U.S.

Key Figures And Testimony

June 13, 2005 / 4:53 PM EDT / AP

Key players in Michael Jackson's molestation trial:

Michael Jackson: Although he didn't testify, the 46-year-old entertainer commanded the spotlight during the trial. Seated at the counsel table in dark jackets and a rainbow of colored vests and armbands, he showed little emotion during the proceedings - even when his accuser testified. Jackson did speak in a series of videotapes played for the jury, and he proclaimed his innocence in interviews and statements outside the courthouse. He complained of excruciating back pain during the trial, requiring several trips to the hospital.

Jackson's accuser: The 15-year-old cancer survivor was depicted as both victim and lying troublemaker. The boy said the pop star molested him twice. The defense called him a cunning con artist. He turned hostile under defense questioning, but his testimony was bolstered by a videotape showing him haltingly describe the allegations to detectives for the first time.

The accuser's mother: Depicted by Jackson's attorneys as a grifter and a welfare cheat who coached her children to accuse Jackson, the woman gave dramatic, tearful and sometimes-convoluted testimony. She claimed she was held against her will and moved around by Jackson associates who claimed "killers" were after her family.

The prosecution: Veteran District Attorney Thomas Sneddon Jr. first went after Jackson in 1994. But no molestation charges were filed after that accuser reached a multimillion-dollar settlement with the entertainer and stopped cooperating with authorities. Jackson later denounced the prosecutor in song lyrics as a "cold man." Sneddon was aided by prosecutor Ron Zonen, who did most of the tough questioning and delivered closing arguments.

The defense: Lead attorney Thomas Mesereau Jr. took over when Jackson fired his former lawyers last year. Mesereau's cross-examination during the trial was sharp and effective. Known for his shoulder-length white hair, the smooth-talking Harvard graduate was at the center of some of the most dramatic courtroom moments.

The judge: Rodney S. Melville is known for a no-nonsense style, but displayed flashes of humor in court. He imposed unprecedented secrecy, keeping most pretrial documents sealed, including Jackson's indictment. A recovering alcoholic and former prosecutor, he helped establish the county's first court for substance abusers.

Key testimony presented by prosecutors in the Michael Jackson case:

The accuser, a 15-year-old former cancer patient, said he was twice molested by Jackson at the pop star's Neverland ranch. The accuser's brother said he saw Jackson fondle his sleeping brother two times. The boys' mother testified that the family was held by Jackson associates who claimed "killers" were after them. Jackson's defense contended family members fabricated the claims after realizing they were being evicted from the estate.

Several witnesses testified they saw or had been the victim of inappropriate touching by Jackson, a prosecution effort to show Jackson had a history of abusing boys dating to the late 1980s. The defense suggested the witnesses either had a grudge against Jackson after losing a lawsuit to him or made the claims only under tough questioning from detectives.

The mother of a boy who received a multimillion-dollar settlement from Jackson for dropping molestation allegations said Jackson pleaded with her to let her son sleep with him. The woman said that after she agreed in 1993, she was treated to trips and lavish gifts.

Key testimony presented by the defense:

Jackson never took the stand but the jury heard him on a videotape making such remarks as "I'm not a nut" and "I haven't been betrayed or deceived by children. Adults have let me down."

Actor Macaulay Culkin testified that he was not molested during childhood visits to Neverland during which he shared a bed with Jackson. Two other young men said that as boys they repeatedly slept in the singer's bedroom without being touched inappropriately. Prosecutors had said all three had been Jackson's victims.

Comedians Jay Leno and Chris Tucker testified that they became suspicious of the accuser's motivations. Leno said he received numerous phone messages of praise from the boy in 2000 that sounded scripted and Tucker said the accuser and his brother cunningly tried to extract money and gifts from him.

Several witnesses testified that during the time family members claimed to be captives, they showed no signs of being unhappy at Neverland and were allowed to run up $7,000 in shopping, dining and other bills paid by Jackson.