Opinion ID: 764769
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: The Events of January 15-18, 1997

Text: 17 On January 15, 1997, after the telephone calls and letters of the week before had failed to produce the desired results, Medina and Jackson contacted Christopher Doherty, a reporter for The Globe tabloid newspaper. Medina and Jackson told Doherty that Cosby was Jackson's father and asked what her story would be worth. To support the story, Medina described for Doherty an affidavit in which Jackson had stated (falsely) that Cosby admitted his paternity. Medina faxed Doherty a copy of Bloom's December 13, 1996 letter to Jackson setting out the terms under which Cosby offered to pay Jackson's tuition. After some negotiation of terms, Doherty agreed that The Globe would purchase the rights to Jackson's story of her relationship to Cosby for $25,000. 18 That evening, Doherty brought to Medina's hotel a source agreement, for the signatures of both Jackson and Medina, setting forth the terms under which The Globe would buy the rights to Jackson's story. Doherty did not get to meet with Jackson or Medina but dealt instead with Williams, who relayed a number of requests for modifications of the contract. Doherty agreed to accommodate all of their requests, but Jackson and Medina refused to sign the source agreement, saying they would deal with it the next day. 19 The agreement with The Globe was never signed. Instead, on the following morning, January 16, Jackson faxed a copy of the agreement, after obliterating the $25,000 price, to Schmitt. In addition, Jackson faxed Schmitt a letter stating, I need monies and I need monies now. Jackson's letter stated that it was urgent that Schmitt contact her and make certain arrangements and asked Schmitt to have Cosby call her that day. The letter concluded: 20 If I don't hear from you by today for a discussion about my father and my affairs, then I will have to have someone else in CBS to contact my father for me. I want to talk to my father because I need money and I don't want to do anything to harm my father in any way, if at all possible to avoid. 21 Enclosed you will find a copy of a contract that someone is offering monies for my story, which is the only property I have to sell in order to survive. 22 (Government Exhibit 33.) The fax cover letter directed Schmitt to R.S.V.P. to Jackson in Medina's hotel suite. 23 Schmitt called Jackson later that morning. Medina, Jackson, Williams, Sabas, and Macaraeg were present when Schmitt called. With Medina mouthing words and passing notes to Jackson, Jackson and Schmitt had the following conversation, in which Jackson asked for $40 million: 24 SCHMITT: I, I received your letter, Autumn. 25 JACKSON: Okay. 26 SCHMITT: [Clears throat] How, how much money are you asking for, Autumn? 27 JACKSON: I'm wanting to settle, once and finally. 28 SCHMITT: What, what are you asking for? 29 JACKSON: I'm asking for 40 million, to settle it completely [pause]. 30 SCHMITT: And if our answer to that is no? 31 JACKSON: Well, like I said, I have offers, and I will go through with those offers. 32 SCHMITT: And those offers are to sell your story to the Globe? [Pause]. Autumn, are you there? 33 JACKSON: Yes I am. 34 SCHMITT: Is that what you're referring to, the contract that you sent me, that, for sale to the Globe of your story? 35 JACKSON: Them, as well as any others. [Pause]. 36 SCHMITT: Well, I'm, I'm sure you know the answer to that is no, Autumn. Thank you very much. 37 (Government Exhibit 22E8T, at 1.) Jackson asked to have her father call her; Schmitt responded that Jackson's father was Mr. Jackson, and that she should not expect a call from Mr. Cosby. (Id. at 1-2.) Macaraeg testified that when the conversation ended, Jackson looked frustrated and told the group that Schmitt doesn't understand the meaning of the term settlement, and Medina said, if [Cosby] doesn't want this to get out, he's going to have to pay a lot of money. (Tr. 995.) Jackson nodded. 38 Some hours later, Jackson and Medina faxed a letter to CBS president Lund. They attached a copy of the unsigned source agreement with The Globe, again with the price redacted. In the letter, which was signed Autumn J. Jackson-Cosby and bore the heading ATTENTION: PLEASE FORWARD THIS LETTER TO MY FATHER, WILLIAM H. COSBY, JR., Jackson said that Cosby's failure to acknowledge her as his daughter had left her mentally anguished and financially impoverished. Jackson said that because of her unconditional love ... for [her] father she did not wish to harm Cosby, his sponsors or publishers, or CBS [i]n any way, if at all possible to avoid. (Government Exhibit 4.) However, she made reference to the contract with The Globe, saying if you and my father cannot help me, [it] may possibly be my only means of survival. (Id.) Jackson's letter to Lund concluded: 39 I am willing to decline this offer and all others upon a fair settlement. If my father, CBS, and you are not interested in this settlement, then I am quite sure that NBC, ABC, and other networks will have an interest in hearing my story of desperation reaching out for my father's love.... [Cosby's] show and his private life just happens [sic ] to be one of your best properties and this disclosure ... could undoubtedly effect [sic ] your ratings negatively. 40 (Id.) 41 When Schmitt informed Cosby of Jackson's demand for $40 million dollars, Cosby responded that he would not pay, and he directed Schmitt to tell Thompson, Jackson's mother, of her daughter's conduct. The next morning, January 17, Schmitt telephoned Thompson and told her that Jackson was attempting to extort money from Mr. Cosby, and she was threatening to go to the Globe with her story unless she were paid a lot of money. (Tr. 509.) Thompson then attempted to call Jackson at Medina's hotel suite, but reached only Medina. In a conversation tape-recorded by Medina, Thompson stated that Jackson was committing a crime by attempting to blackmail Cosby: 42 Autumn for some reason has painted herself into a corner. Instead of doing what ... he asked her to do, which is go to school, enroll, ... [s]he has tried to blackmail him.... I think they used your fax machine.... Um, and said if they don't give her an exorbitant amount of money, that she's going to go to the tabloids with her story, and the talk shows.... [S]he's also told them that she has an unsigned ... contract with Globe magazine to tell her story. Now, that's extortion when you do it like that. If she was just going to tell her story, that's what she should have done. But by calling him, calling the attorneys, and talking with the attorney saying if you don't give me this money, then I'm going to do that it's called extortion, it's a federal offense. 43 (Government Exhibit 24E2R2.) That afternoon, Cosby instructed Schmitt to report Jackson's threats to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). 44 At the direction of the FBI agents, Schmitt telephoned Jackson for the purpose of allowing the agents to hear and record her demands. In that conversation, Schmitt told Jackson that Cosby had changed his mind and now wanted to come to an arrangement with her. Schmitt asked Jackson how much money she needed, saying her $40 million demand was unreasonable. Schmitt and Jackson negotiated and eventually arrived at the figure of $24 million. Schmitt told Jackson that she and Medina would have to come to New York to pick up a check. Jackson said that Medina was to receive 25 percent of the money and asked Schmitt to make out one check for $18 million and the other for $6 million. Schmitt made flight arrangements for Jackson, Medina, and Williams to travel from Los Angeles to New York that night, and asked Jackson to meet him in his office the next morning to execute a written agreement and pick up the checks. 45 That evening, Sabas drove Jackson, Medina, and Williams to the airport. Only Jackson and Medina flew to New York; Williams remained in Los Angeles, and Sabas allowed him to use Sabas's credit card to pay for tickets for Jackson's and Medina's return flight to California. 46 On the morning of January 18, 1997, Jackson and Medina met Schmitt at the offices of his law firm in Manhattan. Jackson and Medina reviewed a draft agreement, prepared by Schmitt under the direction of the FBI, which provided that, in consideration for $24 million, Jackson and Medina would refrain from providing any information whatsoever about Mr. Cosby to any third party, would terminate any and all discussion with ... The Globe, and would not initiate any further discussions with The Globe or any other media outlet, with respect to Ms. Jackson's story that she is the daughter of Mr. Cosby. (Government Exhibit 37A.) When Jackson and Medina had signed, Schmitt left the room on the pretense of getting the checks, and FBI agents entered and arrested Jackson and Medina.