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Prosecutors Going Forward With Jackson Case, Leaked Memo Insignificant


12-10-03 Keavin
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When a confidential memo was leaked to The Smoking Gun website earlier this week, it seemed to exonerate Michael Jackson but prosecutors say that they were aware of the memo and that it has no bearing on their case against Jackson. 

The memo detailed a two week investigation by Los Angeles police and Department of Children and Family Services that took place in February that found allegations against Jackson were unfounded. That investigation included interviews with the boy that is the focus of the current prosecution and his family. 

Santa Barbara County District Attorney Tom Sneddon and Santa Barbara County Sheriff Jim Anderson responded to the memo, stating that they were aware of it and that it was included in paperwork submitted to the judge that issued a search warrant of Jackson�s estate and later an arrest warrant for the singers arrest. 

"Our investigators were aware of the contents of the interviews prior to seeking the search warrants and arrest warrant for Mr. Jackson," the joint statement by Sneddon and Anderson read. "The report and its contents, along with the totality of the investigation and the circumstances and the timing under which the statements were given, were provided to the judge at the time that the search and arrest warrants were issued. Given what we know, we do not consider the DCFS statement a significant factor."

There are media reports that the mother of the boy made the statements to DCFS investigators before she learned that Jackson had given her son wine, which sparked her concern. 

It appears that the current investigation got underway this past spring after the boy�s therapist told authorities that the boy had disclosed stories of abuse during therapy sessions. 

The Los Angeles Police Department also responded to the memo and distanced themselves for the memos findings, denying that they concluded that the allegations were �unfounded� and in fact they were unable to complete their end of the investigation because the were not able to locate the family to conduct interviews.  

"The child and his family could not be located," Sgt. Catherine Plows said in a statement on Tuesday. "The Los Angeles Police Department had no further involvement in this matter."

The Jackson camp are claiming the leaked memo as a victory and say that it clears the pop singer of wrong doing. 

"This is a real smoking gun," Jackson spokesperson Stuart Backerman said in a statement. "The government report is what we've been saying all along, that there is no merit to the allegations and Michael Jackson is innocent. This only corroborates and reinforces what we've been saying." 

Santa Barbara district attorney's office is expected to formally charge Jackson next week. 
 

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