Ex-Jackson Lawyer Must Take Stand

The judge in the Michael Jackson child-molestation trial on Thursday ordered the pop star’s former attorney, Mark Geragos, into court first thing this morning.

The celebrity lawyer had sent an emissary to request a delay in his appearance as a defense witness because of his packed schedule.

But Santa Barbara County Superior Court Judge Rodney S. Melville said the high-profile Los Angeles attorney should be treated no differently than “the deputy sheriff or the mechanic or the child victim,” and threatened him with arrest if he didn’t comply.

The spirited statement by Melville came after hours of testimony by another attorney who said he tried to bring order to Jackson’s financial and legal affairs in early 2003. The Las Vegas lawyer, David LeGrand, said he quickly became “very suspicious” of two Jackson aides and was convinced that the pair had bilked the pop star of nearly $1 million.

Jurors also saw the final few minutes of a lengthy videotaped interview with Jackson. The outtakes, from a documentary by British TV journalist Martin Bashir, were meant to show the documentarian as a smarmy, deceptive hack who took advantage of Jackson’s candor and innocence.

The video and the lawyer’s testimony both echoed a defense theme: Jackson was the victim of greedy underlings and associates, not the mastermind of an elaborate alleged conspiracy.

But the day’s high point was Melville’s stern rejection of Geragos’ plea for a reprieve from testifying.

“Now you know how citizens feel in this courtroom and every other courtroom in the state when they’re subpoenaed by attorneys,” Melville told Geragos’ associate, Shepard Kopp, who asked for a postponement until at least Monday. “It’s the same with any citizen, with any juror who’s asked to serve.”

Pointing out that the subpoena was served only Wednesday, Kopp said his employer hoped for “professional courtesy, not special treatment.” However, Melville didn’t comply.

He said he expected Geragos to show up at 8:30 a.m. today. If he doesn’t, the judge said, “that will give me plenty of time to get a warrant out for his arrest.”

Jackson fired Geragos in April 2004, saying his lawyer was too preoccupied defending Scott Peterson against charges that he murdered his wife and unborn son to represent him effectively. Peterson was eventually found guilty and sentenced to death.

Jackson, 46, is charged with molesting a 13-year-old cancer survivor and conspiring to hold the boy and his family captive at his Neverland ranch in the Santa Ynez Valley. He is also charged with attempted molestation and providing alcohol to a minor. If convicted of all charges, he could face more than 20 years in prison.

What Geragos will testify about is unclear. Jackson spokeswoman Raymone Bain said she did not know whether attorney-client confidentiality would bar him from revealing details about his former client.

On the witness stand Thursday, attorney LeGrand said Jackson was represented by no fewer than nine law firms in his personal and professional dealings at the beginning of 2003.

LeGrand, who was fired by Jackson after just three months, backed up previous witnesses who said that the entertainer owed $10 million but at the time had just $40,000 in the bank. Even worse, LeGrand said, Jackson aides Ronald Konitzer and Dieter Weisner had diverted $965,000 of Jackson’s income to themselves and were plotting to gain control of his holdings.

“I became suspicious of everybody,” LeGrand said. “It seemed everyone wanted to benefit from Michael Jackson in one way or another.”

Defense attorneys hope that such assessments will raise questions about Jackson’s ability to organize a conspiracy with subordinates who have been portrayed as unscrupulous and manipulative.

Konitzer and Weisner are among the five uncharged co-conspirators who allegedly helped Jackson control his accuser’s family.