Jackson’s Ex-wife To Testify

Jurors in the Michael Jackson trial heard little testimony Monday as lawyers sparred over potential future witnesses. Judge Rodney Melville ruled in favour of a prosecution request to bring the singer’s ex-wife to the stand. Prosecutors also told the court they would not be calling a former Jackson bodyguard and won their petition to call a former Jackson travel aide to testify.Debbie Rowe, who gave birth to two of Jackson’s children, is expected to appear on the stand this week. Prosecutors say she will testify that she was compelled to appear in a videotape praising Jackson as both a father and humanitarian. Prosecutor Ron Zonen said Rowe would tell jurors the interview was "highly scripted” and “the incentive was to suggest she would have visitation with her children if she did this." Zonen said this would corroborate similar claims made by the mother of Jackson’s accuser regarding her own appearance in a videotape. "It is one more example of how these people used children as a pawn," he said, adding that "it was Mr. Jackson who made the initial phone call and brought her into this." The prosecution tactic has been questioned by observers who feel that Rowe may be a reluctant witness. Defense attorney Robert Sanger objected to the motion, saying Rowe’s testimony was irrelevant to the Jackson case and was a sign of the prosecution’s “desperation.” He said that should Rowe be allowed to testify, the defense would want to present the entire three hours of her interview with Jackson’s associates, in addition to a secret tape recording she had also made. Sanger denied that Rowe was threatened in any way during "a tremendous amount of taped material." He said the interview was not scripted, but that questions were “written out in advance” by the interviewer – a standard practice in television interviews. "I just plain don't see the relevance to these proceedings," he added. In granting the request, Melville said he would "look for ways to restrict testimony." Travel aide to testify District Attorney Thomas Sneddon also told the court Monday that former Jackson bodyguard Chris Carter would not be called to the stand. Carter is facing charges of armed robbery in Nevada. Sneddon also announced that immunity would be granted to Cynthia Montgomery, Jackson's former travel coordinator, clearing the way for her to testify. She allegedly knows the identity of the person responsible for recording Jackson’s conversations on board a private jet as he returned to Santa Barbara to surrender in November 2003. The alleged plot to make and sell these recordings is currently the subject of a federal investigation. Melville had previously refused the prosecution's request to let her testify without answering questions about the surreptitious taping. Former Jackson employee testifies The jury returned to the courtroom to hear testimony from former Jackson employee Kassim Abdool. Prosecutors called him to corroborate previous testimony from Ralph Chacon who allegedly witnessed sexual contact between Jackson and a young boy. Both Abdool and Chacon were among five former employees who were ordered to pay damages to Jackson after they lost a wrongful termination suit in 1997. Abdool said that during 1993 he witnessed the singer and a young boy enter a restroom, both clothed in swimming trunks after a trip to a whirlpool bath. This is the same alleged incident that Chacon testified about last week, although Abdool said he did not witness the specific events described by Chacon. He said later that day he saw Jackson giving the boy a piggy back ride. He claims Jackson was wearing only a towel, while the boy was wearing a robe and that he heard two doors lock when they entered the house. He told jurors that locking was not normal practice at Neverland and said he later found two pairs of swimming trunks on the floor of the restroom. Under cross-examination Abdool admitted that, despite what he saw, he still brought his own young children to an employee event held at the ranch. He also admitted to signing a statement in 1994 saying he never witnessed any improper sexual conduct by the singer. Abdool also claimed that after he was subpoenaed, he received numerous phone calls that "threatened to kill me and my family” and requested to be put into the witness protection program. He said he was also given a $1,000-a-month raise following the subpoena. Abdool further admitted to having filed for a state disability claim, claiming to be emotionally disabled by his Neverland experiences. He also accepted money for tabloid interviews about Jackson but insisted the money was used to finance the unlawful dismissal lawsuit. Source: CNN/AP/MJJForum/eMJey