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'''''People v. Jackson''''' (full title: ''1133603: The People of the State of California v. Michael Joe Jackson'') was a 2005 [[Criminal procedure|criminal trial]] held in [[Santa Barbara County, California|Santa Barbara County]] [[Superior Courts Of California|Superior Court]] in [[Santa Maria, California]]. The American pop singer [[Michael Jackson]] was charged with [[Sexual abuse|molesting]] Gavin Arvizo, who was 13 years old at the time of the alleged abuse, at his [[Neverland Ranch]] estate in [[Los Olivos, California|Los Olivos]], California.
Jackson had previously been [[
The trial spanned approximately four months, beginning with jury selection that began on January 31, 2005. Gavin and his brother testified that Jackson had given them alcohol, showed them pornography, masturbated before them and made sexual advances. The defense characterized the witnesses for the prosecution as disgruntled ex-employees or individuals seeking to exploit Jackson for money. Witnesses for the defense included testimony from celebrities including the former child actor [[Macaulay Culkin]] and the comedian [[Chris Tucker]]. Coverage of the trial was described as a [[media circus]], and some media outlets were quick to portray Jackson as guilty.
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