ChuckD
The Gay Lord of Freestyle
Michael Jackson's child molestation trial begins this week with participants and observers sharply divided over whether there has been too much secrecy imposed by the judge — or not enough secrecy because of media leaks.
Graphic details of the testimony that led a grand jury to indict the entertainer leaked in mid-January, months later than the same information might have become public in a less sensational case. Some legal experts say the exceptional secrecy imposed by Superior Court Judge Rodney S. Melville to try to ensure a fair trial may have backfired by fueling demand for the material.
To the dismay of news reporters and advocates of the public's right to know, Melville sealed many documents in the case, including dozens of search warrants and even portions of the indictment — items that normally would have been made public even in high-profile trials. Materials that were released had been heavily censored.
Graphic details of the testimony that led a grand jury to indict the entertainer leaked in mid-January, months later than the same information might have become public in a less sensational case. Some legal experts say the exceptional secrecy imposed by Superior Court Judge Rodney S. Melville to try to ensure a fair trial may have backfired by fueling demand for the material.
To the dismay of news reporters and advocates of the public's right to know, Melville sealed many documents in the case, including dozens of search warrants and even portions of the indictment — items that normally would have been made public even in high-profile trials. Materials that were released had been heavily censored.