Witness Defends Jackson Accuser's Mom


By TIM MOLLOY, Associated Press Writer

SANTA MARIA, Calif. - A prosecution witness testified that the mother of Michael Jackson's accuser told him she had turned down financial help, contradicting a claim by the defense that money was the reason behind the molestation charges.


Jamie Masada, who owns the Laugh Factory club in Hollywood, told jurors Tuesday about telephone calls he received from the mother, who said she and her children were being held against their will at Jackson's Neverland ranch, and his decision to introduce her to an attorney.

Masada, believed to have put Jackson in touch with his accuser, said the boy was called names by other children after a controversial TV documentary about the pop singer aired, and Masada and the lawyer wanted to stop the makers of the documentary from replaying the program on TV.


Masada's questioning by Deputy District Attorney Ron Zonen ended with him telling jurors that the mother of the boy once turned down an offer of large amounts of money.


"I told (her) a particular person offered to give her a check for as much as you and the children want, whatever amount of money you need," Masada said.


"What did she say?" asked Zonen.


"She said, 'No. Tell him all I need are friends. I don't need money. I need prayer,'" Masada said.


Masada did not identify the potential benefactor.


He also insisted the only member of the family who solicited money was the father, although he acknowledged that a boyfriend of the mother also asked him for money at one point to pay for judo and karate classes for the boy so he could defend himself against taunts.


During cross-examination, Masada displayed anger at defense attorney Thomas Mesereau Jr. when the lawyer confronted him with statements he made to sheriff's investigators. The statements showed Masada made reference to the boy's parents asking for money, but he insisted he meant the father.


"Don't put words in my mouth," Masada snapped. "Let me tell the truth."


Jackson's accuser became involved with the Laugh Factory when he, his brother and his sister attended a comedy camp there. The relationship with Masada and various comedians continued when the boy became ill with cancer.


Masada played down his role in bringing Jackson together with the boy and said only that he made several calls to people including music producer Quincy Jones to try to fulfill the sick boy's wish to meet Jackson.


He said during cross-examination that he had never met Jackson.


Jackson is accused of molesting a 13-year-old boy at Neverland in February or March 2003, giving him alcohol, and conspiring to hold the boy's family captive to get them to make a video rebutting a TV documentary in which he appeared with the boy and said he let children sleep in his bed, a practice he said was innocent.


Also taking the witness stand Tuesday was a flight attendant, who contradicted a prosecution claim that Michael Jackson ordered wine in Coke cans during a cross-country flight and shared it with the boy now accusing him of molestation.


Cynthia Ann Bell said she did not see Jackson share his drink with anyone on the flight from Miami to Santa Barbara. Bell said serving Jackson alcoholic beverages in soda cans was her idea, and that it became a routine on all of his flights because "Michael Jackson is a very private drinker."





On cross-examination she described Jackson as a nervous flier who could not stand turbulence and sometimes had flights land because of it.

Bell, who was expected to resume testifying Wednesday, suggested the drinking was to relieve his anxiety.

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