#234 Postby cycloneye » Thu Jun 02, 2005 7:41 am
Jackson Described as Nervous as Trial Nears End
By JOHN M. BRODER
SANTA MARIA, Calif., June 1 - Michael Jackson is nervous and upset as the end of his trial on child molesting charges grows near, a spokeswoman said after a tense afternoon in court during which the judge spelled out the felony accusations against Mr. Jackson and instructed the jury on how to weigh them.
"He listened to the charges against him and it made him a little upset, and that's natural," said the spokeswoman, Raymone Bain. "Who wouldn't be nervous? It's a very difficult situation to sit in there and know that your life is in the balance."
Mr. Jackson, the pop star, sat unmoving at the defense table as Judge Rodney S. Melville of Santa Barbara County Superior Court read 98 pages of jury instructions that included detailed descriptions of the 10 counts.
Mr. Jackson, 46, is charged with four counts of child molesting, one count of attempted child molesting, four counts of administering alcohol to a minor to aid in the commission of a felony and one count of conspiracy to commit extortion, child abduction and false imprisonment.
If convicted on all counts, the singer could spend more than 18 years in prison.
Mr. Jackson's parents, Katherine and Joe, and two of his brothers, Tito and Randy, accompanied him to court on Wednesday. Other members of the family will attend court on Thursday and Friday during closing arguments, Ms. Bain said.
Ms. Bain said that Mr. Jackson and his lawyers were confident that the jury would acquit him of all charges, but the atmosphere in the courtroom and the mood of the defense team as they left the courthouse was somber.
The jury of eight women and four men followed Judge Melville's instructions intently, reading along with written copies provided by the court. The judge told them that they had heard all the evidence - including more than 140 witnesses over 14 weeks - and were about to hear closing arguments from lawyers for both sides. Those arguments are expected to conclude on Friday morning.
They should presume Mr. Jackson innocent and weigh the charges against him without "pity for or prejudice against" him, the judge said. He told jurors that they should draw no inference from the fact that Mr. Jackson did not take the stand in his own defense.
Ms. Bain said that Mr. Jackson relied on his faith in God and the American justice system to get through the trial. She said he spoke with the Rev. Jesse Jackson nearly every day.
She said that she did not know the singer's views on the possibility that he might be going to prison.
"He's a grown man; he knows what life is about," she said. "Nobody needs to talk to him about what it would be like in prison."
The climax of this comes on friday when the Jurors will start to deliberate.
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Both sides have rested.
