Maid Testifies About Jackson Entry Alarm

[b]Maid Testifies About Jackson Entry Alarm[/b] By TIM MOLLOY, Associated Press Writer SANTA MARIA, Calif. – One of Michael Jackson’s former housekeepers testified Monday in his child molestation trial that an alarm that sounds when anyone enters the pop star’s bedroom suite had the same volume during a test recorded last year as it did in previous years. The maid’s testimony was aimed at discrediting an account by the accuser’s brother, who testified he twice entered the two-story master bedroom suite at Jackson’s Neverland ranch and while on the stairs inside the suite he saw Jackson molest his brother on the upstairs bed. The defense contends the events related by the brother never happened and seeks to show that the alarm would have alerted Jackson that someone was entering the suite. The maid, Maria Gomez, was questioned about a test conducted by a defense witness to measure the volume of the alarm, which is a chime similar to those at the doors of convenience stores. She told defense attorney Robert Sanger that the alarm sounded at the same volume during the test earlier this year as it has for the last several years. Prosecutors suggest that the chime may have played at a louder volume during the test than it did at the time Jackson’s accuser and the boy’s brother were staying at Neverland in February and March 2003. The prosecution also claims the alarm is quiet enough to have gone unheard upstairs. In the videotape recording of the test by videographer Laurence Zimmer the alarm is clearly audible in the upstairs portion of the bedroom. Gomez was present for the test. The testimony began what is expected to be the final week of the defense case. Comedians Jay Leno and Chris Tucker are expected to testify before the defense ends. The defense had been expected to last into June, but prosecutors said in court Friday that the defense has indicated it may rest by Tuesday. Defense attorneys did not comment. Leno was expected to take the stand Tuesday to testify about a phone call the defense says he received from Jackson’s accuser. Defense attorneys say the boy’s family targeted Leno and other celebrities, including Jackson, in attempts to get money. Tucker, who like Jackson befriended the boy while he was battling cancer, was to testify about spending time with the family. They took several trips together, including one to visit Jackson in Miami in February 2003. It was unclear when Tucker would testify. Tucker’s girlfriend, Hollywood casting assistant Azja Pryor, testified last week about her experiences with the family. She said the boy’s mother complained in March 2003 that Jackson’s associates were trying to keep her family away from Jackson. The timing is significant because Jackson is accused of molesting the boy in late February or early March of 2003. … Once the defense rests, prosecutors will present their rebuttal. Defense attorneys will then respond, followed by closing arguments and deliberations. On Friday, former Jackson attorney Mark Geragos testified that he ordered an investigator to track the family because he feared they were plotting to bilk money from his client. Source: http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20050523/ap_en_ot/michael_jackson_12