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CNN Live At Daybreak
Formal Charges Have Been Filed in Jackson Case
Aired December 19, 2003 - 05:01 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: The stage is set for a dramatic legal showdown in the Michael Jackson child molestation case. Formal charges have been filed, nine counts in all.
CNN's Julie Savine (ph) has the latest.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JULIE SAVINE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Almost a month after Michael Jackson's arrest, it took only seconds in the Santa Maria courthouse to make the charges against the pop star official. Jackson faces nine charges total, seven for committing a lewd act on a child under 14 and two for giving the child an intoxicating agent for the purpose of molestation.
TOM SNEDDON, SANTA BARBARA DISTRICT ATTORNEY: And the findings could make Mr. Jackson ineligible for probation.
SAVINE: The alleged victim remains unidentified. The intentions of the boy's family have come into question with claims that they are seeking financial gain. From the beginning, the Jackson camp has maintained his innocence.
MARK GERAGOS, SCOTT PETERSON'S ATTORNEY: What we have here is an intersection between a shakedown, somebody who's looking for money, with somebody, an investigation that's got an anxiety to grind.
JERMAINE JACKSON, MICHAEL JACKSON'S BROTHER: The problem is is that Michael is a wonderful person who loves children and they've found the very thing to bring him down with.
SAVINE: Wednesday, the Santa Barbara district attorney's office decided to temporarily return Jackson's passport so that he can travel to Great Britain.
SNEDDON: It was represented to us that he had two contractual agreements that predated the arrest warrant and the search warrant.
GERAGOS: Michael Jackson not only will not flee, Michael Jackson is here ensconced, ready to fight.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LIN: Michael Jackson's mother, Catherine Jackson, has released a statement saying, "Michael is innocent. On behalf of the Jackson family, we know these are vicious lies. They're totally untrue, malicious and motivated by pure greed and revenge. Our family totally supports Michael."
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired December 19, 2003 - 05:01 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: The stage is set for a dramatic legal showdown in the Michael Jackson child molestation case. Formal charges have been filed, nine counts in all.
CNN's Julie Savine (ph) has the latest.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JULIE SAVINE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Almost a month after Michael Jackson's arrest, it took only seconds in the Santa Maria courthouse to make the charges against the pop star official. Jackson faces nine charges total, seven for committing a lewd act on a child under 14 and two for giving the child an intoxicating agent for the purpose of molestation.
TOM SNEDDON, SANTA BARBARA DISTRICT ATTORNEY: And the findings could make Mr. Jackson ineligible for probation.
SAVINE: The alleged victim remains unidentified. The intentions of the boy's family have come into question with claims that they are seeking financial gain. From the beginning, the Jackson camp has maintained his innocence.
MARK GERAGOS, SCOTT PETERSON'S ATTORNEY: What we have here is an intersection between a shakedown, somebody who's looking for money, with somebody, an investigation that's got an anxiety to grind.
JERMAINE JACKSON, MICHAEL JACKSON'S BROTHER: The problem is is that Michael is a wonderful person who loves children and they've found the very thing to bring him down with.
SAVINE: Wednesday, the Santa Barbara district attorney's office decided to temporarily return Jackson's passport so that he can travel to Great Britain.
SNEDDON: It was represented to us that he had two contractual agreements that predated the arrest warrant and the search warrant.
GERAGOS: Michael Jackson not only will not flee, Michael Jackson is here ensconced, ready to fight.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LIN: Michael Jackson's mother, Catherine Jackson, has released a statement saying, "Michael is innocent. On behalf of the Jackson family, we know these are vicious lies. They're totally untrue, malicious and motivated by pure greed and revenge. Our family totally supports Michael."
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
