The wheels of justice are speeding up for Michael Jackson, whose lawyers have filed a motion to dismiss the child molestation charges against him on grounds of "vindictive prosecution and outrageous government conduct" and delay the Jan. 31 start date of the trial.
The filing by team Jackson took place Dec. 10 but was not made public until Monday, the Associated Press reports. Court Judge Rodney Melville is expected to deal with the demands at a hearing scheduled for Dec. 20.
The defense also asked Melville to suppress all evidence seized in the latest raid on the entertainer's Neverland ranch, which took place on Dec. 3 and 4. On that second day, Jackson voluntarily gave them a DNA sample at their request, say reports.
News of these legal filings follows new revelations in the case. Fingerprints belonging to both Jackson and his young accuser reportedly were found on pornographic magazines seized from the singer's Neverland ranch last year, according to the Santa Barbara News-Press.
Santa Barbara County Sheriff's spokesman Sgt. Chris Pappas did not return calls from the Associated Press, while Jackson attorney Thomas Mesereau Jr. declined comment. The prosecution and defense are prohibited from discussing the case because of a court-imposed gag order.
However investigators reportedly found a "collection" of pornographic magazines at Jackson's home last year, and fingerprint testing later showed both the singer and the accuser's prints on those materials, sources told CNN.
Jackson, 46, has pleaded not guilty to charges of child molestation, conspiracy and administering an intoxicating agent, alcohol, to his alleged victim.
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