Flight Attendant Testifies Again

March 31st, 2005

The jury also heard again from charter jet flight attendant Cynthia Bell, who has undercut a prosecution claim that Jackson served alcohol to the boy as they and the boy’s family flew from Miami to Santa Barbara in February 2003.

Bell repeated testimony from Tuesday that she served Jackson wine in a Diet Coke can and did not see his accuser drink from it, as the prosecution contends. She said Jackson appeared relaxed from the wine but not drunk.

She said the boy was rude, made complaints and demands about meals, and his mother did nothing about it. She said he started a food fight by throwing potatoes at a sleeping doctor traveling with the group.

“The initial flinging of mashed potatoes was not playful. Throwing mashed potatoes at a sleeping man?” she said.

Bell also said the boy boasted that Jackson gave him a watch, which prosecutors contend was a bribe to keep the him from revealing that Jackson gave him alcohol.

“He was saying things like, ‘Look at what Michael got me,’ and, ‘These are very expensive watches,”‘ she said.

“He did say, ‘Michael bought this watch for me and he’ll buy me anything,”‘ she said.

Deputy District Attorney Gordon Auchincloss asked if the boy’s behavior changed during the flight.

Bell said the boy was consistently rude except when listening to music.

When the prosecutor asked if she saw Jackson cuddling the boy, Bell said she didn’t think so but that Jackson had an arm around the boy while listening to music.

Auchincloss asked Bell, “What do you define as cuddling?”

She hesitated, smiled and said, “I’d have to show you.”

The courtroom erupted in laughter and Auchincloss quipped, “Your honor, may I approach the witness?”

The trial was recessed through Thursday for the Cesar Chavez state holiday.

Source: CBS

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