| Abuse experts can testify in Jackson trial
Jury selection to begin January 31 in molestation case
SANTA MARIA, California (CNN) -- The judge in the Michael Jackson child molestation case ruled Friday that the prosecution can call expert witnesses to testify about the behavior of victims of child sexual abuse trauma.
Deputy District Attorney Ron Zonen said at a pretrial hearing that there are multiple "questions and rumors" about the trauma of child sexual abuse "that need to be dispelled" in testimony before the jury.
Among those questions, he said, are why alleged abuse is sometimes reported so late and why the reports are often piecemeal.
Other questions, he said, are why a child might not report the alleged abuse to a close friend or family member, and why there can still be perceived acts of love between the child and the alleged molester.
Jackson's attorney, Thomas Mesereau, asked Santa Barbara Superior Court Judge Rodney Melville what if the alleged victims are "flat-out liars" and what if a child had "no credibility" and had lied in the past to get money for his mother.
The mother of the alleged victim in this case, Mesereau said, had not mentioned molestation until she contacted an attorney who had sued Jackson in the past.
He said allowing such expert testimony would only be "an attempt to bolster a hopeless case."
Zonen responded that the questions deal with what he called the "grooming process" that pedophiles often use to control their victims.
If the defense were to be believed, Zonen said, everyone connected with the case is a liar. He promised that the evidence the prosecution presents against Jackson would be "compelling."
Jackson was not present at the hearing.
The defense filed a motion Friday seeking to prevent prosecutors from referring to certain materials as "pornographic" in front of jurors.
Melville said he will begin the jury selection process on January 31 -- with 150 potential jurors in the morning and another 150 in the afternoon.
He said he expected to continue that pattern until enough jurors are qualified for a jury pool.
He said he will be "looking for hardships" if potential jurors express a reluctance to serve.
Melville said jurors who are not dismissed will be given a seven-page questionnaire he had edited from the two versions submitted by the defense and prosecution.
He said the questionnaire had been sent to the printer and warned both sides not to release it until after the potential jurors answer the questions.
He said once questioning of potential jurors begins, the daily schedule will be 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., with no lunch and three 10-minute recesses.
Melville said that once the trial begins he will wait until the prosecution has presented the bulk of its case before holding an "1108 hearing" to determine if any evidence of previous allegations against Jackson can be introduced.
Jackson, 46, was indicted by a grand jury last year on four counts of child molestation, four counts of administering an intoxicating agent, one count of attempted child molestation and one count of conspiracy to commit child abduction, false imprisonment and extortion.
The pop singer pleaded not guilty to all of the charges.
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