Michael Jackson in kidnapping plot

[Billy Castillo]

From yahoo news

SANTA MARIA, United States (AFP) - A son of late acting legend Marlon Brando was implicated in an alleged plot by Michael Jackson to kidnap the boy who accused him of child molestation, a court heard.

Photo

AFP/File Photo

 

The bombshell was dropped during a pre-trial hearing in Jackson's child molestation case when prosecutors revealed they had recently discovered documents linking Miko Brando with the alleged crime.

Brando, 44, the son of the Oscar-winning movie giant, works as a security guard for the "King of Pop" and received a 20,000-dollar petty cash payment from Jackson, prosecutor Ronald Zonen told Judge Rodney Melville.

A record of the alleged December 2003 transaction was discovered in documents seized in a search of the home of Jackson's personal assistant, the court heard.

"Evidence of the movement of cash (is) consistent with count one of the indictment" against Jackson, Zonen told the court as prosecutors and Jackson's lawyers haggled over what evidence should be allowed at trial.

Count one on the 10-count criminal indictment is that Jackson and his alleged co-conspirators planned to abduct a child, to falsely imprison someone and to extort someone.

While details of the indictment remain secret under a strict gag order in the case, the charges are thought to involve an alleged plot to abduct Jackson's young accuser, his younger brother and the boys' mother.

But Jackson lawyer Robert Sanger, arguing that the financial record should not be seen by Jackson's trial jury, said the payment proved nothing.

"There is nothing unusual with someone like Michael Jackson, with such a large operation like Neverland, to have 20,000 dollars in cash delivered to them for the purpose of running their daily affairs," Sanger said.

Jackson's legal team wants a battery of documents seized from the home of Jackson's personal assistant ruled inadmissible as evidence at trial, while prosecutors are fighting to have it included.

Also among the seized documents that the two sides sparred over Friday was what prosecutors said was evidence that Jackson had "orchestrated" demonstrations by fans outside the courtroom in Santa Maria, California.

Jackson has turned up in court several times since January and thousands of screaming fans have also appeared to support their hero against what they say are false allegations against him.

Another of the disputed sets of documents Jackson's lawyers want kicked out of evidence is a calendar indicating Jackson, 46, was at his Neverland ranch when certain material was downloaded off the Internet that prosecutors said could corroborate evidence that will be given by Jackson's accuser.

Judge Melville said he would rule on whether the various items would be admitted into evidence at Jackson's trial, due to start here on January 31, but said he was not inclined to admit evidence of Jackson's alleged involvement in organising demonstrations in support of him as it appeared irrelevant.

Jackson is charged with molesting a 12-year-old boy at his Neverland Ranch, near here, in February and March of last year. He was arrested on November 19, 2003 and freed on three million dollars' bail.

In April, he pleaded innocent to charges including child abuse, plying a minor with alcohol and conspiring to kidnap, illegally imprison and extort his alleged victim or his family.

The judge, growing impatient at one point during the second day of a two-day pre-trial hearing on Friday, said he was determined that jury selection should begin in the trial on January 31.

 

At one point Melville cut Sanger off, saying: "You notice how grumpy I get at 4:30 in the afternoon. It's a good time to shut up," he said ordering both sides to properly share information with each other.

The next hearing in the case is likely to be November 22.

[Lowerdeck]

No matter how fucking stupid or crazy celebrities are, they get off the hook.

This really needs to stop. Jacko's a boil on society's ass and needs to be made an example out of.

[Hellfire]

My question is, why would Brando's son need to be working? Wouldn't he have enough $$ from his father? Anyways, Jacko is completely insane, and needs to be taken care of. I dunno what the hell happened to his head, but the guys seriously fucked up. Anyways, I hope someone helps the guy out, he needs theropy, lots of it.

[RPS]

Wow, you know, I'd tell Michael Jackson to stop, but he gives me loads and loads of material for my diary. Honestly!

Being serious... I am not quite sure, personally, that Michael is guilty. Their are a hell of a lot of allegations, yes. I am not even sure this 20,000$ movement is really concrete evidence. I haven't seen any real concrete evidence in this case to prove him guilty. He is probably just some messed up guy who got caught up in his stupid behavior.

[Billy Castillo]

Miko Brando has been one of Whacko's goons since the 80s, so it's nothing new.

[Asuka's Gonna Kill You]

I back Jackson the entire way. No way does he ever deserve this sort of shit.

In other words, fuck all the Michael Jackson haters :thumbsup:

[Billy Castillo]

How does he *not* deserve it? If a 45 year old man gets his jollies by piddling with a little boy's penis, he should get the book thrown at him. He's been getting away with it for far too long. If it was someone who wasn't a celeb, he'd have been in jail a long time ago.