PR Battles Waged in Michael Jackson Case

Aug. 20, 2004 -- Not even a gag order can prevent Michael Jackson and prosecutors in his child molestation case from waging a war in the court of public opinion.

This week, prosecutor and criminal defendant underwent a form of role reversal as Santa Barbara County, Calif., District Attorney Tom Sneddon was forced to testify about the tactics used in his investigation. Jackson, 45, has pleaded not guilty to molesting a now-14-year-old boy who spent time at his Neverland ranch and is believed to be a cancer survivor who appeared last year in the British documentary Living With Michael Jackson.

"The King of Pop" — who was not required to be in court — attended the hearing with his parents and some of his siblings in tow. In a show of solidarity — and not-so-subtle avowal of innocence — Jackson and his siblings were dressed all in white.

The day before the hearing, Jackson made a rare public appearance when he attended Sunday service at Los Angeles' First AME Church, one of the nation's most prominent African-American congregations. Though he was greeted by adoring fans and the congregation welcomed him and prayed for justice in his case, Jackson's presence at the church raised some eyebrows.

"He [Jackson] knew he [Sneddon] was going to be testifying this week. He wanted to bolster his public image compared to Sneddon's, which was going to take a hit," said Steve Cron, a criminal defense attorney.

Jackson, who was raised as a Jehovah's Witness but later disassociated himself from the religion, had never been previously connected with the First AME Church. Some critics found it suspicious that Jackson would embrace the black community during his time of trouble, given that many of his African-American features have disappeared over the years. (Jackson denies having had extensive plastic surgery, and he says his white complexion is due to a pigmentation disorder.)

"It seems pretty transparent. To my knowledge, I don't remember Jackson associating himself with anything in the African-American community," said Cron.