Jackson Trial Begins

lady cop · Post by **lady cop** » Fri Feb 25, 2005 9:04 am

the jury has been chosen, including 8 alternates. opening statements will begin Monday Feb. 28, unless of course jackson has another 'attack' of some sort. this is the current word from la-la land....when jackson entered the hospital under his own steam for 'flu-like' phoney hypochondriac malingering symptoms last week, he required private room in intensive care, so a 74 year old heart attack patient was taken off her respirator and moved out of her private room to accomodate mr. wonderful....she had another coronary and died. i'll update this thread as trial progresses, including what should be fascinating opening statements.

greydeadhead · Post by **greydeadhead** » Fri Feb 25, 2005 9:23 am

I loved the race card already being played by a juror that got rejected.. wondered when that would rear it's ugly head

Beth · Post by **Beth** » Fri Feb 25, 2005 9:31 am

lady cop wrote: the jury has been chosen, including 8 alternates. opening statements will begin Monday Feb. 28, unless of course jackson has another 'attack' of some sort. this is the current word from la-la land....when jackson entered the hospital under his own steam for 'flu-like' phoney hypochondriac malingering symptoms last week, he required private room in intensive care, so a 74 year old heart attack patient was taken off her respirator and moved out of her private room to accomodate mr. wonderful....she had another coronary and died. i'll update this thread as trial progresses, including what should be fascinating opening statements.Oh my gosh! I hadn't heard about that. I wonder if Jacko feels any guilt that he contributed to a woman's death.

lady cop · Post by **lady cop** » Fri Feb 25, 2005 9:39 am

jacko--guilt? not from one who feels such a sense of entitlement. and now the defense has made a motion to recuse the entire DA office! HAHAHAHAHA..... and Greydeadhead...the demographics in the area where jury pool was drawn are what they are, mostly hispanic.it's a rural agricultural area. a jury of ones peers does not mean by race or only crazy rich pop stars may sit on jury. race card isn't going to cut it, may be useful on appeal later if necessary.

greydeadhead · Post by **greydeadhead** » Fri Feb 25, 2005 9:45 am

Oh..I realize that LC.. I was just commenting on the ladies comments after she was rejected from the jury pool.. and as an alternate juror.. I am sure that this card will come into play during the appeals process.. From what I read of the jurors selected.. mainly women.. it coule be an interesting trial..

lady cop · Post by **lady cop** » Fri Feb 25, 2005 9:49 am

i didn't hear her comments...was that the large black lady? it was my understanding she showed too much 'opinion' in voir dire, instead of neutrality.

BabyRider · Post by **BabyRider** » Fri Feb 25, 2005 11:00 am

Doesn't surprise me in the slightest that the race card is being played already. What I don't understand is why...MJ is white, right??? :yh_eyerol

What an a**hole.

Der Wulf · Post by **Der Wulf** » Fri Feb 25, 2005 11:13 am

I'm thinking the next act is a relapse of the "flu-like" illness, after all the pope had a relapse, why not Jacko? :-3

Paula · Post by **Paula** » Fri Feb 25, 2005 12:37 pm

The trial decides if he is guilty. He is well-liked by many around the world & he has alot of money. It is hard to believe the child and the fact Micheal may not remember what happened if he had pills & wine? Difficult to say if he is a molester, as we know he wants to be an adolescent forever is one thing, after this i hope he keeps his hands to himself.

gmc · Post by **gmc** » Fri Feb 25, 2005 12:58 pm

posted by beth

Oh my gosh! I hadn't heard about that. I wonder if Jacko feels any guilt that he contributed to a woman's death.

Never mind Jacko what kind of hospital does something like that?

lady cop · Post by **lady cop** » Tue Mar 01, 2005 1:05 pm

the jury is watching the Bashir video, where he discusses innocently sleeping with boys and milk and cookies. right-o jocko. .... Babyrider sent me this pic, i had to post it! LOL "what shall i wear to court?"

Attached files

Paula · Post by **Paula** » Tue Mar 01, 2005 3:43 pm

look at all the different nose styles. do they need glue to stay on & what if he sneezes? to have no nose? do bugs fall into the hole in his sleep? gross...

CARLA · Post by **CARLA** » Tue Mar 01, 2005 7:34 pm

Money talks and he will walk.. !! :-5

Sad as it is. I believe MJ is a child molestor of the worst kind. He has all the trappings to snare kid, parents you name into his sick little world.

I TRULY HOPE THIS TIME HIS MONEY, AND FAME WON'T WORK FOR HIM, AND HE WILL BE FOUND GUILTY.. CAN YOU IMAGINE MJ IN JAIL..

lady cop · Post by **lady cop** » Tue Mar 01, 2005 7:43 pm

CARLA wrote: Money talks and he will walk.. !! :-5

Sad as it is. I believe MJ is a child molestor of the worst kind. He has all the trappings to snare kid, parents you name into his sick little world.

I TRULY HOPE THIS TIME HIS MONEY, AND FAME WON'T WORK FOR HIM, AND HE WILL BE FOUND GUILTY.. CAN YOU IMAGINE MJ IN JAIL..

yep....no plastic surgeons and his nose will fall off

greydeadhead · Post by **greydeadhead** » Wed Mar 02, 2005 7:51 am

great article about the judge hearing this trial the other day...either in the NYTimes or on CNN site.... definately the anti-Ito in nature. thankfully...

lady cop · Post by **lady cop** » Wed Mar 02, 2005 9:02 am

yes, and it has been determined that their average IQs are indistinguishable from that of parsnips.

lady cop · Post by **lady cop** » Mon Mar 28, 2005 1:30 pm

march 28---well the judge ruled today that prior allegations of 5 victims will be allowed in...this really is significant, a victory for the prosecution. i predict mj will have another crybaby fit :-1 and need to go to the hospital again. i sure hope that judge took his passport away! i don't trust him not to bolt the country.

lime-sterman · Post by **lime-sterman** » Mon Mar 28, 2005 2:07 pm

lady cop wrote: march 28---well the judge ruled today that prior allegations of 5 victims will be allowed in...this really is significant, a victory for the prosecution. i predict mj will have another crybaby fit :-1 and need to go to the hospital again. i sure hope that judge took his passport away! i don't trust him not to bolt the country.

If this is the case............thing's are looking really grim for the guy! i can not see him getting out of this jam now, his past has caught up with him and the chance's of him doing a runner are definately on the card's LC.

lady cop · Post by **lady cop** » Mon Mar 28, 2005 2:12 pm

lime-sterman wrote: If this is the case............thing's are looking really grim for the guy! i can not see him getting out of this jam now, his past has caught up with him and the chance's of him doing a runner are definately on the card's LC.i have thought all along that it is a distinct possibility that he will have a "breakdown" and need to be treated as an inpatient in a clinic in switzerland!

lime-sterman · Post by **lime-sterman** » Mon Mar 28, 2005 2:32 pm

lady cop wrote: i have thought all along that it is a distinct possibility that he will have a "breakdown" and need to be treated as an inpatient in a clinic in switzerland!

Yep! they will have the hospital bedroom all set up and ready by now, he is definately not going to see the end of this trial, I hope you guy's are keeping a close eye on him over there!

BTS · Post by **BTS** » Mon Mar 28, 2005 2:53 pm

lady cop wrote: march 28---well the judge ruled today that prior allegations of 5 victims will be allowed in...this really is significant, a victory for the prosecution. Well we have a JUDGE with Spine here I think.

Judge Ito...................He Ain't

I found a few things on him.(Superior Court Judge Rodney Melville)

Anyone that does not understand how a Judge can influence getting to the TRUTH missed the OJ Trial

Superior Court Judge Rodney Melville

The first time Superior Court Judge Rodney Melville faced Michael Jackson, the slight, soft-spoken, gray-haired judge chastised the entertainer for arriving 20 minutes late to his Santa Maria courtroom.

"You have started out on the wrong foot with me. . . . I will not put up with this. This is an insult to the court," the judge said.

Judge Melville's no-nonsense manner at Mr. Jackson's arraignment that January morning in 2003 set the tone for his handling of the case. His firm approach in the courtroom has been evident throughout a year of pretrial hearings in one of the most high-profile criminal cases in recent history.

Descriptions of Judge Melville's usual court demeanor, offered by local prosecutors, defense attorneys and court officials, are strikingly consistent. He is portrayed as a thoughtful, decisive jurist who is firm in the courtroom and fair to all sides.

But the judge, who declined to be interviewed for this article, has drawn fierce criticism from a media attorney by sealing court documents in the Jackson case and barring attorneys from talking about the proceedings.

At this point, Judge Melville stands in stark contrast to Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Lance Ito, who handled the O.J. Simpson murder trial. Most legal observers concluded that Judge Ito lost control of his courtroom. But if Judge Melville runs true to form, he'll hold the reins tight in the child molestation case to prevent it from turning into a circus.

"He's never going to lose control of any case he's got," said Gary Blair, the Santa Barbara County courts administrator who has worked with Judge Melville for 20 years. "Judge Ito was a very nice guy and, unfortunately, got into a bad situation. . . . Everyone looks at him as a poor example. But Judge Melville will always have control over everyone and I think the lawyers respect that."

In a case that has garnered worldwide media attention, Judge Melville's every move has been under a magnifying glass. No matter how long he serves on the bench, the Jackson case is the one people will remember.

The Jackson trial, scheduled to begin Monday, may last up to six months with more than 100 witnesses expected to take the stand. Mr. Jackson, who is free on bail, has pleaded not guilty to all counts.

So far, there has been no question about who is in control in the courtroom. The judge has sparred with prosecutors about the pace of the Jackson investigation. He fined one of Mr. Jackson's defense attorneys $2,000 for insisting on questioning a psychiatrist about confidential client issues. And he has scolded each side, telling prosecutors and defense lawyers alike to sit down and be quiet when he's heard enough.

But the 63-year-old judge has been patient with difficult witnesses. Slowly stroking his white goatee, the judge softly but firmly says: "I need you to just answer the attorney's questions."

And when he explains to attorneys the reasoning behind his rulings, his speech is slow and his tone deliberate.

He has managed to elicit several chuckles from a courtroom full of reporters. After listening to long-winded attorney arguments, he has more than once asked with a straight face: "Oh, you're done? I wasn't paying attention."

The judge then bounces slightly on the bench and grins.

But if the court day goes on too long, the quick wit and one-liners can give way to grumpiness. Late one afternoon in November, both sides questioned the judge's insistence on starting the trial on time. Judge Melville snapped at a prosecutor -- who had barely opened his mouth -- that he didn't want to hear it and cut off a defense lawyer who managed a partial sentence, warning, "It's a good time to shut up."

Local prosecutors and defense lawyers not connected to the case say Judge Melville's firm approach to the Jackson proceedings is not unique -- it's how he does business on a regular basis.

"I think he's fair," said defense lawyer Steve Balash. "He sometimes will correct a lawyer, but I think he's a gentleman. I've never seen him get angry. . . . I've seen judges slam down pencils and lose their temper, but I've never seen Judge Melville do that."

Assistant District Attorney Christie Stanley describes Judge Melville as diplomatic and creative. She recalled the judge's unusual approach to a rape case in the late 1980s that involved three defendants. He used three juries in one courtroom to hear the cases simultaneously.

"I don't know that we've ever done anything like that in this county. It took care of the legal issues and prevented the victim who had been brutally raped from having to testify three different times," Ms. Stanley said. "He's always run his court with a firm hand. He does a great job in situations where there seems to be no way to resolve a problem."

Perhaps the judge's sense of stern fairness stems from having worked both sides of the justice system. He served both as a prosecutor and as a civil and criminal defense lawyer in private practice.

Judge Melville has received numerous awards for his judicial service, including one in 2003 from the California Coalition for Mental Health for developing a drug treatment court here.

A recovering alcoholic, the judge has been known to tell defendants with drug or drinking problems that he has a lot of experience with addiction and treatment and that's why he set up the drug court.

Gov. George Deukmejian appointed Judge Melville to the municipal bench in 1987 and three years later, the governor elevated him to Superior Court where he has remained. During nearly 18 years on the bench, Judge Melville has presided over every type of criminal and civil case imaginable.

He has just begun his third two-year term as presiding judge, a sign that his fellow judges who elected him to the post have confidence in his judgement.

Assistant District Attorney Pat McKinley, who often went up against Judge Melville when the latter was a criminal defense lawyer, said: "I would be thunderstruck if you found anyone who has anything negative to say from the DA's office or the defense bar or anywhere else for that matter."

Santa Barbara County Public Defender James Egar agrees:

"I think he's very fair with everything. . . . Judge Melville also has a great sense of humor . . . which is the one quality that reveals a lot about a person. You have to be intelligent to have a good sense of humor, you can't take yourself too seriously and you have to appreciate the absurdities of life."

As for the Jackson case, Mr. Egar said: "I think he's very open-minded and has not gone into it with any agenda other than to be fair."

A gag order in the Jackson case prohibits attorneys working on the case from commenting, but sources close to the defense have characterized Judge Melville as fair. Sources close to prosecutors have said that he has on occasion perhaps given too much leeway to the defense, but that overall he is fair.

The importance of a case doesn't seem to dictate his approach.

"He will treat a litigant in what we consider to be a mundane family law case with the same kind of respect and dignity that he would treat someone in a multimillion-dollar civil suit or a death penalty case," Mr. Blair said. "He doesn't treat anyone differently based on the magnitude of what's at stake. . . . He's very fair, but firm. He tells you what the rules are and expects you to follow them. . . . He shows no favoritism."

Judge Melville has gone to extraordinary lengths to keep details of the Jackson case secret. He has barred attorneys from commenting publicly and routinely sealed documents typically considered to be public -- especially those at the core of the case. For example, he's sealed all but the barest details in an 82-page search warrant affidavit that led to the Nov. 18, 2003, raid of Neverland Valley Ranch. Other documents are so heavily blacked out that they're almost impossible to decipher.

The exceptional secrecy, the judge says, is to keep potentially prejudicial information from poisoning the jury pool and compromising the fair trial rights of the accused.

Theodore Boutrous, the media attorney who has challenged Judge Melville's sealing orders, is scheduled to be heard before the 2nd District Court of Appeal next month. Mr. Boutrous, who represents several news organizations, argued in the appeal that the secrecy in this case is unprecedented and unconstitutional.

"We fully respect what Judge Melville is trying to accomplish -- ensuring a fair trial -- but we strongly believe the best way to ensure fairness is through openness and not secrecy," Mr. Boutrous said. "The First Amendment makes clear that public access is crucial to ensuring fair trials and public confidence in the criminal justice system."

On Friday, the judge denied a prosecution request to have the accuser and his brother testify behind closed doors, and he also said he will release copies of the grand jury transcripts and the indictment after a jury is empaneled.

"He's been moving in the direction of openness as the trial approaches -- and that's a very positive development," Mr. Boutrous said.

Judge Melville has made several significant rulings during the pretrial hearings. He denied defense requests to set aside the indictment, to remove the district attorney from the case, and to bar evidence from trial. The judge denied prosecution requests to limit the material the defense may subpoena, but ruled the law enforcement raids of Mr. Jackson's ranch and his associates' homes were legal.

Judge Melville is expected to make many key decisions during the trial, including whether to allow the prosecution to bring evidence from an earlier child molestation investigation against Mr. Jackson into this case.

"He's actually quite a strategic thinker," said Darrel Parker, assistant court administrator. "I don't think he makes a move without analyzing his decision from a lot of different angles. But the intensity of the media scrutiny in this case must be difficult. You can't ignore it. It can be a challenge keeping people on track, especially when they're so high-profile and you have so many attorneys on the case.

"But I think he's proven that he's up to that task and has set an aggressive schedule that will move the trial forward. I know he will bring all of his skills to bear on this trial. But the intense scrutiny of all of your decisions has got to take it's toll -- even if only for moments. But I haven't seen any sign of it yet."

PROFILE

Who: Santa Barbara County Superior Court Judge Rodney Melville

Born: June 7, 1941, in Douglas, Ariz.

Family: Married, with two children.

Interests: Enjoys travel, horseback riding, and photography.

Political affiliation: Republican

Education: J.D., 1968, Hastings College of Law; B.A., 1965, San Diego State University.

Tenure: Appointed by Gov. George Deukmejian in December, 1987 to Santa Barbara County Municipal Court; appointed by Mr. Deukmejian in November, 1990 to Santa Barbara County Superior Court. Ran unopposed and was elected in 1992 and re-elected in 1998.

Past Employment: Private law practice as civil and criminal defense lawyer, Santa Maria and Lompoc, 1972-1987, in the firm of Dunlap, Melville and Iwasko, which later became Melville and Iwasko; acting city attorney, Santa Maria, October 1978 to December 1979; deputy district attorney, Santa Barbara County, 1971-1972; deputy district attorney, San Bernardino County, 1969-1971.

SOURCE: Santa Barbara County, Superior Courts, Judge Rodney Melville

abbey · Post by **abbey** » Mon Apr 18, 2005 4:01 pm

I dont seem to have heard anything lately about Whacko & his trial, what's happening, anyone know?