A lawyer for Michael Jackson’s former bodyguard is fighting efforts to get him from Las Vegas to California to testify at the singer’s molestation trial.

Christopher Eric Carter pleaded innocent this morning in Las Vegas to multiple felony charges stemming from a series of armed robberies.

A Clark County District Court judge denied a request to lower Carter’s bail — and also denied a defense request to hold a hearing about whether Carter should be forced to appear at Jackson’s trial.

Carter’s been expected to testify for the prosecution that he once found a boy who says Jackson molested him inebriated and that the boy told him Jackson had encouraged him to drink.

Defense lawyer Lloyd Baker says he’ll appeal to the Nevada Supreme Court to try to keep Carter from having to go to California.

Baker says that if Carter is forced to testify, he’ll take the Fifth Amendment against self-incrimination.

Carter’s being held on 265-thousand dollars bail at the Clark County jail.

Source: Associated Press