|
Michael Jackson case file
THE KEY PLAYERS
THE PROSECUTION
Thomas Sneddon, 63, Santa Barbara County district
attorney, 35 years as a prosecutor and 21 as a district attorney.
Mr. Sneddon oversaw the investigation of Mr. Jackson in 1993 that
crumbled when the accuser refused to testify after his family received
a multimillion-dollar settlement from the entertainer. The tenacious
former boxer was once nicknamed Mad Dog. He has said he has no political
aspirations and intends to retire at the end of his term in 2006.
Ron Zonen, 55, senior deputy district attorney
who works in the sex crimes unit. He has handled several high-profile
cases, including the trial of the five young men involved in the
kidnap and murder of 15-year-old Nicholas Markowitz, in which the
gunman was sentenced to death. He also won a rape and murder conviction
in one of the first DNA cases in the state in 1990 and, more recently,
used DNA to close a cold case from 1979.
Gordon Auchincloss, 49, senior deputy district
attorney who has handled numerous drug and conspiracy cases. His
highest-profile murder case, against defendant Benjamin Ballesteros,
charged with killing his girlfriend, is being held up by a challenge
from defense attorney Robert Sanger concerning the ethnic makeup
of the jury pool in Santa Barbara County.
Gerald Franklin, 69, senior deputy district attorney
who focuses on legal research. Mr. Franklin often handles appellate
court cases for the District Attorney's Office.
THE DEFENSE
Thomas Mesereau, 53, Los Angeles-based criminal
defense attorney replaced Mark Geragos as the lead counsel this
spring. He's represented such high-profile clients as murder suspect
actor Robert Blake and successfully defended boxer Mike Tyson against
a rape accusation. Each year, he takes on a death penalty case in
the Deep South for free. A former boxer himself, Mr. Mesereau has
already come out swinging in the Jackson case, attacking Mr. Sneddon's
conduct.
Steve Cochran, 46, a former federal public defender
who has also served as a civil attorney for Mr. Jackson on several
local cases. The Los Angeles-based attorney is on the advisory board
for the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeal. High-profile clients from
criminal and civil cases include actors Charlie Sheen and Forest
Whitaker, singer Britney Spears, comedian Paul Rodriguez and Universal
Studios.
Robert Sanger, 55, a prominent Santa Barbara criminal
defense attorney who has also handled complex criminal and civil
cases in state and federal courts. He has represented Mr. Jackson
on several other cases. Mr. Sanger has challenged the process by
which juries are chosen in Santa Barbara, saying it is unconstitutional
because Latinos are underrepresented. He's also an important statewide
opponent of the death penalty.
Brian Oxman, 52, a Jackson family civil lawyer
and close friend for 15 years who recently began serving as defense
co-counsel. He examined psychologist Dr. Stan Katz with the seeming
intent of undermining that witness¹s credibility. Mr. Oxman's
other clients include astronauts Richard Gordon and Ron Evans, Denver
Broncos owner Patrick Bolan, and former Gov. Jerry Brown.
Susan C. Yu, 41, a law partner of Mr. Mesereau
who specializes in complex civil litigation and criminal defense.
Ms. Yu's high-profile cases include the successful defense of Home
Depot U.S.A., Inc., in numerous criminal regulatory compliance matters
throughout various criminal courts in Southern California. She also
served as co-counsel to actor Robert Blake in his murder trial.
OTHER KEY PLAYERS
William Dickerman, Los Angeles attorney hired
by the alleged victim's family in early 2003 in an effort to get
associates of Mr. Jackson to return the family's possessions. Mr.
Dickerman exchanged several letters with attorney Mr. Geragos between
April and June demanding the return of the family's belongings,
including such items as their passports and birth certificates.
He finally referred the family to attorney Larry Feldman.
Larry Feldman, Los Angeles attorney for the family
referred to them by Mr. Dickerman. Mr. Feldman brokered a $15 million
civil settlement for the accuser from the 1993 case, shutting down
the criminal investigation of Mr. Jackson. In the current case,
the boy reportedly made comments in June 2003 to Mr. Feldman about
alleged molestation. Mr. Feldman then referred the boy to Dr. Stan
Katz, who also assisted in the evaluation of the 1993 accuser.
Dr. Stan Katz, a Beverly Hills psychologist who
interviewed the 13-year-old boy in this case. Dr. Katz also assisted
in the 1993 case. He reported the allegations in the current one
in June 2003 after a therapy session with the boy. In an odd twist,
defense attorneys revealed that both the alleged victim and the
private investigator who worked for Mr. Geragos, Bradley Miller,
were patients of Dr. Katz.
Bradley Miller, a Beverly Hills private investigator
who worked for Mr. Geragos on the case. He reportedly was involved
in a videotaped interview with the boy and his family after a British
documentary aired which shows Mr. Jackson holding hands with the
boy and stating that he shares his bed with children.
"Jane Doe," 34, the accuser's mother,
was scheduled to testify, but the recent birth by cesarian of her
fourth child kept her from the courtroom. Before a gag order was
issued, Mr. Geragos insisted that the child molestation allegations
were the result of the mother's failed attempt to get money from
Mr. Jackson. However, Mr. Sneddon has maintained that is not the
case. During her grand jury testimony, she referred to Mr. Jackson
as "The Devil."
"Mr. Doe," the accuser's stepfather
and a major in the Army Reserve for 22 years who married the boy's
mother in May 2003. Mr. Doe testified that he received a request
from Neverland for the boy and his family to appear in a video to
combat the negative publicity generated by the British documentary.
He testified he told the caller, who has not been identified, that
he knows Mr. Jackson would make millions from the video and asked
the family be paid for their appearance.
— By Scott Hadly and Dawn Hobbs
|
