Jackson's Money Woes Surface

Testimony On Pop Star's Financial Trouble; Jacko Called 'Sociopath'

(CBS/AP)  Mesereau clashed with the accountant, suggesting in several questions he underestimated the value of Jackson's stake in the Sony-ATV catalogue and had not considered lucrative offers available to Jackson as an entertainer.

"Wouldn't it be relevant if you knew Mr. Jackson could accept one opportunity and solve (his liquidity problem) in a day," Mesereau asked.

"If it could be solved, why wasn't it?" the accountant replied.

Duross O'Bryan testified as of February 2003, the month a damaging documentary about Jackson aired on television, Jackson had $10.5 million in unpaid vendor invoices and only $38,000 in cash in bank accounts.

He also said Jackson owes Bank of America at least $235 million on a loan and a line of credit.

The testimony was offered to show Jackson was in deep financial trouble when the documentary aired and brought down a storm of criticism on the star for a statement in which he said he allowed children to sleep in his bed, although he insisted it was non-sexual.

Prosecutors are trying to show Jackson had banked on the documentary as a way to re-energize his career, and that it exploded in his face.

They say he then organized efforts at damage control; they maintain he tried to do this by holding captive the family of the boy he allegedly molested and forcing them to participate in the so-called rebuttal video.

The accountant testified he was aware Jackson negotiated with the Fox network to get $7 million for the rebuttal video.

"Let's say he has the opportunity to make a documentary that will generate $7 million," Mesereau said. "That $7 million is not going to make much of a difference" in Jackson's liabilities.

"No, it's not," the witness agreed.

"And it wouldn't be worth committing a crime, would it?" asked Mesereau.

The question was ruled argumentative and there was no answer.

Before the financial testimony, District Attorney Tom Sneddon called sheriff's Sgt. Steve Robel to the stand to undermine Rowe.

Jackson's ex-wife, the mother of two of his children, had unexpectedly praised Jackson as a good father and a generous and caring friend and denied prosecution contentions that her statements in another rebuttal video were scripted by the Jackson camp.

Asked what Rowe said to him in their year-ago interview, Robel said, "She referred to Michael as a sociopath and his children as being possessions."

Music producer Rudy Provencio is expected to be the last prosecution witness called to the stand. The big question is, Futterman reports, is: Will he significantly help the prosecution

Provencio worked closely with Jackson in 2003 when the alleged molestation took place, and he is expected to testify that Jackson was aware of efforts to use strong-arm tactics on the accusers family.