SANTA MARIA, California - The following is a list of the key players in the trial of Michael Jackson, who has pleaded innocent to fondling a 13-year-old boy two years ago.

The Jackson team:
-- Michael Jackson: variously known as the "King of Pop" and "Wacko Jacko." One of the world's best known entertainers, he is famed for his moondancing, his high-pitched singing and his video performances, but also for his often eccentric behavior. The 46-year-old father of three claims he is the victim of a conspiracy. The prosecution portrays him as a predator who uses porn and booze to seduce boys aged 10 to 13.
-- Thomas Mesereau: The dapper lead defense lawyer. A broad-shouldered, silver-haired former boxer, Mesereau has a slick but combative courtroom style. He has handled a number of high-profile cases.
-- The fans: The hard-core Jackson supporters. A couple of hundred cheered Jackson at the start of the trial, but only a handful now show up at the gates of the Santa Maria, California courtroom, loudly proclaiming the innocence of their fading pop idol.

The accusers:
-- The accuser: A 15-year-old cancer survivor who claims Jackson molested him, plied him with alcohol and conspired to hold him and his family against their will two years ago. The defense team portrays him as a rude, obnoxious and ungrateful child used by his mother to extort money from Jackson. The entertainer's lawyers point to inconsistencies in his testimony, but psychologists testified that such behavior is common among victims of child molestation.
-- The accuser's family: The defense has also pointed to contradictions in the testimony from the boy's 14-year-old brother and his 18-year-old sister. Jackson's lawyers say they cannot wait for testimony by the mother. All four had stayed at Neverland on several occasions. They made a video in 2003 clearing Jackson's name, but the prosecution says they were forced to tape the statements.

-- Tom Sneddon: The tenacious lead prosecutor. Sneddon, who is district attorney of Santa Barbara county, had already tried to prosecute Jackson in a similar case in 1993 but dropped the charges after the star settled out-of-court with his young accuser. He is known as a tough law-and-order man and an effective prosecutor.

The judge
-- Rodney Melville: A no-nonsense judge with a soft voice and a sense of humor. He has imposed a gag order on all the parties to the trial, banned cameras from his courtroom and made it clear he expected Jackson and his fans to behave. When the pop star turned up an hour late for court, Melville issued a warrant for his arrest, which he later quashed. But on occasion, he has also caused laughter in his courtroom, delivering witty remarks with a deadpan face.

The other alleged victims:
Starting Monday, jurors are to hear testimony about five more boys the superstar allegedly molested.
-- The son of a former Neverland maid: He will be the only one of the five to testify. He says Jackson molested him three times in 1990, according to the prosecution. He and his mother won a two million dollar settlement from Jackson in 1994. He is now 23.
-- Macaulay Culkin: Former child actor who starred in "Home Alone." He is the godfather to Jackson's son Prince Jackson and daughter Paris. The now 24-year-old has denied Jackson ever molested him, though others claim to have witnessed the abuse.
-- A 24-year-old man: He got a 20 million dollar payoff from Jackson after claiming the superstar molested him in 1993. His relatives say he is out of the country. He allegedly was seen in bed with Jackson, their underwear on the floor.
-- A 22-year-old Australian: A former choreographer for Britney Spears who first slept in Jackson's bedroom at age 5. He met Jackson after winning a dance competition in Brisbane in 1987.
-- A 23-year-old Australian: He says he slept in the same bed with Jackson at age 11 but denies any abuse. For two years in the early 1990s he was often seen with Jackson.

04/04/2005 08:24 GMT