Michael Jackson was ordered today to stand trial in September on child molestation charges by a California judge who said he would consider reducing the pop star's $3 million bail in the meantime.
In setting a September 13th trial date for Jackson, Superior Court Judge Rodney Melville said he was hoping to jump-start the sensational case - though he conceded that with up to 100 potential witnesses there may still be delays.
"Without that bull's-eye to shoot at we're going to have a continual dilemma with discovery," Judge Melville said. "I think it's critical that I set a trial date and that we try to get to that point."
But legal experts said that it was unlikely that jury selection could begin before October and speculated that Judge Melville was sending a message to prosecutors and Jackson's lawyers that he wanted to speed the case up.
"There is too much discovery and too many witnesses, and you have a new lawyer on the case," Mr Stan Goldman, a professor at Loyola Marymount Law School, said in reference to attorney Mr Thomas Mesereau, who was hired by Jackson as his lead counsel only last month.
Mr Mesereau, meanwhile, made an impassioned argument for Judge Melville to lower Jackson's $3 million bail, which the attorney called "grossly excessive" compared to other defendants charged with similar crimes.
Jackson skipped the hearing with Judge Melville's blessing.