Prior allegations permissible – Defense To Put on Full Blown Defense

[b]Prior allegations permissible in Jackson trial[/b] The Associated Press Updated: 4:05 p.m. ET March 28, 2005 SANTA MARIA, Calif. – The judge in Michael Jackson’s child molestation trial ruled Monday that the prosecution may present testimony about past allegations against the pop star involving five boys, including two who reached multimillion-dollar civil settlements with the singer. Superior Court Judge Rodney Melville ruled after hearing arguments by District Attorney Tom Sneddon and vigorous opposition by defense attorney Thomas Mesereau Jr. … Jackson’s lawyer fought the admission of evidence about so-called past similar acts, saying it was based on third parties, many of whom were after Jackson’s money. “How can you just allow a parade of third-party characters to come in without any victims?” Mesereau asked during arguments. … Mesereau told the judge that the defense would put on a “mini trial” on each allegation that was allowed in. He had urged the judge to consider the evidence that has been presented so far on the current charges against Jackson. “You have to consider what the case looks like,” he said. “It looks real bad and it’s going to get worse. You can’t stop the defense from putting on a full-blown defense and I mean just that.” The Culkin factor Mesereau said that among the alleged victims that the prosecutoin would bring in by reference would be Macaulay Culkin, who he said has always denied that anything improper happened to him while with Jackson. “There’s Macaulay Culkin who has repeatedly said he was never molested,” Mesereau said. He referred to some of Sneddon’s third-party witnesses as “the gang.” 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. Mesereau also said it would be unfair to have others testify about the 1993 case without putting that accuser on the stand. Mesereau asserted that the 1993 accuser’s father and stepfather filed numerous lawsuits against Jackson to get money from him. … Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7317217/