited from A to Z."
Mr Jackson was cleared of all charges in the case on Monday.
Mr Mesereau claimed Santa Barbara district attorney Mr Sneddon had harboured a vendetta since a previous child molestation case against Mr Jackson was dropped in 1993, after the alleged victim's family accepted an out-of-court settlement.
After the settlement, "others thought they could get an easy pay day as well", he told Tonight Show host Jay Leno on Friday.
'Threat'
Some on the prosecution team still believe Mr Jackson could still be a threat to children, despite his acquittal earlier this week.
"Whether he poses a threat to children in the future is, of course, entirely up to him," said senior deputy district attorney Ron Zonen.
"If he brings kids back into his bedroom and even into his bed, then yes, there's probably a high likelihood that he will pose a threat or danger to the child."
Also on Friday, the Jackson family held a party to celebrate his acquittal and thank all those who supported the singer during his trial.
The party, at a casino in nearby Santa Ynez, was attended by approximately 400 people, including Mr Jackson's mother, Katherine, and his brother, Tito.
"We couldn't have done it without you," his mother told the select group of family and fans.
Michael Jackson was not at the celebration. He has not been seen in public since the end of his 14-week trial.
Story from BBC NEWS
18 June 2005 |
Monday, 20 June 2005
Jackson Trial
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