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| Jackson was accompanied by his defence
team(AP) |
Pop icon Michael Jackson has been in court in
California to see the jury being selected for his trial on charges of
child molestation
.
Dressed all in white and shielded by an umbrella, the singer waved at
crowds of screaming fans as he arrived at the courthouse in Santa Maria.
Some 750 prospective jurors are being interviewed for the trial, which
could last six months.
Mr Jackson, 46, denies 10 counts of child abuse and one of conspiracy.
If convicted, he could face a maximum 21 years in prison.
Before entering the courthouse in Santa Maria, Mr Jackson gave a brief
victory sign to dozens of fans who had travelled from around the world to
offer their support.
But unlike his appearance here a year ago, there
was no theatricality
and no dancing on cars, says the BBC's James Coomarasamy in Santa Maria.
The scene was repeated as he left the courthouse for lunch.
Opening statements are still several weeks away, as jury selection
could take up to a month to complete.
The would-be jurors came face-to-face with the singer in groups of 150,
in a selection process which could last up to a month.
They were given seven-page questionnaires about the case and told to
return next week.
Judge Rodney Melville warned them that the trial would take up to six
months and that their lives would be seriously disrupted.
He will question them individually as prosecution and defence teams
work to agree on a final panel of 12, with eight reserves.
The court sessions will not be televised, but media organisations have
been gearing up for blanket coverage in what has been coined the
"celebrity trial of the century".
More than 1,000 journalists applied for accreditation to cover the
trial.
Hours before it was due to begin, Michael Jackson's parents went on
television to defend their son.
His mother, Katherine, told CBS television: "I know my son, and this is
ridiculous."
Joe Jackson, Michael's father, said his son's accuser was motivated by
greed.
On Sunday, Mr Jackson made an impassioned video plea on his website for
a fair hearing on Sunday.
The pop icon said he would be "acquitted and vindicated when the truth
is told", and condemned recent media leaks in his case as "disgusting and
false".
The indictment stems from accusations made by a now 15-year-old boy.
Charges were brought in December 2003 after police raided Mr Jackson's
ranch.
Prosecutors accuse Mr Jackson of plying the boy with alcohol to seduce
him. He is also accused of conspiring to kidnap the boy and his family.
Mr Jackson's team has dismissed the allegations as a "big lie"
concocted by the accuser's family, which they claim is driven by greed.
(Agencies) | 
Updated: 2005-02-01 15:35