Grand jury starts hearing Jackson case

A grand jury in the United States today began hearing evidence against pop star Michael Jackson.

A grand jury in the United States today began hearing evidence against pop star Michael Jackson.

The 19 jurors were hearing child sex-abuse allegations against the 45-year-old pop star and will decide whether he should stand trial.

Authorities in California are going to great lengths to protect the jurors' identities and to keep their deliberations secret.  They will be constantly on the move, to dodge the media swarming around the case.

The grand jurors will begin hearing the case against Jackson at a court house in Santa Barbara, California, where the pop star appeared in January to plead not guilty to the charges.  The proceedings will then be moved from location-to-location, around the county.

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If the grand jury decides to indict Jackson on the charges he could be on trial by the end of the year.

It is believed that the grand jury will hear evidence from the teenage cancer survivor who has made the latest claims against Jackson.

It is also reported that the boy's brother will appear before the panel, as well as another boy who accused Jackson of abuse in 1993.