January 29, 2005 - 4:45 AM

Michael Jackson jury to see 'adult' material

By Dan Whitcomb

SANTA MARIA, California (Reuters) - "Erotic material," including pictures of nude children, seized from Michael
Jackson's Neverland Valley Ranch, can be shown to jurors at the pop star's upcoming child molestation case, a judge
has ruled.

Superior Court Judge Rodney Melville said on Friday that Santa Barbara County prosecutors could introduce the
books, magazines and DVDs, which were found during a police raid on Jackson's sprawling estate in November of
2003, as evidence -- over the objections of defence attorneys.

Melville also ruled that Jackson's accuser, now 15, and his brother will have to testify in open court, rejecting a
prosecution attempt to close the courtroom to the press and public for that key portion of the trial. Prosecutors had
argued that forcing the boys to take the witness stand in open court would traumatize them.

But in another setback for the defence, Melville ruled that a British television documentary about Jackson by
journalist Martin Bashir could be shown to jurors as evidence. The documentary, which aired in 2003, shows Jackson
holding hands with the boy, then 13.

The judge also said that Bashir would have to testify in the case. His attorney had argued that, as a reporter
protected by California law, he should be exempt from taking the witness stand.

In seeking to have the seized books, magazines and other material admitted as evidence, prosecutors said they
demonstrated Jackson's sexual interest in children.

NUDE CHILDREN

"Some depict children nude. Some depict adults who appear to be the age of our children (in the case)," Deputy
District Attorney Ron Zonen said. "All of which, taken together, indicates the defendant's prurient interest in children,
particularly boys."

Lawyers for the 46-year-old entertainer had asked Melville to exclude the evidence, saying prosecutors had not
established that the items belonged to Jackson, since about 70 members of his staff had access to the areas where
they were found.

Jackson's attorneys also objected to showing jurors the documentary by Bashir, saying it was heavily edited and
would be misleading.

The defence won some small victories when the judge instructed prosecutors to refer to the seized material as
"adult" or "sexually explicit" but not "pornographic" or "obscene." Melville also barred material seized from Jackson's
home in 1993 in connection with an earlier case.

The seized evidence that can be admitted includes 17 books, 55 magazines, two DVDs and four computers.
Jackson's lawyers say that 23 of the magazines are from 1936 and are considered collector's items.

Jury selection in the Santa Maria, California, trial is scheduled to begin next week and could take more than a month
to complete.

Melville, who has imposed virtually unprecedented secrecy in the case in what he said was a move to protect
Jackson's right to a fair trial, cautioned attorneys for both sides as they squared off at Friday's hearing.

"The world is watching justice in the United States here -- the world. Not Santa Maria, not Santa Barbara County, not
California -- the world," he said.