Michael Jackson asks for psych test of his accusers

[b]Michael Jackson asks for psych test of his accusers[/b] Associated Press SANTA MARIA, Calif. – Attorneys for singer Michael Jackson have asked a judge to order mental evaluations for the family of the boy accusing him of child molestation, alleging they could not effectively cross-examine a psychologist if denied access to his reviews, according to court documents released Wednesday. [b]Defense attorneys also argued details of the alleged abuse contained in the complaint filed by prosecutors vastly differ from those contained in the grand jury indictment, according to Jackson’s motion seeking the psychological evaluations. The complaint filed by Santa Barbara County prosecutors in December 2003 had charged Jackson with seven counts of lewd acts with a child and two counts of administering an intoxicant to a minor, alleged abuses that occurred between Feb. 7, 2003, to March 10, 2003, the motion said. However, the April 2004 indictment later charged Jackson with four counts of lewd acts with a child, one count of attempted lewd acts with a child and four counts of administering an intoxicant in commission of a felony, alleged abuses that occurred between Feb. 20, 2003, to March 12, 2003, according to the motion. [/b] The indictment said there were five “unindicted” individuals with counts under a California penal code section that includes conspiracy to commit a crime. “Somewhere, the perception of the facts in this case was significantly altered, and the indictment no longer followed the details and chronology recounted by” psychologist Stanley Katz, who interviewed the teenage boy and his family and told authorities about the alleged abuse, Jackson attorneys said in court documents. A hearing involving the motion for the psychological exams was scheduled for Monday in Santa Barbara County Superior Court. Jackson attorney Brian Oxman declined to comment on the motion, citing a gag order against him and all parties involved in the case. Phone calls were placed late Wednesday to the Santa Barbara County district attorney’s office, but officials were not immediately available for comment. Attorneys for Jackson also argued for the psychological tests on the grounds that “the prosecution opened the door to permit a mental examination” by allowing Katz to interview the boy and his family, court papers said. The motion asks for an evaluation of the boy who made the accusation, his brother and their mother. It was unclear from the court documents which boy Jackson allegedly molested. Jackson has pleaded not guilty to child molestation, conspiracy and administering an intoxicating agent, alcohol, to a boy. His trial was scheduled to begin Jan. 31. Source: Mercury News