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With jokes aside, Leno testifies

By wire services
Published May 25, 2005

SANTA MARIA, Calif. - Judging from Jay Leno's relentless skewering of Michael Jackson on the Tonight Show recently, he might seem an unlikely defense witness.

As Leno quipped on Monday's show: "I was called by the defense. Apparently they've never seen this program."

But there he was on the stand Tuesday on a star-studded day in court, amusing jurors with the occasional aside and providing Jackson's defense with his own suspicions of the boy accusing the pop singer of molestation.

Defense attorneys called Leno to support their claim that the boy's family schemed to get money from celebrities like Jackson. The boy was suffering from cancer when he telephoned the talk show host.

Later in the day, the defense called actor Chris Tucker to the stand and said he would be their last witness, indicating Jackson will not testify. Tucker remained on the stand at the end of the day and was scheduled to finish testifying today. Initially serious on the witness stand, Leno warmed up during his testimony and finished with a lighthearted promo: "We have Renee Zellweger on the show tonight."

Leno said he grew suspicious when he began receiving repeated voice mail messages from the boy in 2000. Leno said the boy left so many messages that he finally approached comedian Louise Palanker, a friend who had become acquainted with the boy.

"I said, "What's the story here? This doesn't sound like a 12-year-old. This seems a little scripted,' " Leno testified. He said Palanker told him the boy wanted to be a comedian and writes everything he says.

Leno testified he makes many calls to ill children, and at one point did an imitation of the mumbly way children usually speak to him - not the kind of forceful, adult presentation he said he heard from Jackson's accuser.

But Leno said the boy never asked for money and he never gave him any, though he did send Tonight Show memorabilia and a picture.

The defense has said Leno was so concerned about the boy's calls that he called police, but Leno said Tuesday it was police who contacted him. He said he probably did tell police he thought the family was looking for money.

Later Tuesday, Tucker testified that he met Jackson's accuser after the boy's father introduced himself at a comedy club and asked him to take part in a benefit. Tucker said a few days after the benefit, the boy told him it hadn't made any money, so Tucker wired "probably $1,500 or more" to a foundation for the family.

Jackson, 46, is accused of molesting the boy in February or March 2003, giving him alcohol and conspiring to hold his family captive to get them to rebut a damaging documentary about the pop star.

Information from the Los Angeles Times and the Associated Press was used in this report.

[Last modified May 25, 2005, 00:41:07]