Source: https://michaeljacksonvindication2.wordpress.com/2012/08/02/march-21st-2005-trial-analysis-detective-conn-abel-cross-examination-dr-anthony-urquizo-lauren-wallace-and-louise-palanker-direct-examination-part-3-of-3/
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March 21st, 2005 Trial Analysis: Detective Conn Abel (Cross Examination), Dr. Anthony Urquizo, Lauren Wallace, and Louise Palanker (Direct Examination), Part 3 of 3 | Michael Jackson Vindication 2.0
March 21st, 2005 Trial Analysis: Detective Conn Abel (Cross Examination), Dr. Anthony Urquizo, Lauren Wallace, and Louise Palanker (Direct Examination), Part 3 of 3
tags: Lauren Wallace, Louise Palanker
The next prosecution witness was Lauren Wallace, the flight attendant for Xtra Jet who served Jackson on numerous private trips to and from Neverland. In total, she had served Jackson on between 15 and 25 different flights over the years. She was subpoenaed and questioned under direct examination by Gordon Auchincloss to corroborate the prosecution’s claims that Jackson requested to have his alcohol served to him in coke cans. Here is a brief description of her time with Jackson:
7 Q. Can you give me a brief synopsis of the day
8 in the life of a flight attendant for a private
9 charter jet such as a Gulfstream on a coast-to-coast
10 flight.
11 A. First of all, you need to be there two hours
12 ahead of time. And then you need to arrive with all
13 of your catering, the food and everything that the
14 clients requested. In addition to that, all the —
15 the food for the pilots as well.
16 You need to make sure the aircraft is clean
17 and that everything is functional in the aircraft.
18 The entertainment system, the drains, the toilet,
19 everything.
20 And then you wait for the passengers — or
21 you prepare for the passengers, whatever you think
22 they might want. Coffee, soda pop. And then you
23 wait for the passengers and you greet the
24 passengers. You take off.
25 Q. And then how long does the flight take
26 from — again, we’ll use California to Miami as an
27 example.
28 A. Five to five and a half hours. 2971
1 Q. And over that five to five and a half hours,
2 what are your duties.
3 A. My duties are, first, to ensure that the
4 passengers are all safe, and should we need to
5 emergency-evacuate, that we’re able to do that.
6 Secondly, it is to cater to the passengers
7 and that they get their food and their beverages,
8 and that they’re comfortable and happy.
9 Q. You mentioned that Xtra Jet — among the
10 clients that Xtra Jet works with are celebrities.
12 Q. Have you personally worked on flights
13 provided by Xtra Jet to Michael Jackson.
14 A. Yes, I have.
15 Q. And is the individual Michael Jackson in
16 court today.
18 Q. Could you identify him for the record,
19 please. Just identify him by pointing, if you
20 would, please.
21 A. Okay. Mr. Jackson.
22 MR. AUCHINCLOSS: If the record could
23 reflect the defendant was identified.
25 Q. BY MR. AUCHINCLOSS: How many total flights
26 have you flown with Mr. Jackson on them in which you
27 were the flight attendant.
28 A. Between 15 and 25. 2972
1 Q. And were you also the preparation hostess on
2 those flights, the person who prepared the plane for
3 Mr. Jackson.
5 Q. Can you tell me, when was the last time that
6 you flew on a flight with him, or worked on a flight
7 with Mr. Jackson.
8 A. I believe that last flight was November —
9 around the end of November. November, I think,
10 22nd, 2003.
11 Q. All right. And can you characterize for us
12 your relationship with Mr. Jackson based on those
13 11-odd flights.
14 A. It was professional, but on a very friendly
15 basis.
In this excerpt, Auchincloss asked Wallace to describe to the jury Jackson’s drinking habits, and any special requests that he made regarding the handling of his alcohol. Wallace testified that she was told by another flight attendant (Cynthia Bell, who will testify later on in this trial) that Jackson preferred to have his alcohol poured into coke cans, and that she did recall a younger member of the Jackson family drinking alcohol out of a coke can with Jackson, but to the chagrin of Auchincloss, she described him as a 22 year old young man!
9 Q. Regarding Mr. Jackson’s — the preparation
10 of Mr. Jackson’s plane, would he have any special
11 requests.
12 A. He had special catering orders.
14 A. That is standard with every flight.
15 Q. And describe what that would be for me, if
16 you could.
17 A. His precise orders or —
19 A. Or an example of —
20 Q. How would he like the plane prepared before
21 take-off.
22 A. Well, as far as having the plane itself
23 prepared —
24 Q. No, I mean special requests. Any things —
25 items that he wanted on the plane. Beverages, food,
26 this type of thing.
27 A. His normal catering request was — and it
28 may not have been his. It may have been one of his 2975
1 children’s or nannies or something. But my trip
2 sheet always had like Kentucky Fried Chicken, and
3 Subway sandwiches some of the time, and sometimes
4 chicken breast with rice pilaf.
5 Q. Okay. Concerning — would Mr. Jackson have
6 any special requests regarding alcohol.
7 A. It was never written on a trip sheet.
8 Q. Okay. But did you become aware of a special
9 request that he desired when he flew on Xtra Jet
10 regarding alcohol.
12 Q. How did you become aware of that.
13 A. Through another flight attendant.
14 Q. And who was that.
15 A. Miss Bell.
16 Q. And during the flights that you flew with
17 Mr. Jackson, what — how did you handle — well, let
18 me back up, first of all, and ask you a foundational
20 Did Mr. Jackson drink alcohol on those
21 flights that you flew with him, the 11 flights.
23 Q. All of them.
24 A. Not all of them, no.
25 Q. Okay. Can you characterize how many of them
26 he drank alcohol on.
27 A. Nine or ten.
28 Q. Can you characterize the amount of 2976
1 consumption of alcohol that he would drink on a
2 given flight.
4 Q. BY MR. AUCHINCLOSS: How about — I can
5 tighten that up.
6 Can you characterize how much alcohol he
7 would drink on a typical coast-to-coast flight.
8 A. It was different from what I witnessed.
9 Q. From what to what.
10 A. Sometimes maybe it was a little bit of wine.
11 And other times it was maybe three six ounces of
12 wine, and then a glass or two of tequila or
13 Tangueray gin. But it — it wasn’t like I looked
14 and said, “That’s exactly seven ounces,” or
15 anything.
16 Q. Okay. I’m just asking for your general
17 recollections.
18 You said a glass or two of Tangueray or
19 tequila. Would he drink out of a glass.
20 A. Yes, he would.
21 Q. Would he ever drink wine out of anything
22 other than a glass.
24 Q. What would he drink out of.
25 A. A Diet Coke can.
26 Q. Did you prepare those cans for him.
28 Q. Okay. Tell me about that. How did that 2977
1 come about that you would put wine in a Diet Coke
3 A. Miss Bell had informed me that that is
4 something that he did. And so when I initially flew
5 Mr. Jackson, I had emptied out three Diet Coke cans
6 and filled them up halfway with white wine, kept
7 them on ice for him, and had them available for him
8 upon boarding.
9 Q. Did you serve him wine in a Diet Coke can.
10 A. Yes. I placed them there for him.
11 Q. Did he drink it.
12 A. Yes. Maybe not all of it sometimes.
13 Q. Would he ever have a mixed drink in a Diet
14 Coke can, such as tequila or Tangueray.
15 A. Not that I’m aware of, no.
16 Q. And when you prepared a flight for Mr.
17 Jackson, how often would you prepare these cans with
18 wine in them. You said you did about three.
19 A. I would make three up, approximately three.
20 And if there was more people in the party, I would
21 make up more than that.
22 Q. Would other people drink wine out of the
23 Coke cans.
24 A. Sometimes, yes.
25 Q. Do you have any specific recollections of
26 someone else drinking wine out of a Coke can other
27 than Mr. Jackson.
28 A. I believe — I don’t know his name, but I 2978
1 think he was his cousin or something. I think he
2 was a family member.
3 Q. A what.
4 A. I believe he was a family member of Mr.
5 Jackson’s.
6 Q. You don’t recall his name.
8 Q. Do you recall what he looked like, this
9 individual.
10 A. He was an attractive younger gentleman.
11 Brown, wavy hair, very full. Dark olive complexion.
12 Q. Do you know — can you approximate his age.
13 A. 22.
14 Q. When was this flight; do you remember.
15 A. It must have been around October of 2003.
16 Q. Miss Wallace, did you ever hide alcohol on
17 any of these flights for Mr. Jackson.
19 Q. What did you hide. What alcohol did you
20 hide for Mr. Jackson.
21 A. I hid little bottles of Tangueray and
22 tequila, and maybe vodka.
23 Q. And what are we talking about, the small
24 airplane-type bottles.
26 Q. Is that —
27 A. Those are called minis.
28 Q. Minis. Okay. And where would you hide 2979
1 those bottles.
2 A. It depended. Usually in the lav above
3 children’s reach. The lav is the lavatory and the
4 bathroom of the airplane.
5 Q. And how would Mr. Jackson become aware of
6 the location of the bottles.
7 A. I would inform him. Initially I informed
8 him. But after a while, upon flying the same
9 aircraft, I figured that maybe he would know they
10 were there for his disposal.
11 Q. You said, “Usually in the lav.” Where else
12 would you hide bottles.
13 A. I know once I carried one in my jacket
14 pocket, but he never got it.
16 A. He never knew it was there. It wasn’t for
17 him to really get. I was just going to give it to
18 him, but I never got the opportunity.
19 Q. And did he ever drink those bottles. Did
20 you ever find evidence that he had ever drunk any of
21 those bottles.
22 A. Once or twice. Only one or two bottles. It
23 was very rare.
24 Q. How many occasions — how many of the
25 flights that you flew on with him did you hide these
26 bottles.
27 A. Out of the — let’s see, 20 — 20 flights we
28 did, they were there maybe 15, 15 of the flights. 2980
1 Q. All right. 15 times.
3 MR. AUCHINCLOSS: Okay. Thank you. No
4 further questions.
5 THE COURT: Mr. Mesereau.
Mesereau’s cross-examination was marred by Auchincloss’s constant objections (mostly regarding the reasons why Jackson wanted alcohol served in coke cans), the majority of which were sustained by Judge Melville.
10 Q. Good afternoon.
12 Q. You were interviewed by the Santa Barbara
13 Sheriffs about this case, right.
15 Q. Do you know how many times you were
16 interviewed by them.
17 A. Once.
18 Q. Okay. And your understanding was that
19 Mr. Jackson did not want children seeing him drink
20 alcohol, right.
22 Q. And it was your understanding that he wanted
23 wine placed in cans because he didn’t want children
24 to see him drinking that wine, right.
25 MR. AUCHINCLOSS: I’ll object. Foundation;
26 hearsay.
27 THE COURT: Foundation; sustained.
28 Q. BY MR. MESEREAU: Did you have an 2981
1 understanding as to why Michael Jackson wanted white
2 wine placed in cans on the flights.
3 MR. AUCHINCLOSS: Same objection.
5 You can answer that “yes” or “no.”
7 Q. BY MR. MESEREAU: Would you please tell the
8 jury what your understanding was as to why you were
9 putting white wine in cans on the flights.
10 MR. AUCHINCLOSS: Same objection.
11 THE COURT: Sustained; foundation.
12 Q. BY MR. MESEREAU: Did someone ever tell you
13 that Mr. Jackson wanted wine placed in soda cans
14 because he didn’t want children to see it.
15 MR. AUCHINCLOSS: Objection. Same
16 objection.
18 Q. BY MR. MESEREAU: Why did you hide those
19 little bottles of alcohol so children couldn’t get
20 to them.
21 A. I wanted to make sure that — that Mr.
22 Jackson and whomever he decided to inform that there
23 was additional alcohol for grown-ups to drink, that
24 they could at their own disposal in secrecy.
25 Q. And why did you put white wine in soda cans
26 when Mr. Jackson flew on the flights.
27 MR. AUCHINCLOSS: Same objection as before,
28 Your Honor. 2982
1 THE COURT: No, it’s not — she’s already
2 testified that the other flight attendant told her
3 to under direct, so I’ll allow the question. I
4 don’t think it’s the same question.
5 I’m going to have it reread so you know what
6 the question is.
7 Go ahead, reread it.
9 MR. AUCHINCLOSS: I’ll object as foundation.
10 THE COURT: Okay. I’ll — go ahead and lay
11 the foundation.
12 Q. BY MR. MESEREAU: You testified in response
13 to the government prosecutor’s questions that you
14 had talked to Cindy Bell, right.
16 Q. And Cindy Bell also worked with you with
17 Xtra Jet, right.
19 Q. And Cindy Bell would often work with you on
20 plane flights where Mr. Jackson was a passenger,
22 A. We never worked together, but she was on one
23 flight with him and I was on the others so —
24 Q. And you discussed with Cindy Bell why Mr.
25 Jackson wanted wine placed in cans, correct.
27 Q. And you did indicate in response to the
28 prosecutor’s questions that because of what 2983
1 Ms. Bell said to you, you would put wine in cans,
4 Q. And Ms. Bell told you in that regard, he
5 didn’t want children to see him drinking, right.
6 MR. AUCHINCLOSS: Objection; hearsay.
7 THE COURT: Sustained; hearsay.
8 Q. BY MR. MESEREAU: What did Miss Bell tell
9 you in that regard.
12 Q. BY MR. MESEREAU: Do you remember telling
13 the Santa Barbara Sheriffs in your interview that
14 Mr. Jackson didn’t want children to see him drinking
15 at all.
16 MR. AUCHINCLOSS: Objection, Your Honor.
18 Q. BY MR. MESEREAU: Do you know of your own
19 personal knowledge why Mr. Jackson wanted wine
20 placed in cans on these flights.
22 Q. And what do you know.
23 MR. AUCHINCLOSS: Your Honor, objection.
24 THE COURT: Calls for hearsay. Sustained.
Do you see what I mean? Nearly every objection from Auchincloss was sustained, so it was hard for Mesereau to gain traction with this witness.
Next, Mesereau questioned Wallace about Jackson’s “passenger profile”, which is a compilation of the likes and dislikes of each passenger. I have included a photo of Jackson’s passenger profile below, taken from Aphrodite Jones’ “Michael Jackson Conspiracy”:
As you can see, it clearly says that Jackson likes to have his white wine poured in Diet Coke cans on EVERY flight, not just the flights that have young children! This profile, along with Wallace’s earlier statement that a 22 year old relative of Jackson also drank alcohol from coke cans, certainly thwarted the prosecution’s claims Jackson only used the coke cans when young children were on flights.
26 Q. Do you remember telling the Santa Barbara
27 Sheriffs that you had never observed children
28 intoxicated on flights when Mr. Jackson was a 2984
2 MR. AUCHINCLOSS: Objection, beyond the
5 You may answer. Do you know the question.
6 THE WITNESS: I never saw intoxicated
7 children on Mr. Jackson’s flights.
8 Q. BY MR. MESEREAU: Okay. And was it your
9 understanding that Mr. Jackson wanted wine placed in
10 cans because he tends to get nervous on flights.
12 Q. And, Ms. Wallace, are you familiar with what
13 is called a “Passenger Profile” for people who fly
14 on Xtra Jet flights.
15 A. I am aware of this, yes.
16 Q. Would you please tell the jury what a
17 Passenger Profile is.
18 A. A Passenger Profile is a profile based on
19 each passenger with their likes and dislikes, their
20 friends’ dislikes — likes and dislikes, and
21 family’s likes and dislikes.
22 And they’re notes basically so that if
23 another flight attendant or another person should
24 work with that particular client, that they’re aware
25 of allergies or preferences.
26 Q. And Mr. Jackson had given the Xtra Jet
27 company some information to put in his Passenger
28 Profile, right. 2985
1 A. He did not give Xtra Jet any information.
2 It’s — it’s information that was gathered.
3 Q. Well, didn’t Mr. Jackson’s Passenger Profile
4 say that white wine in Diet Coke cans is to be
5 prepared for every flight.
6 A. His profile could have said that.
8 show it to you.
9 A. Yes, it would.
12 MR. MESEREAU: Thank you.
13 THE WITNESS: Uh-huh. Thank you.
14 Q. BY MR. MESEREAU: Miss Wallace, have you had
15 a chance to review that Passenger Profile on Michael
16 Jackson that was prepared by Xtra Jet.
18 Q. Does it refresh your recollection about
19 whether or not in Mr. Jackson’s Passenger Profile it
20 was specified that white wine in Diet Coke cans are
21 to be ready for every flight.
23 Q. Okay. Had you actually been shown that at
24 some point.
25 A. I wrote it.
26 Q. Oh, you wrote it, okay. Okay.
27 All right. So you’re the one that wrote
28 down “Kentucky Fried Chicken” for all these meals, 2986
2 A. Everybody has different likes.
3 Q. Okay. You had “Kentucky Fried Chicken” for
4 breakfast, lunch and dinner, right.
5 A. Yeah. It’s good.
6 Q. Now, did you do the passenger profiles for
7 Mr. Jackson’s children as well.
9 Q. And you wrote down “Paris loves to bake
10 cookies and will try to eat the sugar.” Is that
11 what you wrote.
13 Q. Did you know his children very well.
14 A. I know them, but I don’t think I know them
15 very well.
16 Q. Did you often see them on flights with him.
17 A. Yes, I would.
18 Q. Okay. In fact, they — most of the flights
19 he took with Xtra Jet, they would be with him,
21 A. Certainly, yes.
Next, Wallace testified about the miniature bottles that were filled with alcohol and hidden in the lavatory for Jackson’s personal on demand use, and how it wasn’t Jackson’s idea for her to do this! Wallace did this for Jackson on her own initiative because she knew that he didn’t want his children to see him drinking alcohol, and because she wanted to “better her service rendered to Mr. Jackson”.
22 Q. Okay. Now, Mr. Auchincloss, the prosecutor,
23 asked you about miniature bottles of alcohol that
24 you would have on the plane for Mr. Jackson, right.
26 Q. And do you know why Mr. Jackson wanted to
27 have those miniature bottles on the plane.
28 A. Mr. Jackson never asked for the miniature 2987
1 bottles to be on the aircraft.
2 Q. Okay. Well, you brought those miniature
3 bottles on the aircraft for a reason, didn’t you.
4 A. I brought them to better my service rendered
5 to Mr. Jackson.
6 Q. Do you remember testifying before the Santa
7 Barbara Grand Jury about this.
9 Q. And do you remember telling the Santa
10 Barbara Grand Jury, “I knew that Mr. Jackson did not
11 like to drink alcohol in front of his children, so I
12 would bring in a little miniature baggy full of
13 little miniature bottles of Tangueray gin and
14 tequila”. Do you remember saying that.
16 Q. And you said, “I would put them away, hide
17 them away in the lavatory, and I would sometimes
18 inform him that they were there for his own
19 disposal.” Do you remember saying that.
Mesereau finished his cross-examination by asking Wallace to describe how crowded Jackson’s flights were, and this was done so that he could show how absurd it would be for Jackson to offer alcohol to Gavin and lick his head in front of a dozen other people! The flights were typically full.
21 Q. Okay. When did you first meet Mr. Jackson.
22 A. I believe I initially met him, it must have
23 been around October of — maybe it was more like
24 March of 2003.
25 Q. And when did you last see him.
26 A. Around the end of November of 2003.
27 Q. And did you ever meet a physician of
28 Mr. Jackson on any of those flights. 2988
1 A. No. Not that I know of, no.
2 Q. You don’t recall that. Okay. Do you recall
3 seeing other people with Mr. Jackson typically on
4 these flights.
6 Q. Nannies, for example.
8 Q. Okay. When you saw his children, would you
9 usually see nannies with them on these flights.
11 Q. And other members of — excuse me. Other
12 members of his family would fly with him from time
13 to time, right.
15 Q. And approximately how many seats did an Xtra
16 Jet plane have for one of these types of flights, if
17 you know.
18 A. Usually — 12. 12 or 13. One plane at that
19 time carried 13.
20 Q. And when Mr. Jackson would fly on these
21 flights, would all the seats typically be full, if
22 you remember.
23 A. Six out of ten times the seats would be
24 full. Sometimes there would be one or two, the
25 empty seats.
26 Q. Did he often have security people with him.
28 Q. Did you ever see Mr. Jackson dozing off on 2989
1 any of these flights.
2 A. Sleeping, yes, I would.
3 Q. Okay. Did he often do that.
4 A. Half the time, yes.
6 A. Maybe seven out of ten times.
7 Q. Now, you have to get on a plane tomorrow
8 morning, don’t you.
9 A. Yes, I do. It’s private. It’s a personal
10 trip, so it’s not a work trip.
11 Q. Well, no further questions, then. Thank
13 THE COURT: Anything further.
14 MR. AUCHINCLOSS: Just a couple of
15 questions, Your Honor.
Under redirect examination, Auchincloss asked Wallace if Jackson hid and consumed alcohol in coke cans on flights that did NOT include his children, and Wallace answered in the affirmative, thus helping the defense! Finally, Auchincloss questioned Wallace about if recalled seeing Jackson’s associates on any flights, and she recalled seeing Marc Schaffel and Dieter Weisner:
17 REDIRECT EXAMINATION
19 Q. How often would Mr. Jackson fly without his
20 children percentagewise in terms of the flights that
21 you were with him.
22 A. There may have been four or five trips that
23 he didn’t have his children with him.
24 Q. Did he drink white wine out of Coke cans
25 during those flights as well.
27 Q. Did you hide alcohol for him on those
28 flights as well. 2990
2 Q. Did he ever drink any of it, if you recall.
3 A. Out of the —
4 Q. Of the hidden alcohol.
5 A. I noticed two or three of the little bottles
6 empty and that was it.
7 Q. Was it on one of the flights with — when
8 the children were present, or when they weren’t, if
9 you recall.
10 A. I don’t recall.
11 Q. You said he drank mixed drinks out of a
12 glass. Was that his normal routine.
13 A. Towards the end of the flight, he would —
14 if he was going to get into the tequila, or whatever
15 it was, he normally would get a glass, or I would
16 have a glass for him and make it up. But it wasn’t
17 every flight. It was pretty rare.
18 Q. Okay. Could his kids see him drinking at
19 that point, if you were fixing a mixed drink for
20 him.
21 A. They could if they were looking. But we
22 were very discreet about it. He was very discreet.
23 Q. Do you know an individual by the name of
24 Dieter Weizner.
26 Q. Has he ever flown on Mr. Jackson’s flights.
28 Q. How often. 2991
1 A. Maybe three —
2 MR. MESEREAU: This is beyond the scope.
3 MR. AUCHINCLOSS: He asked questions about
4 who was on these flights.
6 BY MR. AUCHINCLOSS:
7 Q. You may answer.
8 A. Maybe three out of ten times.
9 Q. What about Ronald Konitzer.
10 A. I don’t recall the name.
11 Q. How about an individual by the name of Marc
12 Schaffel.
13 A. I am familiar with Mr. Schaffel.
14 Q. How many flights was Mr. Schaffel on with
16 A. Maybe four out of ten.
17 Q. And this would all be in the 2003, 2004 time
18 frame, or earlier. You tell me.
19 A. My initial flight with Mr. Jackson, I know
20 that Mr. Schaffel was on board. And, yes, it was in
21 the 2003 — Mr. Schaffel flew with Mr. Jackson
22 towards the beginning of our flights. And towards
23 the end, I didn’t see him as often.
24 Q. All right. Thank you. No further
26 MR. MESEREAU: No further questions, Your
Summary of Lauren Wallace’s Testimony:
1. Lauren Wallace, the flight attendant for Xtra Jet who served Jackson on numerous private trips to and from Neverland. In total, she had served Jackson on between 15 and 25 different flights over the years. She was subpoenaed and questioned under direct examination by Gordon Auchincloss to corroborate the prosecution’s claims that Jackson requested to have his alcohol served to him in coke cans.
2. Wallace testified that she was told by another flight attendant (Cynthia Bell, who will testify later on in this trial) that Jackson preferred to have his alcohol poured into coke cans, and that she did recall a younger member of the Jackson family drinking alcohol out of a coke can with Jackson, but to the chagrin of Auchincloss, she described him as a 22 year old young man!
3. Mesereau’s cross-examination was marred by Auchincloss’s constant objections (mostly regarding the reasons why Jackson wanted alcohol served in coke cans, which Auchincloss said were based on hearsay), the majority of which were sustained by Judge Melville.
4. Mesereau questioned Wallace about Jackson’s “passenger profile”, which is a compilation of the likes and dislikes of each passenger. It clearly says that Jackson likes to have his white wine poured in Diet Coke cans on EVERY flight, not just the flights that have young children! This profile, along with Wallace’s earlier statement that a 22 year old relative of Jackson also drank alcohol from coke cans, certainly thwarted the prosecution’s claims Jackson only used the coke cans when young children were on flights.
5. Wallace testified about the miniature bottles that were filled with alcohol and hidden in the lavatory for Jackson’s personal on demand use, and how it wasn’t Jackson’s idea for her to do this! Wallace did this for Jackson on her own initiative because she knew that he didn’t want his children to see him drinking alcohol, and because she wanted to “better her service rendered to Mr. Jackson”.
6. Mesereau finished his cross-examination by asking Wallace to describe how crowded Jackson’s flights were, and this was done so that he could show how absurd it would be for Jackson to offer alcohol to Gavin and lick his head in front of a dozen other people. The flights were typically full.
7. Under redirect examination, Auchincloss asked Wallace if Jackson hid and consumed alcohol in coke cans on flights that did NOT include his children, and Wallace answered in the affirmative, thus helping the defense. Mesereau declined to further question Wallace, as he had already established that Jackson’s true motives for drinking out of soda cans.
The next prosecution witness was Louise Palanker, a comedian, writer, producer, teacher, and friend of the Arvizo family. She performed stand-up comedy at the Laugh Factory, and assisted Jamie Masada with his comedy camp for underprivileged children, and this is how she met the Arvizo family in 1999.
Before I get to her testimony, I want to point out a recent development in Palanker’s life that is derived from her participation in this case. Last fall, she married Assistant District Attorney Ron Zonen after several years of dating, and Star, Gavin, and Diane Dimond attended the wedding! For more information on the intertwined relationships between so many of Jackson’s enemies, please read this post.
Here is the beginning of her testimony, which was very short because she took the stand towards the end of the day:
25 Q. Good afternoon, Miss Palanker.
26 A. Hi. How are you.
27 Q. I’m just fine. How are you.
28 A. Good. 2993
1 Q. What is your profession, please.
2 A. I’m a comedian, writer, producer, teacher.
3 Q. All right. And how long have you been so
4 employed.
5 A. About 20 years.
6 Q. Have you had any association over your
7 20 years as a comedian with The Laugh Factory.
8 A. Yes, I have.
9 Q. Tell me about that, if you would.
10 A. I was a comedienne there for a while. And
11 during that time there, I helped Jamie on Saturdays
12 during the summer with comedy camp for
13 underprivileged children.
14 Q. Okay. You said “Jamie.” Would that be
15 Jamie Masada.
16 A. Yes, Jamie Masada.
17 Q. What is the comedy camp.
18 A. For two months during the summer, he has
19 about 25 children come in from underprivileged
20 neighborhoods and learn how to become comedians.
21 And at the end of the summer, in September,
22 they graduate and they perform in front of a live
23 audience at night, at The Laugh Factory.
24 Q. And how often did the comedy camp meet over
25 that two-month period.
26 A. Every Saturday for about four to five hours.
27 Q. Do you still work with the comedy camp.
28 A. No, I started my own program at two Boys & 2994
1 Girls Clubs, which I teach stand-up comedy to
2 children all year long.
3 Q. And when did you switch over from the comedy
4 camp to the Boys & Girls Clubs.
5 A. Right after the Arvizo summer. I did both
6 for a little while —
8 A. — for a couple of summers afterwards. But
9 I started my own program in 2000, which was the year
10 Gavin got sick.
11 MR. AUCHINCLOSS: May I approach, Your
14 Q. BY MR. AUCHINCLOSS: Miss Palanker, I show
15 you People’s Exhibit No. 49, a photograph. Can you
16 identify that for me, please.
17 A. That’s Gavin, Davellin, me and Star.
18 Q. All right. And when was this picture taken.
19 A. That was the day Fritz came as the guest
20 teacher. And I remember he ran off before they
21 could get their picture with him. And that was
22 outside of Laugh Factory after class.
23 Q. Okay. So was that during one of the comedy
24 camps.
26 Q. And that would have been during one of the
27 regular sessions, or during the end of the — the
28 graduation ceremony. 2995
1 A. It was — I’m feeling like it was the third
2 or fourth Saturday of the summer.
3 Q. And I don’t know if you said it, but did you
4 mention what year that picture was taken.
5 A. 1999.
7 A. Summer of 1999.
8 Q. How did you come to meet the Arvizo
10 A. They came to audition. I met them the day
11 they auditioned. And then they were chosen to be
12 enrolled in the program.
13 Q. So there’s a selection process for the
14 program.
15 A. Yes, there is.
16 Q. How does that work.
17 A. Probably three times as many children as
18 Jamie has room for have seen the flyers up at their
19 schools and teachers have recommended talented
20 children. And they all come down to The Laugh
21 Factory over a series of two to three Saturdays.
22 And then Jamie makes a final selection, and
23 those children are called and told that they have
24 been — that they’ve been selected.
25 And Jamie — he never takes one child from a
26 group of siblings. If he takes one, he takes the
27 brothers and sisters.
28 Q. So what is the criteria for becoming a 2996
1 member of the laugh camp for the children.
2 A. I think sometimes he looks for particularly
3 talented children. And sometimes he looks for
4 children that he feels would get something out of
5 the program. For instance, if they’re especially
6 withdrawn, he might choose them when you wouldn’t
7 think that he would, but he might choose them
8 thinking that they really need it.
9 Q. Is there any kind of aspect of these
10 children’s background that makes them eligible for
11 the laugh camp to begin with.
12 A. He — he — I think he recruits from
13 neighborhoods where the children might not have even
14 a chance to come to that part of town. Or sometimes
15 they haven’t even been to Hollywood before.
17 THE COURT: Let’s take our afternoon break.
18 See you at 8:30 tomorrow.
To be continued: https://michaeljacksonvindication2.wordpress.com/2012/08/09/march-22nd-2005-trial-analysis-louis-palanker-direct-cross-examination-part-1-of-2/
from → Testimonies at the 2005 trial. Summary and analysis, Uncategorized
← March 21st, 2005 Trial Analysis: Detective Conn Abel (Cross Examination), Dr. Anthony Urquizo, Lauren Wallace, and Louise Palanker (Direct Examination), Part 2 of 3
March 22nd, 2005 Trial Analysis: Louise Palanker (Direct & Cross Examination), Part 1 of 2 →
April 1, 2020 2:40 am
August 5, 2012 3:30 pm
Wow, he really DID like KFC…
“Be prepared to clean a lot after he deplanes.” I thought that was funny.
I remember Gavin saying that Michael gave him a can of “Jesus Juice” and the can was stained red, and that’s how he knew it was wine (or maybe it was Star who said he saw Michael give such a can to Gavin). Michael drank WHITE wine. I can’t remember if that was on the plane, or in Michael’s room, though.
Somebody asked me how is it that the Arvizo boys knew he put wine in soda cans if he hid this from children? I told them that it is more than likely that their mother Janet Arvizo knew about this, as only adults knew about his wine in soda cans, and gave this information to her children. They would later go on to claim that MJ gave them wine in soda cans and called it jesus juice.
This is supposed to be a prosecution witness?..They had no case…He never should have been put through this …It is like the National Enquirer were putting on this prosecution..Big deal that he doesnt like his kids to see him drinking on flights..Neither do I , so , I used to have a rum and coke when my daughter was little, I didnt want to pass my fear of flying along to her..Pathetic
March 21st, 2005 Trial Analysis: Detective Conn Abel (Cross … | Charter Airplane
March 21st, 2005 Trial Analysis: Detective Conn Abel (Cross Examination), Dr. Anthony Urquizo, Lauren Wallace, and Louise Palanker (Direct Examination), Part 2 of 3 « Michael Jackson Vindication 2.0