Let The Lawyering Begin

By Unmesh Kher; Matt Kettmann

Michael Jackson's trial began last week with testimony from the accuser's sister and others, who launched the prosecution's case that Jackson molested a 13-year-old boy at his Neverland Ranch. And courtroom watchers got their first good look at the legal teams that are set to clash.

Lead prosecutor Tom (Mad Dog) Sneddon, for 22 years district attorney of California's Santa Barbara County, tried to take command of the case early, with forceful but empathic questioning. Legal analysts have scoffed that he is a relative bumpkin next to the slicker, more experienced defense team, but this deeply religious father of nine has a near perfect legal record. And Sneddon knows how to talk to the jury, which may be more comfortable with his small-town style.

Jackson's lead attorney is a big name from Los Angeles, Thomas Mesereau. His sharp cross- examination at times irritated the judge but often landed. He got the accuser's sister to backtrack on key testimony, and turned another witness, former Jackson crisis-control expert Ann Marie Kite, into a voice for the defense.

Mesereau has three other attorneys on his team, plus an intriguing new adviser--Gary Dunlap, a lawyer from nearby Lompoc who has reasons for going up against Sneddon. In 2003, Sneddon brought charges against Dunlap for witness intimidation. Sneddon lost, and Dunlap filed a $10 million wrongful-prosecution suit, still pending. If Mesereau was looking for a way to counter Sneddon's home-court advantage, he may have found it. --By Unmesh Kher and Matt Kettmann