Jackson Jurors to Hear Abuse Expert

The prosecution in the molestation case against pop star Michael Jackson will be allowed to bring in an expert to describe how children behave after abuse, the judge ruled Friday.

Santa Barbara County Superior Court Judge Rodney S. Melville granted the motion Friday morning over defense objections in a pretrial session.

Jackson’s attorney, Thomas A. Mesereau Jr., said that the prosecution was making a desperate attempt to bolster what he described as a “horrific problem” with its case.

Jackson, 46, has pleaded not guilty to charges that he sexually abused a boy in 2003 and conspired to cover it up. The alleged victim, now 15, is expected to take the witness stand, as is his 14-year-old brother.

“What if they are flat-out liars?” Mesereau said of the alleged victim and his family. “What if they have a history of lying? What if the boy lied in the past to help his mother obtain money through the legal process?”

Ron Zonen, a deputy district attorney, argued that such an expert was important to “dispel myths commonly associated with child sexual abuse trauma.”

Zonen said four issues often cause confusion among jurors and are played up by the defense: the delayed reporting of child abuse by victims; how children relate the story of abuse bit by bit; why the report of abuse wasn’t made to a close relative or adult; and why victims continue to display affection, even love, toward their abusers.

The unnamed expert would testify to how such confusing behavior is the result of a “grooming process” by the abuser, Zonen said.

Melville granted the motion but said strict limits would be discussed before the expert testifies.

In other pretrial matters, Melville decided to keep the questionnaires that will be given to prospective jurors out of public view. The judge also said he was dissatisfied with the lengthy questionnaire, which had been submitted by both legal teams, and he made major changes to the document.

“Quite frankly, I’ve gutted it,” Melville told attorneys. “I don’t know how many pages you gave me. But there are about seven pages left.”

Outside the courthouse, authorities have been preparing for the onslaught of media and visitors expected to descend when the trial starts Jan. 31 with jury selection.

Cyclone fencing and other barriers have been placed around the building that will keep crowds off the courthouse property and limit them to adjacent streets.