Day 5: Still no verdict, but Jackson's back does its spasm thing again

It was another Michael Jackson movie last night…

EXT. COTTAGE HOSPITAL – NIGHT

Fade up on MICHAEL JACKSON’s black SUV, its headlights off, a BODYGUARD at the wheel, racing past REPORTERS and PHOTOGRAPHERS madly snapping pics and rolling tape. It is 12:20 in the morning. 

TRACKING SHOT PUSHES IN on a black curtain hiding the STAR PASSENGER in the back seat. Do we see a pale hand, pulling pack the drape ever so slightly?

AERIAL SHOT from a chopper as the SUV careens up the tight curves of Figueroa Mountain Road. WIDE SHOT as the gates of NEVERLAND RANCH swing open and the SUV disappears into the darkness. A SECURITY GUARD blocks the drive.

Fade in - main title: THE BAD BACK — IS BACK.

Michael Jackson was heading back to Neverland after yet another late-night run to the hospital. Spokeswoman Raymone Bain said in a written statement late in the day that it was a “routine treatment” of back spasms that have been acting up him through the four-month trial.

Heat treatments, we’re told. But there he was, back at Cottage late last night. What’s going on?

Hard to say, because Jackson spokeswoman Raymone Baine is becoming increasingly incredulous on the subject of where Michael is and what he’s up to. She’s also keeping a low profile since yesterday afternoon’s dictum from defense attorney Tom Mesereau that no one but he speaks for Michael Jackson.

Baine says the order doesn’t apply to her, but it seems to have squelched daily briefings by Michael’s spiritual advisor and family friend Rev. Jesse Jackson who did not put in an appearance at the courthouse today. 

Just a half-day of jury deliberations — school graduations are thought to be the reason why. At 10:58, jurors filed out of the courtroom, climbed into two white, unmarked Sheriff’s Department vans and headed out onto McClelland Street, on their way home. Roughly twice as many deputies guarded the jurors as they arrived. Jurors left the back way, and did not see the Michael Jackson impersonator du jour (right), or the guy with the biblical banner (below).

There were more pressing issues for some — like attending graduation celebrations at local schools That’s why the short deliberation day.

This, as reporters looked on from a distance, trying to divine some meanng from jurors’ clothing and body language. Journalists from 34 nations are here, now that the Czech Republic has just pulled into the media pool. 

Meantime, police are downplaying reports that fans are stockpiling rocks in front of the courthouse for a full-scale riot should Jackson be convicted.

Fans have explained — to the satisfaction of police — that they were merely using the rocks to hold down the lawn display of colorful posters proclaiming Jackson’s innocence, trashing DA Tom Sneddon and claiming this whole trial is a plot by Sony to glom onto Jackson’s music catalog. Here are some fanshots. All expand when clicked. 

But the media its taking its case to the judge today — asking Judge Melville to end the blackout on communications between judge and jury, and to release the jurors’ verdict form.

The foreman sent such a note to the judge on Monday, but these normally public-record communications have been off limits to reporters. The judge has been putting off the issue until so late in June that a verdict will probably have already come it. The media want the matter front-burnered.

Back to today’s deliberations…
The jurors asked no questions of the judge, they asked for no read-backs of testimony, but others are signing up for my theory that there will not be a hung jury in this case. No one in a small town like Santa Maria, Lompoc or the other little communities nearby would want to be branded for their rest of their lives as the person who obstructed what the other jurors felt was justice.

“I think that there will be a consensus because in many ways this is still a small town,” says former Santa Barbara County prosecutor Craig Smith. “When you go out to the mall on Saturdays you will see people you know. When you go to church, the same people you work with are at your church. If there’s a juror who theoretically could hang things up, there’s no place for a juror to hide in a community of this size.”

Sorry for the lapse in this blog yesterday. Sending KNX 19 live shots, 3 re-feeds, 2 pre-feeds and 2 actualities ate up 14 hours and left no time. That, plus a loss of Internet. The perfect storm.

Comments

[Shirley]

I have written a letter to Michael Jackson. Do you have a postal address that I can send it to?

[Editor]

Here you go...

Michael Jackson
Neverland Valley Ranch
5225 Figueroa Mountain Road
Los Olivos, California 93441
USA