250 Picked for Jackson Jury Pool

The second day of Michael Jackson’s trial on child-molestation charges ended early Tuesday, when Santa Barbara County Superior Court Judge Rodney S. Melville abruptly halted jury selection, saying he had interviewed enough potential panelists.

“Roughly 250 people qualified,” Melville announced before adjourning late in the morning. “And I’m ready to go.”

He had culled those potential jurors from an initial pool of 750 residents. Melville said he believed he had enough candidates to name a panel of 12 jurors and eight alternates.

Although the trial could last six months, relatively few potential jurors asked to opt out. Not an elderly woman. Not a middle-aged woman caring for her elderly mother. Not a man on probation wearing an electronic monitoring bracelet.

And those few who did want out faced a tough sell.

When one woman told the judge Tuesday that she had to take her son to a medical appointment on Feb. 9, Melville responded: “You don’t know how lucky you are. We’re going to be closed down Feb. 9” for a scheduled recess.

He granted a single exception, to a woman four months pregnant -- but only after grilling her.

Prosecutors and defense attorneys now face a dilemma, court observers and jury experts agree: the potential of selecting someone whose primary interest may be fame or fortune -- a stealth juror.

“I don’t think the defense would be well-served by trying to pick Michael Jackson fans,” said forensic psychologist and jury consultant Martin H. Williams. “If there turns out to be compelling evidence against [the singer], a disappointed Michael Jackson fan could turn on the ‘King of Pop.’ ”

On Tuesday, the crowd outside the courthouse was less than half the size of the one the day before, and a serious atmosphere had descended. The jury could send Jackson, 46, to prison for 20 years if he is convicted on all 10 counts.

“Eh, it’s kind of boring now,” Kathy Hill, 22, of San Francisco said shortly before noon as she and a group of friends packed up their car. “We’re gonna go home. We’ll probably come back, though.”

Nothing could happen until the potential jurors, and Jackson, were in place at 10 a.m.

At 9:45 a.m., Jackson rode up to the courthouse in a black SUV. He exited wearing a black suit, a fashion choice noted by fans because on Monday he wore a white suit.

Jackson smiled for the cameras and flashed a V sign with his fingers.

“He’s smooth but he’s not a criminal” read one placard, referring to Jackson’s hit song “Smooth Criminal.” A shriek went up, but the crowd had dwindled to fewer than 100 from several hundred on Monday.

Many of the chain-link fences had come down. Traffic flowed through a city with just a handful of closed streets. On the courthouse lawn, a group of lawn-bowlers held their regular game as television reporters performed live stand-ups.

Once inside, Jackson appeared as serious as anyone about selecting his jury.

For the second day in a row, Jackson made for good photographs but little news -- forgoing such past antics as dancing atop his limousine in front of the courthouse at his arraignment just over a year ago.

Jackson is charged with 10 felony counts for allegedly molesting a 13-year-old boy two years ago. He has pleaded not guilty, and his family and supporters have taken to the airwaves to defend Jackson -- whose legal troubles began in 1993 when he was investigated for allegedly molesting another boy.

He later settled with that boy and his family out of court, for an amount some believe to be well into the millions of dollars. Jackson’s defense is expected to argue that the boy in the current case was pressured by his family to accuse Jackson so that they could sue him for money.

The prosecution, meanwhile, is expected to argue that Jackson molested the boy -- who was being treated for cancer -- after giving him wine to drink. Santa Barbara County Dist. Atty. Thomas Sneddon, who investigated but never charged Jackson in the 1993 case, plans to show the jury such evidence as a pair of boys underpants found in Jackson’s bedroom, along with pornography and sweetly-worded, childish notes that Jackson wrote to the boy.

The boy is expected to testify, as is his younger brother, who was 11 when Jackson invited the boys and their family to his 2,700-acre retreat in the mountains near Santa Maria.

While Jackson was getting a glimpse of those who may well decide his fate, pundits debated on television about how the young accuser and his brother should be questioned -- tough versus gentle -- and the type of panel each side should seek.

Williams, the psychologist and jury consultant, who is not working on the Jackson case, said the prosecution and defense are looking for jurors to fit different profiles.

“If you were the prosecution, you would want jurors to find the very idea of Michael Jackson and his lifestyle despicable,” said Williams. “For the defense, obviously, you want people who are more open-minded.”

Jackson sat calmly and quietly, paying close attention as Melville questioned each potential juror. Only about 65 asked to be excused.

One woman said she was recovering from breast cancer.

A young man said he worked for the Navy and had to report to Hawaii in April. “I tried to ask people at my base, but no one would really even believe that I have been called to serve on this case,” he said.

Several women cited their pregnancies. The one who is four months along made a strong case when she said: “I don’t know if I would make it to the end of the trial.”

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Slater is a Times staff writer and Connell is a special correspondent. Both reported from Santa Maria. Times staff writer Steve Chawkins contributed to this report.

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(Begin Text of Infobox)

Jackson highlights

Aug. 29, 1958: Michael Jackson is born in Gary, Ind.

1964: The Jackson Five is formed with Michael as the lead singer.

Oct. 14, 1972: His first solo No. 1 single, “Ben,” is released.

1978: He makes his film debut playing the scarecrow in “The Wiz.”

Jan. 18, 1980: He dominates the American Music Awards in the soul categories, with awards for favorite male vocalist, favorite single (“Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough”) and favorite album (“Off the Wall”).

December 1982: “Thriller,” his biggest album, breaks music world records. It is No. 1 in the U.S. for 37 straight weeks.

1985: He co-writes “We Are the World” with Lionel Richie. The same year he invests $40 million in the catalogue that controls the rights to the Beatles’ songs.

1987: He reportedly offers $1 million for Elephant Man’s skeleton. Also that year, he releases the album “Bad,” another international hit.

March 1991: He signs a 15-year contract with Sony, reportedly worth $1 billion.

Aug. 17, 1993: The LAPD launches a criminal investigation of Jackson after a 13-year-old boy claims the singer sexually abused him.

Sept. 14, 1993: The boy files a civil suit against Jackson, which he eventually settles for a reported $15 million.

May 26, 1994: He marries Lisa Marie Presley.

Sept. 21, 1994: Prosecutors say no charges will be filed against Jackson because the boy refuses to testify.

Jan. 18, 1996: Lisa Marie divorces him.

Nov. 15, 1996: He marries nurse Debbie Rowe, then six months pregnant.

Feb. 13, 1997: Son Prince is born to Michael and Debbie.

Nov. 18, 2003: Law enforcement officers descend on Neverland ranch, searching the amusement park estate for evidence.

Nov. 20, 2003: He is charged with multiple counts of child molestation.

April 30, 2004: Prosecutors unseal a grand jury indictment accusing him of conspiracy involving child abduction, false imprisonment and extortion and molesting a 12-year-old boy. He pleads not guilty.

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Sources: Times research. Compiled by Robin Mayper