Jackson Lawyers Move to Remove Tom Sneddon From the Case

Michael Jackson’s lawyers, on Monday, signed a proposal to remove Tom Sneddon from handling the charges of Michael’s sexual abuse of a boy. However, the reasons and the process behind this decision remained completely confidential. Like several other plans, this move was sealed by Robert Sanger (the attorney). Sanger said sealing the motion was necessary because its contents included references to other sealed details, including matters from other discoveries, writings from the grand jury, investigative reports, exhibits, and identifying information of witnesses. Judge Melville declared most parts of this proceeding to be confidential. Moves like removing Tom Sneddon from a lawsuit typically are based on claims such as personal hostility and conflicts of interest or taste-based disagreements. Jackson’s lawyers believe that Tom Sneddon has a personal grudge against Michael Jackson, and that reason is his failure in the 1993 sexual abuse allegations involving Michael and another boy. Steve Cron, the defense attorney, said that lawyers usually claim in such motions that the head of the plaintiff’s team has engaged in such disputes and clashes with the accused side that he is unable to make a fair decision free from hatred—and therefore lacks qualification. Cron said: "The chance and likelihood of success for motions like this is very low. It could be completely strange and unusual for the judge to remove, at the same time and suddenly, the entire office staff of Tom Sneddon from the case. According to Laurie Sohn, a law professor at Loyola University, if this motion and decision had been approved and supported, the state attorneys’ office would have had to take over the continuation of the complaint lawsuit. She said: "Making this motion is completely natural and understandable. Even if there is no hope of success, it is still worth trying." Michael Jackson has pleaded not guilty to the charges brought against him and is scheduled to go to court on January 31, 2005. Source: Associated Press