Jackson Jury Can Hear of Past Allegations – Defense intends to fight vigorously

[b]Jackson Jury Can Hear of Past Allegations[/b] March 28 2005 … Defense attorney Thomas Mesereau Jr. asked Judge Rodney Melville to exclude the allegations, saying they were based on third parties, many of whom were after Jackson’s money. The reference was to former Jackson employees who sued the singer in the past and lost, and were then ordered to pay the singer $1 million in damages. [b]And Mesereau said Culkin, a frequent visitor to Jackson’s Neverland Ranch, “has repeatedly said he was never molested.” Mesereau told the judge that the defense would put on a “mini-trial” on each allegation that is allowed in. “You can’t stop the defense from putting on a full-blown defense and I mean just that,” the defense attorney warned.[/b] Jackson was not present during the arguments but arrived later to cheers from fans. The ruling came in a hearing before resumption of testimony in which comic George Lopez told about helping Jackson’s current accuser as the boy battled cancer. The comedian said he came to believe the boy’s father was more interested in money than helping his son. Lopez said the father accused the comedian of stealing $300 from the boy’s wallet. The defense contends Lopez, star of the ABC sitcom “George Lopez,” is among celebrities who were targeted by the accuser’s family in schemes to make money. … Source: http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/wireStory?id=620441