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Updated May 3, 2005, 2:02 p.m. ET

State: Flurry of calls from Jackson camp point to conspiracy
Michael Jackson's defense could start its case this week after prosecutors wrap up Tuesday.

SANTA MARIA, Calif. — Phone records and flow charts pointing to the busy dialing fingers of Michael Jackson's alleged co-conspirators dominated the 11th-hour testimony Monday in the singer's child-molestation trial.

On the eve of the last day of their case against the King of Pop, prosecutors appeared to be crawling toward the finish line, introducing important but tedious evidence, which often drew vacant stares and stifled yawns among court watchers.

"This was one of the most painful days in the trial in terms of sheer boredom," legal analyst Jim Moret noted outside court Monday.

The documents, introduced through the testimony of two detectives who seized the information during search warrants, revealed a flurry of calls between Jackson's aides de camp during the two months the singer is accused of falsely imprisoning a 13-year-old cancer survivor and his family.


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The accuser's mother previously testified that on Feb. 12, 2003, she convinced a sympathetic ranch manager to ferry her family back home to Los Angeles in the middle of the night.

There were 38 phone calls between alleged co-conspirators Frank Tyson and Marc Schaffel, according to Sgt. Craig Bonner, shortly after the family's alleged escape from Neverland. Another 19 calls were made that same day between Tyson and co-conspirator Vincent Amen.

During the same two-month period, calls were also made to the law firm of Geragos and Geragos, indicating communications between the office of Mark Geragos, Jackson's lawyer at the time, and his alleged co-conspirators.

The calls tend to support the testimony of previous witnesses, who described Jackson's camp as launching into damage-control mode after the documentary "Living with Michael Jackson" aired.

Jackson is charged with sexually molesting the boy and holding his family against their will at Neverland ranch in February and March 2003.

Although Jackson's aides made a few calls to Jackson's Neverland Ranch home and to his hotel suite in Miami during this time, the defense pointed out that several people had access to the singer's phone lines.

Jackson maintains he was unaware of the machinations of his aides.

"Is there any way to determine from all of these phone records that Michael Jackson was on any of these calls?" defense attorney Robert Sanger asked the witness.

"No," the detective replied.

Hefty withdrawals

Jurors also heard from a bank manager who testified that the singer's alleged co-conspirator and former business partner, Marc Schaffel, walked into her branch in early 2003 and cashed two checks totaling $1.5 million.

One of the checks, drawn from the account of Neverland Valley Entertainment, was dated April 2, 2003, and made out for $1 million.

"They walked in with this check and walked out with $1 million in cash?" asked prosecutor Mag Nicola.

"Yes," branch manager Beverly Wagner replied.

A week later, according to Wagner, Schaffel walked in with another check made out for $500,000, and again left with cash in hand.

Wagner could not say what the money was intended for or how Schaffel toted the wads of cash out of the bank.

Prosecutors appeared to be trying to strengthen the ominous link between the two men, and Wagner testified that Jackson and Schaffel were the only two people authorized to withdraw funds from the account.

Michael Jackson, 46, is charged with 10 counts including false imprisonment, sexual molestation, and plying his accuser with alcohol to weaken his defenses.

He faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted.

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