Jackson case judge allows abuse expert to testify

SANTA MONICA - The judge in the Michael Jackson child molestation case granted a prosecution request on Friday to call an expert witness on how child abuse victims behave.

Santa Barbara Superior Court Judge Rodney Melville rejected defence objections that there was no reason to call the expert to discuss the testimony of Jackson's accuser, now 15, and his brother because the youths would not be telling the truth.

Jackson lawyer Tom Mesereaux told the court: "What if they are flat-out liars? They have a history of lying in school, lying in acting school, lying in the community. What if they testify falsely in order to help their mother (obtain money)."

Prosecutors want the expert to testify that child abuse victims often wait for a long period of time before revealing what happened to them, often do not confide in those closest to them, often give piecemeal accounts and retain an affection for their abuser.

Mesereaux said the prosecution hoped the expert witness would "bolster the credibility of their witnesses. They have a weak case. Our whole position is they should not be allowed to bolster (their witnesses) sheer lack of credibility."

Jackson is accused of sexually molesting a boy under the age of 14, plying him with liquor and then trying to cover up the crime. The 46-year-old entertainer has pleaded innocent. Jury selection is expected to start on January 31.

- REUTERS