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American Morning

Michael Jackson Surrenders Passport

Aired January 07, 2004 - 07:43   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: Michael Jackson has returned his passport to the Santa Barbara County district attorney. Jackson was given permission to take an overseas trip while he was out on $3 million bail. A bail arraignment hearing in the singer's child molestation case is scheduled on Friday.
Jane Velez-Mitchell is a correspondent for "Celebrity Justice." She joins us from Los Angeles them with the latest on the case.

Hey, Jane. Good morning to you.

JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL, CORRESPONDENT, "CELEBRITY JUSTICE": Good morning.

O'BRIEN: Let's get into this passport story. He got it back from the D.A.'s office, because he had this trip to take overseas; then the D.A. found out that maybe he didn't have a trip to take and maybe demanded it back. What's the story behind this story?

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Absolutely. I mean, he got this incredible opportunity after being charged with nine serious felonies to travel to Great Britain to fulfill some contractual obligations. Then he had that party at Neverland, and it turned out, well, maybe he wasn't going after all.

So, we understand that Mark Geragos and District Attorney Tom Snedden kind of made a deal, where Geragos was allowed to keep the passport, just in case plans changed, as often happens with Michael Jackson, until January 6. Today is January 7. That passport is back with the D.A. Any window of opportunity to travel is gone for Michael Jackson.

O'BRIEN: Right. Something else to talk about. The news media covering this case obviously is going to ask a judge today to unseal court records related to the search. Give me a sense of what's behind this request by the news media's lawyers.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, the news media, and, in fact, the entire world wants to know what was in those documents. It would give tremendous insight into the case. What were they looking for when they raided Neverland, as well as two other locations? Let's remember, a private investigator for Michael Jackson, as well as one of Michael Jackson's former videographer. So, we could really get a big understanding into what they were looking for.

Now, originally they said 45 days the search warrant would remain sealed. Then they extended it until at least the arraignment. And the news media says, hey, that's not the way the rules are. The rules are you cross out anything confidential, and then you release them. So, they want to see the documents. And if they do, boy, that will be an eye-opener.

O'BRIEN: Hey, Jane, well, we're going to take a moment to talk to Jeff Toobin just for a second to get some legal perspective on all of this. Obviously an eye-opener, I think that's really fair to day. But the idea that the release has been delayed, how important is that?

JEFFREY TOOBIN, CNN SENIOR LEGAL ANALYST: It's not that important that it hasn't been released yet, but it will be significant when we learn why they went into Neverland, whether they found anything. It's not surprising that Snedden is trying to keep it confidential. He can't keep it secret forever, though.

O'BRIEN: He can only keep it secret for a little bit of time.

TOOBIN: I think that's right.

O'BRIEN: They are trying to squeeze every second out of it.

TOOBIN: Yes.

O'BRIEN: Jane, final question to you this morning. A weird connection apparently being reported today between Kobe Bryant and Michael Jackson and this boy, who is at the center of this case. And maybe even the word "connection" might be too strong of a word. Give me a little background on this.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, "Celebrity Justice" has uncovered that the mother at the center of this case, the mother of the boy accusing Michael Jackson of molesting him, says that the child also had a relationship with Kobe Bryant. And this all came about back in 2001 when the mother was questioned after she accused the father of the boy of beating her up. And social workers questioned her, and she said, oh, I'm friends with a lot of celebrities and so are my kids. And she cited Kobe Bryant.

They originally didn't believe her. And they asked her, in fact, if she had any psychiatric problems, and she eventually produced a photograph of her children with Kobe Bryant.

O'BRIEN: So, when she said the word, "relationship," she meant my kid, who is sick, has had an opportunity to meet with some celebrities who had been kind enough to take a photo with, right?

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Exactly. But she went beyond that. She said they shower us with love. We visit them. They visit us. And she really went on at length about this relationship.

Now, we called the Lakers, and the Lakers say, look, Kobe Bryant signs a lot of autographs, does meets and greets after the game. We have no idea if this child was one of them. But...

O'BRIEN: Jane, let me jump in here, because I want Jeff to weigh in on this. VELEZ-MITCHELL: Sure.

O'BRIEN: Legally, this speaks volumes about the mother maybe.

TOOBIN: That's right. And it is something that the defense -- Michael Jackson's lawyers could exploit -- a perhaps somewhat obsessive relationship with celebrities on the part of the alleged victim's mother. Important to emphasize: there is no claim that Kobe Bryant did anything wrong with this kid.

O'BRIEN: Oh, kind of sort of an odd connection.

TOOBIN: It's just...

O'BRIEN: And a bizarre case any way.

TOOBIN: Exactly, yes.

O'BRIEN: All right.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: It's more like 6 degrees of separation.

O'BRIEN: Yes, I would agree with you. All right, Jane Velez- Mitchell joining us this morning from "Celebrity Justice," and, of course, Jeff Toobin as well. Thanks to both of you. Appreciate it.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Thank you.

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 January 7, 2004 - 07:43   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Michael Jackson has returned his passport to the Santa Barbara County district attorney. Jackson was given permission to take an overseas trip while he was out on $3 million bail. A bail arraignment hearing in the singer's child molestation case is scheduled on Friday.
Jane Velez-Mitchell is a correspondent for "Celebrity Justice." She joins us from Los Angeles them with the latest on the case.

Hey, Jane. Good morning to you.

JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL, CORRESPONDENT, "CELEBRITY JUSTICE": Good morning.

O'BRIEN: Let's get into this passport story. He got it back from the D.A.'s office, because he had this trip to take overseas; then the D.A. found out that maybe he didn't have a trip to take and maybe demanded it back. What's the story behind this story?

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Absolutely. I mean, he got this incredible opportunity after being charged with nine serious felonies to travel to Great Britain to fulfill some contractual obligations. Then he had that party at Neverland, and it turned out, well, maybe he wasn't going after all.

So, we understand that Mark Geragos and District Attorney Tom Snedden kind of made a deal, where Geragos was allowed to keep the passport, just in case plans changed, as often happens with Michael Jackson, until January 6. Today is January 7. That passport is back with the D.A. Any window of opportunity to travel is gone for Michael Jackson.

O'BRIEN: Right. Something else to talk about. The news media covering this case obviously is going to ask a judge today to unseal court records related to the search. Give me a sense of what's behind this request by the news media's lawyers.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, the news media, and, in fact, the entire world wants to know what was in those documents. It would give tremendous insight into the case. What were they looking for when they raided Neverland, as well as two other locations? Let's remember, a private investigator for Michael Jackson, as well as one of Michael Jackson's former videographer. So, we could really get a big understanding into what they were looking for.

Now, originally they said 45 days the search warrant would remain sealed. Then they extended it until at least the arraignment. And the news media says, hey, that's not the way the rules are. The rules are you cross out anything confidential, and then you release them. So, they want to see the documents. And if they do, boy, that will be an eye-opener.

O'BRIEN: Hey, Jane, well, we're going to take a moment to talk to Jeff Toobin just for a second to get some legal perspective on all of this. Obviously an eye-opener, I think that's really fair to day. But the idea that the release has been delayed, how important is that?

JEFFREY TOOBIN, CNN SENIOR LEGAL ANALYST: It's not that important that it hasn't been released yet, but it will be significant when we learn why they went into Neverland, whether they found anything. It's not surprising that Snedden is trying to keep it confidential. He can't keep it secret forever, though.

O'BRIEN: He can only keep it secret for a little bit of time.

TOOBIN: I think that's right.

O'BRIEN: They are trying to squeeze every second out of it.

TOOBIN: Yes.

O'BRIEN: Jane, final question to you this morning. A weird connection apparently being reported today between Kobe Bryant and Michael Jackson and this boy, who is at the center of this case. And maybe even the word "connection" might be too strong of a word. Give me a little background on this.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, "Celebrity Justice" has uncovered that the mother at the center of this case, the mother of the boy accusing Michael Jackson of molesting him, says that the child also had a relationship with Kobe Bryant. And this all came about back in 2001 when the mother was questioned after she accused the father of the boy of beating her up. And social workers questioned her, and she said, oh, I'm friends with a lot of celebrities and so are my kids. And she cited Kobe Bryant.

They originally didn't believe her. And they asked her, in fact, if she had any psychiatric problems, and she eventually produced a photograph of her children with Kobe Bryant.

O'BRIEN: So, when she said the word, "relationship," she meant my kid, who is sick, has had an opportunity to meet with some celebrities who had been kind enough to take a photo with, right?

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Exactly. But she went beyond that. She said they shower us with love. We visit them. They visit us. And she really went on at length about this relationship.

Now, we called the Lakers, and the Lakers say, look, Kobe Bryant signs a lot of autographs, does meets and greets after the game. We have no idea if this child was one of them. But...

O'BRIEN: Jane, let me jump in here, because I want Jeff to weigh in on this. VELEZ-MITCHELL: Sure.

O'BRIEN: Legally, this speaks volumes about the mother maybe.

TOOBIN: That's right. And it is something that the defense -- Michael Jackson's lawyers could exploit -- a perhaps somewhat obsessive relationship with celebrities on the part of the alleged victim's mother. Important to emphasize: there is no claim that Kobe Bryant did anything wrong with this kid.

O'BRIEN: Oh, kind of sort of an odd connection.

TOOBIN: It's just...

O'BRIEN: And a bizarre case any way.

TOOBIN: Exactly, yes.

O'BRIEN: All right.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: It's more like 6 degrees of separation.

O'BRIEN: Yes, I would agree with you. All right, Jane Velez- Mitchell joining us this morning from "Celebrity Justice," and, of course, Jeff Toobin as well. Thanks to both of you. Appreciate it.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Thank you.

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