Key Prosecution Witness Arrested

One of the prosecution's most important witnesses in Michael Jackson's child molestation trial has been jailed in Las Vegas on charges of burglary, robbery and first-degree kidnapping, all with a deadly weapon. On February 19, Chris Carter was arrested and is being held at Clark County Detention Center in Las Vegas. Mr. Carter has pleaded not guilty and is attempting to have his bail reduced.Mr. Carter was employed as Mr. Jackson bodyguard during the time of the alleged molestation. He is in cooperation with the prosecution and considered by the prosecution to be an important corroboratory witness. Mr. Carter is the only witness, independent of the accuser’s family, who has made any claim of seeing Mr. Jackson and the accuser drinking together. In his grand jury testimony, Chris Carter gave a hearsay account of discovering the accuser drunk on the grounds of Jackson's Neverland estate. "On one occasion, I seen him stumbling around. And I had walked up to him, 'Hey, man, what's going on?'" Mr. Carter said. "We had a little talk, and I told him, you know, 'You shouldn't be drinking,' and everything. And he said, 'Well, I can handle it. Michael said if I can handle it, it's OK. It's part of being a man.'" The only eyewitness testimony offered by Mr. Carter at the grand jury hearing concerned the drinking of alcohol in soda cans. However, that testimony is flawed by his own contradictory answers. The first time Mr. Carter was asked about the Miami flight, he stated, "Mr. Jackson was drinking, and then the boy had the Coke can or Pepsi can, it was a can, with drink -- with alcohol in it. Okay. I seen the accuser, he had it in his hand. And then Michael had it and was drinking.” However, at the end of the testimony, Chris Carter was asked, “On the flight from Miami -- well, obviously, on the flight from Miami to Santa Barbara, okay, did you ever see John drink out of Michael Jackson's can?” He simply replied, “No.” He was further asked, “And your recollection is that you didn't see him drink out of the same can as Mr. Jackson?” Again, Mr. Carter replied, “No”. Chris Carter's arrest would not prevent him from testifying at Jackson's trial, should the prosecution still want him to appear. He has been approved for transport to Santa Barbara for an appearance in April. Source: ABC/MJJForum/eMJey