MORE insights into Michael Jackson’s new allegiance with The Source magazine are emerging. Insiders say Jackson planed to “pull a Tommy Mottola” at a soon-to-be-held press conference in Midtown — implying Jackson would brand his rival Eminem a “racist,” just as he did his former pal Mottola two years ago when he was upset his “Invincible” album wasn’t selling well.

“Michael has called Ray Benzino [co-owner of The Source with David Mays] no less than 20 times a day for the past few days,” the insider said. “He is absolutely furious about Eminem’s video and is mad that only BET has decided not to show it.”

However, Jackson and Benzino were looking for other artists to come out in support of their anti-Eminem stand, but can’t seem to find any.

The press conference, which had been planned for today, has been pushed back indefinitely, although a magazine rep says it will be “soon.”

Source: NY Post

“Jacko Defense Lawyer Shakeup?

I told you the other day that the upheavals in Michael Jackson’s defense team emanated from Brian Oxman, attorney for Randy Jackson. Rumor has it that Oxman had Michael’s longtime lawyers Steve Cochran and Zia Modabber forced off the case. Watch how things start to happen in the next few days. Weekend meetings at Neverland may have awakened Michael from his Peter Pan slumber. Oxman could be on his way out now too, but getting Modabber and Cochran to return may not be so easy. According to my sources, they haven’t been paid for their work in some time. They join a long list of people that Randy Jackson has simply not dealt with and that effort to cut costs by avoiding bills has made a lot of enemies of former friends and Jackson loyalists, my sources say.”

Source: Fox News

The Michael Jackson single “Cheater” has now been released to UK radio and received it’s first airplay yesterday on BBC Radio 2’s Ken Bruce Show. The single is now in regular rotation.

To request for “Cheater” email: ken.bruce@bbc.co.uk

Source: BBC Radio 2

The following statement was released on behalf of Raymone Bain, Michael Jackson’s spokesperson, from The Justice System.net:

“Michael Jackson would like to thank his fans, from all over the world, for their love and support. He loves you all very much. He and his family are doing fine, and he, and his brother, Randy, wants you to know that they appreciate all of the cards and letters that you have sent.

“In addition, Michael sends a special thank you for all of the support you have given to him regarding the Eminem situation. Eminem is wrong. Eminem owes Mr. Jackson a public apology; and, the video needs to be pulled from MTV, MTV2 and MTVEurope.

“As he’s said, he is not taking this lightly. The video was demeaning and disrespectful to him, his children, his family, and the community at large.

“He appreciates all that you have done as well as Bob Johnson, Chairman/ CEO of BET, Comedian Steve Harvey, Radio One, The Source, and many, many others who have either written letters or spoken out on his behalf.

“We are not through in our fight. He is very strong, and we are all going to continue in our efforts to make sure that this video is pulled, and the song is removed from Eminem’s upcoming album.”

Thank you all very much!
Raymone K. Bain

Mr. Michael Jackson releases the following statement regarding longtime attorney and friend, Steve Cochran:

“I would like to thank Attorney Steve Cochran for all of the hard work he has done on my behalf. Unfortunately, he has taken a temporary leave of absence, for his own confidential reasons, from my Defense team, but will continue to collaborate with me, Tom Mesereau and other members of the team.

“I have known Steve Cochran for many years, and he is a wonderful person and dedicated lawyer. He continues to be my friend and close advisor.

“My Defense team will continue to be led by Thomas Mesereau, Jr. I have the greatest faith and trust in Tom, and the other members of my team.”

Source: MJJ Source

The judge in Michael Jackson’s child molestation case ordered prosecutors to reveal the names of their secret informers, warning that he would not delay the singer’s trial.

Judge Rodney Melville made the ruling the pop superstar’s lawyers and prosecutors haggled over whether evidence was being properly shared in the case during a pre-trial hearing in the California town of Santa Maria.

Jackson’s crack legal team complained that prosecutors were dragging their heels in handing over piles of information in the case, including the name of secret informants who sparked the investigation against the star.

“We are here to seek the truth, to defend an innocent person who is falsely accused,” lawyer Susan Yu told the judge, explaining why the confidential informants who spurred the probe against Jackson should be identified.

Another of Jackson’s attorneys, Steve Cochran, asked Melville also to order prosecutors to hand over “anything that might exonerate Michael Jackson or show a bias” on the part of the prosecution.

An irate Judge Melville told prosecutor Tom Sneddon to hand over outstanding documents and evidence to Jackson’s camp and warned both sides he would not delay the start of his trial, scheduled for January 31.

“I am not interested in continuing this case beyond the trial date,” the judge said. “That would be punishing me for your failure to comply with the rules. I’m not doing that.”

While the judge conceded that the huge amount of evidence and documents in the case presented a “Herculean task” for everyone involved in the case, it was “not in the interest of anybody to prolong this litigation.”

The judge also told Sneddon that the investigation into the charges against Jackson had to “stop somewhere. At some point, we have to stop gathering, start organising and be ready for trial,” he said.

Sneddon retorted that the prosecution has already handed over more than 16,000 pages of documents and “innumerable” tapes and video and audio discs to defence lawyers.

The prosecutor also said there had been a misunderstanding over revealing the identities of the prosecution informants.

There was a “tremendous gap in logic by the defence in concluding we are hiding something when we are not,” he said.

Source: Associated Press

In the latest restriction on news media covering the Michael Jackson child molestation case, bailiffs Thursday imposed an unusual new rule on reporters and members of the public attending a routine hearing: No talking in court, even before the proceedings.

Reporters have complained in the past about extraordinary secrecy in the case, including lack of access to hearings, the withholding of the identities of Jackson’s alleged coconspirators, a sweeping gag order imposed on lawyers and the sealing of all case documents under a judge’s order.

Members of the press and the public, including Jackson supporters, were warned by bailiffs Thursday that they would be ejected from the courtroom for even casual chatting with a neighbor.

One Jackson fan was tossed by bailiffs for talking to the person next to her moments after she entered the courtroom. Reporters silently scribbled notes to each other, like students in detention, as they questioned the legality of the new rule.

It was imposed after Santa Maria Times news columnist Steve Corbett spoke with Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Sgt. Ross Ruth about a judge’s order barring reporters from conducting interviews during breaks and hearings. Corbett argued that it was hard to say what constituted an interview and Ruth responded by ordering deputies to keep everyone silent.

A New York Post reporter tested the boundaries of the new rule twice. He got away with saying, “Good morning,” to a colleague out of the earshot of sheriff’s deputies. But when the reporter chatted with Deputy District Attorney Gerald Franklin before the hearing, a sheriff’s deputy hushed the reporter and the attorney, warning them they couldn’t speak to each other.

Source: Associated Press

A judge Thursday rejected a defense request to throw out the indictment in the Michael Jackson case, saying prosecutors had presented enough evidence of child molestation and an attempt to silence the alleged victim’s family for the case to go forward.

Defense attorneys had argued before Judge Rodney Melville that the indictment returned by a grand jury should be thrown out because of prosecutorial misconduct, improper legal instruction, and insufficient evidence. Melville rejected the claims.

The decision came at the end of one of the most unusual hearings in the case to date.

Source: Associated Press

Four of Michael Jackson’s nephews, and a niece, now live in the Los Angeles mansion where Michael grew up. But life for them isn’t always easy these days.

With the family in an unwelcome spotlight due to Michael’s court case, The Early Show’s National Correspondent Hattie Kauffman got an exclusive two-part interview with the youngsters. It was the first time they spoke on the record, telling Kauffman how they feel about being part of their very famous family.

“We’re like every other family out there. I don’t understand. People think we’re so different but no we’re not,” says niece Genevieve, 14, summing up the feelings of her siblings.

She says they watch clips of the old Jackson Five all the time.

Do they feel pressure to follow in their older relatives’ footsteps?

“Sometimes,” says Randy, 12.

Genevieve agrees: “Sometimes, but not all the time. ‘Cause you know our parents, understand like…

“They don’t push us,” chimes in Donte, also 12.

“They don’t pressure to be something we don’t want to be,” adds Genevieve.

Randy wants to be an actor, Donte a lawyer. Jaafar, 8, sees himself as the next Tiger Woods. Brother Jermajesty, 4, also loves golf - leaving Genevieve to carry on the family’s musical tradition.

Kauffman asked Michael’s brother Jermaine why he wanted the children to be interviewed. “I felt that it was important to show the public that, we have children. We are just like any other family. We’re, like the Brady Bunch, but we’re the Jackson bunch,” Jermaine said.

Well, not quite. Not every kid gets private golf lessons from pros. In fact two pros. They agree Jaafar is a natural.

“He’s going to make us proud one day,” Jemaine says of Jaafar. “My dream is to see him and Jermajesty develop into great golfers.”

Jermajesty is also taking readily to dancing.

The five all agree that their best times are when Michael is around. Donte and Randy say pure fun is the order of the day at those times. “When he comes here, we play like, hide-and-go-seek, go swimming,” says Randy.

“Yeah, we play all the time with him,” adds Donte.

Genevieve says Michael “still has that childhood in him, you know? And, I love that about him. That’s what I love, like. …During the summer, we went to Miami to spend the Fourth of July there, and we were just lighting up fireworks, and it was so much fun.”

Sometimes, Kauffman notes, the kids have Jackson’s famous Neverland ranch all to themselves.

What are their favorite activities there?

“I like to go on the rides, or watch movies,” says Randy. Jaafar prefers the Neverland zoo and arcade.

What they don’t like is being teased at school about the charges against Uncle Michael.

“Sometimes just random kids you don’t even know come up to you and they just ask you things. They’re just crazy questions,” says Genevieve.

“It hurts us,” confides Donte.

“But then we get over it,” continues Genevieve, “because, you know, my mom and dad have always taught us to stay strong.”

Source: CBS

Herbal medicinalist Alfredo Bowman, who goes by the name of Doctor Sebi, sued the star for 380,000 dollars in unpaid bills plus another 600,000 dollars in lost revenues, the papers filed in Los Angeles showed.

Bowman claims he “deferred all of his current clients and declined various speaking engagements” for six months to work for Jackson, costing him about 100,000 a month, the amount in lost revenues he is now claiming.

Bowman contended in the documents filed in Los Angeles Superior Court on Tuesday that he provided and prepared “special herbal compounds” and trained cooks “to prepare meals exclusively” for Jackson.

Bowman says his financial consultant “invoiced Michael Jackson at a reduced rate of 58,000 dollars, based upon an agreement that all invoices would be payable upon receipt. But Jackson never paid up, the suit states.

Source: Associated Press