OTHER NEWS - Sept. 20, 1996

Judge Postpones Jackson Trial: Juror confusion prompted a judge to halt a trial in which a production company accused Michael Jackson of backing out of a commitment to sing on the “Jackson Family Honors,” a television flop. The move came after the federal jury awarded $2.6 million in damages to Smith-Hemion Productions, finding the company had been defrauded. But when it came to filling out the verdict form to say how much each Jackson family member should pay, panelists entered zeros. The judge decided to postpone the trial to Thursday and told lawyers to prepare motions to request a mistrial.