Page 99 - REDEMPTION_Flipbook_Final 2025

REDEMPTION

fered such a loss on all four motions, that would have at least
delayed the civil trial until after the criminal trial was extin-
guished, Mr. Fields resigned as counsel for Michael Jackson.
Shortly thereafter Mr. Pellicano resigned as well. Even though
Mr. Fields and Mr. Pellicano resigned from the case, they both
maintained their dignity and confidence in Michael Jackson's
innocence.
With Weitzman in complete control of Michael Jackson's
defense, he brought in one of the country's top civil and crimi-
nal attorneys, Johnnie Cochran Jr. Mr. Cochran gained world-
wide notoriety as one of the legal attorneys in the O.J. Simpson
murder trial (referred to as a member of "The Dream Team")
in which O.J. was acquitted. Mr. Weitzman also brought in
John Branca who was a former attorney that represented
Michael Jackson in 1990.
The change of attorneys definitely affected the direction of
the child molestation case. As you may recall, at the time that
Mr. Fields and Mr. Pellicano were still in charge of Michael
Jackson's defense, Michael Jackson was out of the country on
tour and had just ended his tour claiming drug dependency,
which may have been another delaying tactic. Dr. Chandler's
civil attorney, Larry Feldman, had filed the civil lawsuit on
September 14, 1993, and was trying desperately to take Michael
Jackson's deposition, but no one could pinpoint Michael
Jackson's whereabouts. The media portrayed this as Michael
Jackson running away from the charges and that he was pos-
sibly never going to return to the United States to avoid pros-
ecution. Others speculated he was having cosmetic surgery,
altering parts of his body which the little boy may have been
able to identify.
As soon as Mr. Weitzman and Mr. Cochran took control of
the defense, Michael Jackson shortly thereafter resurfaced and
returned home to the United States, stating that he was well
and willing to proclaim his innocence. He also conducted sev-
eral interviews and made exclusive public statements proclaim-
ing his innocence and voicing his displeasure about the hu-

98