Jackson trial underway
The week's news at a glance.
Santa Maria, Calif.
California prosecutors unveiled their case against Michael Jackson this week, accusing him of fondling a 13-year-old cancer victim after plying him with wine concealed in soda cans marked “Jesus Juice.” In his opening statement, prosecutor Thomas Sneddon Jr. said the pop star once stood “stark naked” before the boy and his brother, 10, and declared, “It’s natural, it’s okay.” Sneddon said Jackson tried to imprison the victim’s family at his estate, Neverland Ranch, to keep them from talking. Defense lawyer Thomas Mesereau Jr. sought to shift the focus to the credibility of the boy’s mother. In the days that she was supposedly being held captive, Mesereau said in his opening remarks, she spent $3,312 on cosmetics and spa treatments. She fabricated the abuse claims to extort money, Mesereau said, adding: “These charges are fictitious. They never happened.”
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
-
7 cocktails for a comforting autumn
The Week Recommends Vodka, rum, brandy, mezcal: The gang's all here
By Scott Hocker, The Week US Published
-
Texas court allows execution in shaken baby syndrome case
Under the radar The state could be the first to carry out the death penalty for someone convicted due to the diagnosis, despite its controversial applicability
By Theara Coleman, The Week US Published
-
How do presidential elections affect the stock market?
The explainer If you are worried, take heart: Market changes in response to what is happening politically are likely to be short-term
By Becca Stanek, The Week US Published