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Jackson's ex to take the stand

Debbie Rowe is expected to describe how she was forced to record a video full of praise for pop star

BY TINA SUSMAN | STAFF CORRESPONDENT

April 26, 2005

SANTA MARIA, Calif. - The judge in Michael Jackson's child molestation trial yesterday rejected a defense motion to prevent the entertainer's former wife from testifying as prosecutors scrambled to shore up their case by calling witnesses to corroborate claims of a conspiracy hatched by Jackson aides to silence his accusers.

Debbie Rowe, who was married to Jackson from 1996 to 1999, is expected to testify that she - like the alleged victim and his family - was forced to make a video praising Jackson in 2003 after the airing of a scorching TV documentary that led to the current criminal case. In that documentary, Jackson admitted sharing his bed with young children.

In arguing for her inclusion, prosecutor Ron Zonen said Rowe was pushed into making the video in exchange for visitation rights with the two children she had with Jackson - a daughter named Paris, who was then 5, and a son named Prince Michael, who was 6. At the time, Jackson had full custody. "It's one more example of how these people [Jackson's] used children as a pawn," said Zonen, who described Rowe's demeanor in the video as "over the top" and clearly delivered after intense coaching.

Defense attorney Robert Sanger had fought to keep Rowe out of the case, saying there was "nothing untoward" about being given written questions to answer before a videotaped interview. "It doesn't show a darned thing," Sanger said, accusing prosecutors of "desperation" in their drive to make Jackson, 46, look bad.

Rowe is expected to take the stand later this week, and the prosecution has indicated it could wrap up its case by Friday. Today, it planned to quiz Jackson's former travel organizer, Cynthia Montgomery, about what she knew of plans to fly the accuser and his family to Brazil using one-way plane tickets in March 2003. This would support claims by the alleged victim's mother, who has said Jackson planned to send her and her family to Brazil to prevent them from doing or saying anything damaging to the pop star.

In another development, one of Jackson's attorneys - Brian Oxman - was taken off the case but no explanation was given.

After a morning of motions, testimony resumed with Kassim Abdool, a former security guard at Jackson's Neverland Valley ranch, recalling seeing Jackson hugging and kissing a young boy late one night on the estate. It was the same incident alluded to previously by another former Neverland guard, Ralph Chacon, who had described Jackson kissing the boy "passionately." Abdool said he only saw Jackson kiss the boy on the cheek while hugging him from behind, but he then described a series of apparent strong-arm tactics used by Jackson associates to control him after he was called to testify before a grand jury in 1994 investigating Jackson's behavior with young boys.

Among other things, Abdool said he received a $1,000-per-month pay raise and a promotion to chief of security after being subpoenaed, and that Jackson lawyers offered to represent him and to drive him to deliver his testimony. The former Trinidadian police officer said he turned down the offer of legal representation and transport.

Like other prosecution witnesses, Abdool came with baggage, unveiled during cross-examination. Among other things, he conceded that he had joined other ex-Neverland workers in a multimillion-dollar lawsuit against Jackson in the mid-1990s alleging mistreatment during their time as ranch employees. They lost the suit.

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Jackson's ex to take the stand

Debbie Rowe is expected to describe how she was forced to record a video full of praise for pop star

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