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American Morning

Michael Jackson Speaks

Aired December 29, 2003 - 07:14   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.


SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: The first time since his arrest, Michael Jackson is speaking out publicly about the sexual molestation charges against him.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, CBS NEWS "60 MINUTES")

MICHAEL JACKSON, FACES CHARGES ON CHILD MOLESTATION: Before I would hurt a child, I would slit my wrists. I would never hurt a child. It is totally false. I was outraged. I could never do something like that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

O'BRIEN: Jackson sat down for an interview that aired last night on CBS's "60 Minutes." The pop star told Ed Bradley that he still thinks it's OK to share his bed with children.

The latest now from CNN's Frank Buckley, who joins us live from Los Angeles.

Frank -- good morning.

FRANK BUCKLEY, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Soleded.

CBS says the interview took place on Christmas Day here in Los Angeles. Michael Jackson was on message in his remarks regarding the child molestation allegations, saying, as he has from the beginning, that he is innocent and that the allegations are financially motivated.

But Jackson also made some allegations of his own regarding his arrest. Jackson says on the day that he was booked into custody last month that he was mistreated. Jackson claims in the interview that he was manhandled, as he put it. He claims his shoulder was dislocated, and that he can barely move his arms because of the way he was handcuffed. Jackson also claims that police belittled him while he was in custody.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, CBS NEWS "60 MINUTES")

JACKSON: Once I went in the restroom, they locked me in there for like 45 minutes. There was doo-doo and feces thrown all over the walls, the floor, the ceiling, and it stunk so bad. And one of the policemen came by the window and he made a sarcastic remark. He said: "Does it smell good enough for you in there? How do you like the smell? Is it good?" And I just simply said, 'it's all right, it's OK.' So, I just sat there and waited.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BUCKLEY: While Jackson says he can barely move his arms, he was able to wave at cameras immediately after his arrest. The district attorney's office in Santa Barbara County had no reaction to the "60 Minutes" interview, but previously Santa Barbara County officials have said Jackson was not mistreated -- Soledad.

O'BRIEN: Give us a little follow-up on the actual case. When does he go back to court?

BUCKLEY: Well, we are expecting him back in court on January 16. That's when his arraignment is taking place. At one time, it was supposed to be a week before that, but after an agreement between the district attorney's office and the defense attorneys, he was permitted to have an arraignment on January 16. Part of that was because Jackson said he had to travel to England for a contractual obligation. So far, though, we haven't seen him appear in England -- Soledad.

O'BRIEN: Frank Buckley this morning. Frank, thank you.

Well, did the Jackson interview shed any light on the case? For some legal analysis, we're joined by Lisa Bloom. She's a civil rights lawyer; also co-anchor of the court TV trial coverage program, "Trial Heat."

Nice to see you. Good morning.

LISA BLOOM, COURT TV: Hi, Soledad.

O'BRIEN: If you were Michael Jackson's attorney, would you have advised him to do this interview? Do you think this was a good move?

BLOOM: I don't think it's a good move generally for a criminal defendant to do an interview, although this interview was clearly designed to get to Jackson's fans to remind them of his two twin themes of this defense -- that the victim is after money and that Jackson himself is a victim. Those are the two twin themes I think that were hit hard by both Jackson and Geragos.

O'BRIEN: So, again, if he were your client, would you have said, OK, given that we wanted to be on message, on point, good job that he did? Or do you think his story was lacking?

BLOOM: I think he came across as a little bit odd. He said that there was a conspiracy in the U.S., and that's why his latest record isn't No. 1. Ed Bradley sort of glossed over that, and overall a lot of hard questions were not asked of him. So, overall I think he came out pretty well.

O'BRIEN: Ed Bradley did ask him about sleeping in the same bed with a child.

BLOOM: Yes.

O'BRIEN: And here's what Michael Jackson had to say about that.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, CBS NEWS "60 MINUTES")

JACKSON: If you're going to be a pedophile, if you're going to be Jack the Ripper, if you're going to be a murderer, it's not a good idea. That I'm not. That's how we were raised. And I didn't sleep in the bed with the child. Even if I did, it's OK. I slept on the floor. I gave the bed to the child.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

O'BRIEN: Comments like these are sort of at the crux, the heart of his whole issue.

BLOOM: But here's the follow-up question that wasn't asked: Were you ever alone with the boy? Did you ever touch the boy? Did you ever kiss the boy? Did you ever serve the boy alcohol, as is charged in the criminal complaint? Those questions were not asked of Jackson. So, we didn't get to hear the answers.

O'BRIEN: So then, when you hear what he does answer, what's your reaction from that? Do you think he says, OK, this is my story and I'm sticking to it? Or everyone might say, OK, Michael Jackson is a little weird. We all know that. I don't think there is anyone who is going to dispute that.

BLOOM: Right.

O'BRIEN: But, OK, that's his side, and he's saying he is not a pedophile.

BLOOM: Well, that's what he is saying, but when he's not asked the hard questions, Soledad it's hard to follow up. I mean, as an attorney, that's what I wanted to hear the answers to.

Mark Geragos jumped in when Jackson was asked about the '93 allegations. How could you pay someone millions of dollars on a claim if you were innocent? His attorney jumped in and said I'll answer the question. Jackson didn't have to answer that question, and then Geragos didn't answer the question either. So, we didn't hear answers to the hardest questions in the case.

O'BRIEN: So, you thought this was a poor job done by Ed Bradley and in that way sort of a victory for Michael Jackson?

BLOOM: I have to say I was disappointed in such a quality journalist not asking some of the hardest questions in the case.

O'BRIEN: What do you think was the least helpful thing that Michael Jackson did to himself in this interview?

BLOOM: I thought the claim that there was a conspiracy in the U.S. and that's why his latest album is not No. 1 was one of the strangest things I've heard.

O'BRIEN: Strange but, again, not the source of his legal problems at all, so...

BLOOM: No, clearly not. And I thought the claims about police brutality were interesting and the photograph of his wrist. If true, I think he may have an actionable claim there. But if he was a victim of police brutality, it has little to do with the claim of child molestation, and that's at the heart of this case. That's what he's trying to distract us from, I think, by raising those claims.

O'BRIEN: And as Frank Buckley pointed out, you can see in the videotape after the arraignment waving with both hands.

BLOOM: Good point. And we saw the handcuffs also fairly loose on him in that shot of him being taken into custody.

O'BRIEN: An interesting, interesting interview. A lot of questions not asked, though, as you point out. Lisa Bloom, nice to see you, as always. Thanks so much.

BLOOM: Thanks, Soledad.

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 29, 2003 - 07:14   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: The first time since his arrest, Michael Jackson is speaking out publicly about the sexual molestation charges against him.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, CBS NEWS "60 MINUTES")

MICHAEL JACKSON, FACES CHARGES ON CHILD MOLESTATION: Before I would hurt a child, I would slit my wrists. I would never hurt a child. It is totally false. I was outraged. I could never do something like that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

O'BRIEN: Jackson sat down for an interview that aired last night on CBS's "60 Minutes." The pop star told Ed Bradley that he still thinks it's OK to share his bed with children.

The latest now from CNN's Frank Buckley, who joins us live from Los Angeles.

Frank -- good morning.

FRANK BUCKLEY, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Soleded.

CBS says the interview took place on Christmas Day here in Los Angeles. Michael Jackson was on message in his remarks regarding the child molestation allegations, saying, as he has from the beginning, that he is innocent and that the allegations are financially motivated.

But Jackson also made some allegations of his own regarding his arrest. Jackson says on the day that he was booked into custody last month that he was mistreated. Jackson claims in the interview that he was manhandled, as he put it. He claims his shoulder was dislocated, and that he can barely move his arms because of the way he was handcuffed. Jackson also claims that police belittled him while he was in custody.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, CBS NEWS "60 MINUTES")

JACKSON: Once I went in the restroom, they locked me in there for like 45 minutes. There was doo-doo and feces thrown all over the walls, the floor, the ceiling, and it stunk so bad. And one of the policemen came by the window and he made a sarcastic remark. He said: "Does it smell good enough for you in there? How do you like the smell? Is it good?" And I just simply said, 'it's all right, it's OK.' So, I just sat there and waited.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BUCKLEY: While Jackson says he can barely move his arms, he was able to wave at cameras immediately after his arrest. The district attorney's office in Santa Barbara County had no reaction to the "60 Minutes" interview, but previously Santa Barbara County officials have said Jackson was not mistreated -- Soledad.

O'BRIEN: Give us a little follow-up on the actual case. When does he go back to court?

BUCKLEY: Well, we are expecting him back in court on January 16. That's when his arraignment is taking place. At one time, it was supposed to be a week before that, but after an agreement between the district attorney's office and the defense attorneys, he was permitted to have an arraignment on January 16. Part of that was because Jackson said he had to travel to England for a contractual obligation. So far, though, we haven't seen him appear in England -- Soledad.

O'BRIEN: Frank Buckley this morning. Frank, thank you.

Well, did the Jackson interview shed any light on the case? For some legal analysis, we're joined by Lisa Bloom. She's a civil rights lawyer; also co-anchor of the court TV trial coverage program, "Trial Heat."

Nice to see you. Good morning.

LISA BLOOM, COURT TV: Hi, Soledad.

O'BRIEN: If you were Michael Jackson's attorney, would you have advised him to do this interview? Do you think this was a good move?

BLOOM: I don't think it's a good move generally for a criminal defendant to do an interview, although this interview was clearly designed to get to Jackson's fans to remind them of his two twin themes of this defense -- that the victim is after money and that Jackson himself is a victim. Those are the two twin themes I think that were hit hard by both Jackson and Geragos.

O'BRIEN: So, again, if he were your client, would you have said, OK, given that we wanted to be on message, on point, good job that he did? Or do you think his story was lacking?

BLOOM: I think he came across as a little bit odd. He said that there was a conspiracy in the U.S., and that's why his latest record isn't No. 1. Ed Bradley sort of glossed over that, and overall a lot of hard questions were not asked of him. So, overall I think he came out pretty well.

O'BRIEN: Ed Bradley did ask him about sleeping in the same bed with a child.

BLOOM: Yes.

O'BRIEN: And here's what Michael Jackson had to say about that.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, CBS NEWS "60 MINUTES")

JACKSON: If you're going to be a pedophile, if you're going to be Jack the Ripper, if you're going to be a murderer, it's not a good idea. That I'm not. That's how we were raised. And I didn't sleep in the bed with the child. Even if I did, it's OK. I slept on the floor. I gave the bed to the child.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

O'BRIEN: Comments like these are sort of at the crux, the heart of his whole issue.

BLOOM: But here's the follow-up question that wasn't asked: Were you ever alone with the boy? Did you ever touch the boy? Did you ever kiss the boy? Did you ever serve the boy alcohol, as is charged in the criminal complaint? Those questions were not asked of Jackson. So, we didn't get to hear the answers.

O'BRIEN: So then, when you hear what he does answer, what's your reaction from that? Do you think he says, OK, this is my story and I'm sticking to it? Or everyone might say, OK, Michael Jackson is a little weird. We all know that. I don't think there is anyone who is going to dispute that.

BLOOM: Right.

O'BRIEN: But, OK, that's his side, and he's saying he is not a pedophile.

BLOOM: Well, that's what he is saying, but when he's not asked the hard questions, Soledad it's hard to follow up. I mean, as an attorney, that's what I wanted to hear the answers to.

Mark Geragos jumped in when Jackson was asked about the '93 allegations. How could you pay someone millions of dollars on a claim if you were innocent? His attorney jumped in and said I'll answer the question. Jackson didn't have to answer that question, and then Geragos didn't answer the question either. So, we didn't hear answers to the hardest questions in the case.

O'BRIEN: So, you thought this was a poor job done by Ed Bradley and in that way sort of a victory for Michael Jackson?

BLOOM: I have to say I was disappointed in such a quality journalist not asking some of the hardest questions in the case.

O'BRIEN: What do you think was the least helpful thing that Michael Jackson did to himself in this interview?

BLOOM: I thought the claim that there was a conspiracy in the U.S. and that's why his latest album is not No. 1 was one of the strangest things I've heard.

O'BRIEN: Strange but, again, not the source of his legal problems at all, so...

BLOOM: No, clearly not. And I thought the claims about police brutality were interesting and the photograph of his wrist. If true, I think he may have an actionable claim there. But if he was a victim of police brutality, it has little to do with the claim of child molestation, and that's at the heart of this case. That's what he's trying to distract us from, I think, by raising those claims.

O'BRIEN: And as Frank Buckley pointed out, you can see in the videotape after the arraignment waving with both hands.

BLOOM: Good point. And we saw the handcuffs also fairly loose on him in that shot of him being taken into custody.

O'BRIEN: An interesting, interesting interview. A lot of questions not asked, though, as you point out. Lisa Bloom, nice to see you, as always. Thanks so much.

BLOOM: Thanks, Soledad.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.