All hotel rooms in Santa Maria are booked

With 14 days left until the start of Michael Jackson’s trial, all hotel rooms in the city of Santa Maria have been booked by thousands of journalists and ordinary people for January 31 (12 Bahman)—the day Michael will appear in court... Many are also coming from all over the world to support him. Fans are being kept behind a security wall, and reporters will not be allowed to enter the courtroom. However, BskyB and America’s E are covering the trial news. It has been reported that this trial will last at least 6 months. A verdict by the jurors could take only a few months on its own. 40,000 people have been invited to form the jury. They will be called to court in groups of 150, to be asked about their views on racial prejudice, divorce, plastic surgery, and celebrities. Some will not be accepted because they cannot judge without bias. Others, who have themselves been victims of sexual abuse, will be excused from judging. It is expected that the final jury members will be mostly white, since less than 2% of the population of the state of North Santa Barbara is Black.