Jim Avila's Daily Updates From Inside the Michael Jackson Trial

SANTA MARIA, Calif., June 3, 2005 — -- Here are key moments from today's proceedings in the Michael Jackson child molestation trial.

"This has been a nightmare for Michael Jackson."

-- Defense attorney Tom Mesereau, speaking to jurors in his closing statement.

As he wrapped up his closing statement, defense attorney Tom Mesereau continued to skewer not just the accuser's mother, but the accuser and his siblings as well. Mesereau repeated the line that this is a family of "con artists, actors and liars." He questioned prosecutors on the allegation that Jackson showed boys pornography pointing to the lack of corroboration from Macaulay Culkin and other boys who testified.

In his final remarks, Deputy District Attorney Ron Zonen attempted to rebut many of the accusations Mesereau put forth before him. He said that all told this family spent 13 days on the witness stand and Mesereau was only able to pick apart 40 minutes of that material. He said that a 45-year-old man doesn't just start this kind of sexual abuse and that the past evidence helps to understand what goes on, and how the grooming of potential victims occurs. Zonen said that defense witness Brett Barnes and his mother were very evasive on the stand, but that when Barnes' sister said Jackson slept in bed with her brother for 365 days, it was like a "ton of bricks landing in the middle of the floor." He questioned why there was no testimony about Jackson having that companionship with an adult. He called Jackson's involvement with young boys "relationships."

Jackson stood and stared at the jury as they left the room. One of Jackson's attorney's, Susan Yu, came over to give him tissues after the jury left. Jackson used them to wipe his hands. Unlike most days during the trial, the jury did not take many notes today.