A California judge ruled Friday that jurors in Michael Jackson's child molestation trial may view the BBC version of Martin Bashir's documentary "Living With Michael Jackson," overruling defense objections to its admission as evidence.
Judge Rodney Melville limited the screening to the BBC broadcast, barring the US network version that included additional journalist commentary. The film, which drew intense public and official scrutiny at the time of its broadcast, shows Jackson holding hands with his accuser and acknowledging that he shared his bedroom with children.
Prosecutor Tom Sneddon argued the US broadcast had severely damaged Jackson's finances and public standing, and contended the fallout drove Jackson and five unnamed alleged co-conspirators to hold the boy and his family at Neverland Ranch, forcing them to record a video clearing Jackson of any misconduct involving the then-13-year-old.
Defense attorney Thomas Mesereau called the film "a highly edited, dramatized, provocative piece of material" and asked the court to also screen a companion video in which Jackson elaborated on answers he said Bashir had selectively cut.
Jackson, facing 10 counts including child molestation and conspiracy to falsely imprison, enters jury selection Monday in what prosecutors and defense alike describe as one of the highest-profile celebrity trials in recent memory.
Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this AFP wire report, first published in January 2005, in its own words.