Prosecutors in Michael Jackson's trial are expected to rest their case today after calling a former Jackson insider as their final witness.
The former insider is expected to claim that "The King of Pop" helped to direct the damage control following the broadcast of the 2003 British documentary "Living With Michael Jackson" that prosecutors allege turned criminal, sources said. But the defense plans to produce dozens of receipts obtained by ABC News to argue that no one was held against their will, as the family claimed. After the prosecution rests, Jackson's defense will immediately ask the judge to dismiss the conspiracy charge because of lack of evidence, sources told ABC News. The defense then will launch its case by calling two boys who are expected to deny prosecution claims that Jackson touched them inappropriately in the past, sources told ABC News. The jury has heard from former employees who testified that they saw Jackson touch these boys inappropriately.
Former child actor Macaulay Culkin, whom prosecutors also claim Jackson touched inappropriately, is expected to be called by the defense later in its case.
The defense plans to produce dozens of receipts obtained by ABC News in an attempt to show that the boy and his family spent Jackson's money on personal luxuries, clothing and food while they were allegedly falsely imprisoned.
A receipt dated Feb. 21, 2003, shows that Jackson's associates purchased $79 in bras and underwear for the accuser's mother at an upscale department store. Another receipt four days later shows that the family stayed — at the expense of Jackson — at a $100-a-night hotel in Calabasas, Calif. While there, more underwear, meals at a steakhouse and McDonald's, and dessert at Coldstone creamery were purchased for the family.
Subsequent receipts also showed expensive shopping sprees allegedly for the accuser's family. There were $800 worth of visas, luggage and passport photos purchased for a planned trip to Brazil that was never taken. In addition, receipts show that more than $1,700 was spent on the family in eight different stores on Feb. 26, 2003.
The next day, the accuser's mother apparently had a $51 manicure and pedicure and on March 1, Jackson's associates took the entire family to see the movie "Old School," where $32 was spent on snacks.
ABC News legal consultant Joseph Tacopina, who represents Frank Tyson, one of the unindicted alleged co-conspirators in the case against Jackson, said the receipts suggest the accuser and his family were not falsely imprisoned at all and that they were indulging themselves at Jackson's expense.
"Why don't we have dinner at a steakhouse and then we'll go back to the place where we're being held against our will?" Tacopina said. "I mean, it's laughable."
Problems With Prosecution's Conspiracy Case
The prosecution's conspiracy arguments have encountered problems in court.
Last week, the prosecution brought Debbie Rowe, Jackson's ex-wife and mother of two of his children, to the stand, hoping that she would testify that her praise of the singer as a father and humanitarian in a video was "completely scripted."
But Rowe said the opposite when she took the stand and told jurors her videotaped statements were not rehearsed, saying "No one can tell me what to say." Former videographer Hamid Moslehi, who made the rebuttal video, said he did not see the accuser and his family work from a script, memorize lines or see anyone tell them what to say.
Source: ABC News/eMJey