On the weekend of July 23, 2005, Ricercar Holdings Company organized a
birthday party for Mr. Joseph Jackson in Berlin. While the event was in
honor of Mr. Jackson’s birthday and he was in attendance, at no time was Mr.
Jackson or any member of the Jackson family involved with or responsible for
the planning, production or any other aspects of the event. While we can
understand the disappointment of some of the fans over miscommunications by
Ricercar Holdings Company, this event was solely the responsibility of this
company.

Source: MJFC

Still can’t fathom the Michael Jackson verdict? Jury foreman Paul Rodriguez is ready to explain all.

Rodriguez, who is said to have persuaded fellow jurors to acquit the singer, is teaming with Fox News correspondent Aphrodite Jones to write a book.

Their agent, David Vigliano, tells us Rodriguez “will disclose information you’ve never heard about the players in the case.”

According to sources, Rodriguez didn’t join jurors in TV appearances because he didn’t want to give away his story.

“Paul keeps saying that this is the chance of a lifetime,” says an insider, who hears that the retired school counselor hopes to win cooperation from Jackson lawyer Tom Mesereau (and maybe a trip to Neverland).

Source: NY Daily

The latest Michael Jackson offering “The Essential” only managed to shift 8,200 copies in America placing it at no.128 on Billboard 200.

The Essential Michael Jackson was even beaten by 1970s star Carly Simon’s new CD Moonlight which sold 58,000 copies.

A spokeswoman for Neilsen Soundscan, which monitors US record sales, confirmed: “Carly Simon sold 50,000 more albums than Michael Jackson.”

Meanwhile sales continue to soar in the UK shifting Sales of over 45,500 in its first week of release.

Source: Billboard

…The latest from Roger Friedman;

Michael Jackson’s Bahrain vacation may be coming to an end.

This week, papers were served on Jackson’s three known remaining attorneys
by a lawyer for Marc Schaffel, Jackson’s former partner.

Schaffel, formerly an unnamed and unindicted co-conspirator in Jackson’s
child molestation case, is suing Jackson for $4 million he says he loaned to
Jackson over the course of four years.

Jackson’s lawyers - Brian Oxman, Brent Ayscough and a Houston attorney named
Michael Sydow - have rebuffed Schaffel’s attempts to get Jackson to come
home for a deposition in the case. Their main complaint is that any video
deposition would immediately wind up in the press.

Nevertheless, Schaffel’s lawyer, Howard King, has now served a motion for a
hearing on August 17. King will push for Jackson to begin a deposition
before August 31.

In the papers, King assures Jackson’s team that the video will remain
secret, which is too bad, ’cause we’d love to see it.

This should be interesting as it develops. Jackson is being sued by about
four different parties now, none of whom are having any luck getting him
before a judge.

Additionally, Jackson has almost no proper legal representation, since his
regular civil team disbanded this year.

And of course, he continues to face down a December deadline for disposition
of his 50 percent stake in Sony/ATV Music Publishing.

Source: FOX News

Michael Jackson went to hospital suffering from dehydration and weight loss after jurors acquitted the singer of child molestation last month, his lawyer said on Tuesday.

“Michael Jackson was ill from time to time. In fact, people didn’t realise he actually entered the hospital after the verdict,” Jackson’s lawyer Tom Mesereau told BBC radio in an interview.

“He was dehydrated, he had lost a tremendous amount of weight, he was having trouble keeping food down, he was terrified about what was going happen to his children and he had a recurring back problem,” he added.

The child star turned superstar, whose “Thriller” album made him one of the world’s best known entertainers, was visibly weak at the end of his four-month trial and his family said he had gone to bed after the verdict.

Mesereau said he had not spoken to Jackson in the last few weeks although the two had been in touch after the trial.

Jackson was acquitted last month of molesting a 13-year-old boy in 2003 as well as plying him with alcohol and conspiring to abduct the boy.

The singer faced nearly 20 years in prison if convicted.

Although cleared, music industry experts have questioned how the formerly unstoppable superstar can rebuild his career and work his way out of deep debt.

Mesereau insisted Jackson would not settle out of court if further allegations were made against him.

“I am concerned because he is a perpetual target. There still is a perception among some people that he … doesn’t want to go to court and will settle,” said Mesereau. “We will be fighting any of these suits all the way if they happen.”

Jackson’s success as a pop singer had faded even before the trial as he became more reclusive and the media turned its attention to his dramatic physical changes and eccentric lifestyle.

Mesereau said he hoped nobody entered Jackson’s home to spend the night to avoid future false claims.

“I advised Mr Jackson not to let any families in his home again,” said the lawyer.

Source: Reuters

By Roger Friedman

No one showed up yesterday in New Orleans to defend or represent Michael
Jackson in a lawsuit.

It doesn’t really matter if you think the suit is without merit. It’s in
court. Someone was supposed to show up. They didn’t.

The suit is brought by a man who now says Jackson molested him in a
limousine some time ago. It’s a recovered-memory case. Jackson had hired a
law firm to represent him, but didn’t pay them. They’re also suing him for
$50,000.

The fact is, Jackson’s legal staff is much diminished from days of old.

Instead of using legal beagles Zia Modabber and Steve Cochran, Jackson is
reduced to employing a Houston attorney and some guys from Torrance, Calif.,
including his old pal, Brian Oxman.

Oxman was once suspended from practicing law in California and was fired
from Jackson’s defense team in his child molestation case by Tom Mesereau.

The reasons for the firing were twofold. Oxman had filed an answer in Marc
Schaffel’s lawsuit against Jackson that contradicted what Mesereau was
trying to achieve in the criminal trial.

But Mesereau, according to sources, also held Oxman responsible for asking
Janet Arvizo, mother of the accusing teen in the case, to take the Fifth
Amendment rather than testify.

Oxman, I’m told, also started an independent investigation into Arvizo’s
possible welfare fraud while the criminal case was in court, against
Mesereau’s wishes.

But Oxman and friends are not licensed to practice in New York, where
Michael Jackson is currently being sued for $48 million by Darien Dash,
first cousin of hip-hop entrepreneur Damon Dash. And he can’t practice in
Louisiana, where Jackson faces possible contempt charges if no one shows up
at the next hearing in that case on August 12.

Meantime, you can disregard reports that Jackson is in Berlin, or about to
attend his father’s birthday party there tonight.

My sources say Michael remains in Bahrain, where he’s moonwalking for a
Saudi prince who, he hopes, will come to his financial rescue.

At the same time, Randy Jackson - Michael’s brother - continues attempts to
re-secure his power position with the pop star. Word is he’s returning to
New York to continue negotiations with private hedge fund Fortress
Investments to get Michael some more cash. The $3.3 million Fortress
advanced Jackson back in April is thought to be gone by now.

Source: FOX News

The Essential Michael Jackson is debuted at an impressive #2 in the UK album
chart with sales of 45,527.

Source: MJ.INF

Judge Rodney Melville ruled on Thursday July 21, 2005 that most items seized
from Michael Jackson’s Neverland Valley Ranch should be returned - but not
photos of the singer’s genitalia.

Prosecutor Tom Sneddon did not want the photos returned:

“I don’t believe it would be appropriate for the court to consider
(releasing) them. They were never entered into evidence.”

The judge agreed with Sneddon:

“I think (the photographs) are subject to the 1993 order and not subject to
this court’s order. I will be making an order that they will be maintained
under the previous order.”

The judge said a prior order dictates that those images must remain locked
in a safe-deposit box.

Sneddon also said he opposed returning what he characterized as “contraband”
seized from Neverland, near Los Olivos, during the search.

“Demerol, syringes, clothing that contained Demerol,” Sneddon said, listing
the items at Judge Melville’s request. “There was a number of prescriptions
that were in other people’s names.”

Sneddon said the prescriptions were for Xanax and various antibiotics, and
that one of the prescriptions was in the name of a Neverland employee.

Judge Melville ruled that items seized from Neverland and not entered into
evidence, including about nine computers, should be returned.

“Anything you have seized that was not brought to court and was not
contraband, should be returned to Mr. Jackson.”

The judge also ruled that all other seized items should be returned to their
owner, after the media has time to examine them. However, Melville indicated
he would not allow reporters to view numerous videotapes featuring Jackson,
the accuser’s family or both.

“Those have privacy issues and copyright issues and in all likelihood, I
would not order their release.”

Sneddon said he was concerned about returning adult magazines seized from
Neverland, because the items underwent a chemical fingerprinting process.

“They bear a seal on the binder that say they are toxic. I believe there
should be some kind of a release signed by Mr. Jackson … if he or one of
his children has a toxic reaction to one of those materials.”

Sneddon also indicated that the boy and the family who accused Jackson of
conspiracy and child molestation wanted some of their possessions returned,
including a jacket and watch that Jackson gave the youth. The family also
requested the return of their passports, birth certificates and visas, along
with applications for those materials. They also wanted several photographs
and books returned.

Michael Jackson’s defense had petitioned for the return of all items seized
from the singer. Attorney Stephen Dunkle represented Jackson in court
Thursday, but did not make oral arguments.

“The District Attorney and the Sheriff’s Department are not entitled to
retain seized property,” Dunkle wrote in his motion. “…This case is over.
Law enforcement is merely holding the seized materials for the Court and has
no independent right of possession.”

Source: Santa Maria Times

Santa Maria County taxpayers are on the hook for $2.7 million for the unsuccessful prosecution of Michael Jackson on child molestation charges, and the bill is climbing.

Most of the money went to sheriff’s deputies who were posted at the Santa Maria courthouse from January 2004, when pretrial hearings began, through mid-June, when the 14-week trial ended. Crowd control also consumed a substantial amount of the money.

Not included in the costs are prosecution, investigative and grand jury expenses, Jette Christiansson, business manager for the County Executive Office, said in a statement.

Source: CBS

Dear Friends and Fans,

On behalf of Mr. Michael Jackson, MJJsource would like to extend Michael’s sincere regrets that he will be unable to attend the Victory/Birthday Party, hosted by his father, Mr. Joseph Jackson, to take place in Berlin this coming weekend.

However, Michael would like to wish his father a very heartfelt ‘Happy Birthday’ and he hopes that everyone attending the event has a truly wonderful time. As always, he extends his love and deepest appreciation to all of his fans and celebrates with everyone in his heart.

MJJsource