Michael Jackson to attend pre-trial hearing

Pop star Michael Jackson is expected to attend a pre-trial hearing on charges of child molestation last year.

Pop star Michael Jackson is expected to attend a pre-trial hearing on charges of child molestation last year.

The court is to reconvene to hear District Attorney Tom Sneddon testify about surveillance he personally conducted at the office of a private investigator who was working for Jackson's former lawyer, Mr Mark Geragos.

The investigator, Mr Bradley Miller, was not in his Beverly Hills office when Mr Sneddon went there and took photographs of the building and its roster of occupants.

Santa Barbara County sheriff's officials have already said they searched Mr Miller's office and seized documents - adding they did not know he was working for Mr Geragos.

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Jackson's current lawyer, Mr Thomas Mesereau Jr, maintains that the sheriff's department and Mr Sneddon violated the attorney-client privilege of confidentiality by raiding Mr Miller's office.

Jackson's legal team contends that everything seized from the office should be suppressed and not allowed in evidence at Jackson's trial.

The seized materials are believed to be crucial to the prosecution case - among them, a videotape of Jackson's 12-year-old accuser and his family praising the singer's character.

Prosecutors claim the tape was made under duress, with Jackson holding the family prisoner at his Neverland ranch.

Jackson has denied charges of committing a lewd act upon a child, administering an intoxicating agent and conspiring to commit child abduction, false imprisonment and extortion. He has pleaded not guilty and is free on $3 million bail.

Agencies