Full Transcript Thomas Mesereau INTERVIEW by KING JORDAN (January 2nd 2014)

· BEST WISHES
Good-morning ladies & gentlemen. Welcome on king Jordan Radio! The day is January 2nd, 2014; And ladies & gentlemen, please welcome one of our favorite guests. He was the lead defense attorney for Michael Jackson in 2005. Ladies & gentlemen, please welcome Mr Tom Mesereau!
KING JORDAN: Good evening Tom and happy new year to you!
THOMAS MESEREAU: Hi Jordan, happy new year to you and happy new year to everyone who is listening. Thank you again for inviting me on your show, it’s a real honor.
KJ: Absolutely. How was the new year eve for you?
TM: It was wonderful! I’m up in the San Francisco Bay area, I’m in the middle of a trial in Auckland, which is near San Francisco, it’s across the bay and everything was fun. And I think the new year (eve) was a wonderful, wonderful way to start, for, what I hope, will be an amazing 2014. And I hope it’s wonderful for everybody who is listening and for you too.
KJ: Hey Man! Thank You for that.

· THE CONRAD MURRAY CASE

KJ: Okay! I wanted to start with Conrad Murray. The Conrad Murraycase, I don’t know if you heard, he was recently on the Australian audition. I believe you told me that they pay over there and Conrad Murray took an interview there.

TM: Well, I obviously know that Conrad Murray wanted to be paid for interviews, I was told that CNN had offered him on opportunity to be on CNN. But he wouldn’t it unless he was paid and that the Australian “60 MINUTES” show did pay him. And I believe a British newspaper paid him as well. So that’s what I was told.

KJ: Wait a second, we’re gonna hear an extract of his interview and we’ll come-back on the other side.

[CM interview]

KJ: Tom Mesreau I want to go to you first hand and talk about a delusional guy. Give me your take on what you’ve just heard.

TM: Well, let start from the beginning. First of all, I met Michael Jackson in 2004; And one of the first things I’ve learned about the world of Michael Jackson, was how many people they were claiming they were his best friends. You know, lawyers claimed that they were the only one be trusties, other people would claim that he was the only one, they were the only ones that he can confined in you know. And his name was being exploited until this very day. You know I was on E! Entertainment the other night, watching a show and they mentioned the attorney Mark Geragos, and they introduced as having helped acquit Michael Jackson. And I was thinking to myself: he was fired 9 months before the trial started. He did not participated in the acquittal. But you know, whoever heard of a lawyer promoting himself over a case where he get fired. But this is the world of Michael Jackson. So when Conrad Murray says “I was his closest friend” it’s very consistent with so many things that people are embellishing about Michael Jackson. They would just embellish and exploit and exaggerate whatever contact they had with Michael Jackson all the time. But he made believe that. He may be delusional; he may have rationalized from self, what he did to try justifying to himself. But you also have to keep in mind that he needs to make a living now and he doesn’t have a medical license. And, you know, as I said before, I was told that 60 MINUTES AUSTRALIA paid him and that, the British newspaper paid him. And that he would keep along with the interview if you pay him. So he wants to make as much as he can with whatever popularity or attention he can get or how he can. So, when he said, he didn’t want to answer the question “did he think Michael was a pedophile?” The first thing that went in my mind was “will he say that for another paid interview?”

KJ: You know I thought the same thing

TM: Maybe he wants an advance on a book. This is an intelligent man. He is a man who made horrible mistakes and whose actions cost Michael Jackson’s life. And the way he tries to rationalize what he did with Propofol which is overly ridiculous and of course the talk show host did not forward for one second.
Well we know he had dozens of Propofol. He had them delivered. And he never mentioned Propofol to the Police or to the Paramedics. Or, as I understand it, the personnel at UCLA Medical Center, who was trying to save him. And, as I understand it, he also instructed the others to remove Propofol from the premises. So he had a very clear idea that he was playing “Russian Roulette” with Michael Jackson. He just unwilling to turned down the job, because he needed the money and he wanted the Fame and he wanted the girls and wanted the fun. And it’s exactly how he was approaching the all thing until the disaster struck. So what he may have, you know, people have a way of rationalizing their actions to themselves. People have a way of convincing themselves that what they did was either justified or not as bad as others perceive that. And you know, I just, I wish we could move on from Conrad Murray quite honestly because, the guy was prosecuted, he was convicted, he served that assent, he lost his medical license.

KJ: You know, I know he has children

TM: Right, children that he probably has to feed. You know I hope one horrible of exampment for the rest of my life toward this person. I hope to see him go quietly and do the best he can with his wife. And I hope he’s good too with the family and his children. I think they need a father. And you, I’m not gonna wish hard time to someone like this, I really don’t in him lie. But he just keeps surfacing the same stupid things. You know, he would just fed away and, you know, do the best he can with the life he has and help people around him. And he paid a terrible price for what he did; we all paid a terrible price for what he did. We lost a wonderful Artist and a wonderful Human-Being. But this guy just keeps surfacing. And I think he’s gonna say provocative things as long as he thinks he can get paid for it.

KJ: Ho, absolutely. Like I said, he can’t be a doctor anywhere as of now right? He probably has to go out of the country.

TM: Yeah! But I mean, again, it just brings back how many people exaggerate what they did with Michael Jackson or for Michael Jackson. I mean, I keep hearing people say, they were really part of his family, that they were the only one he trusted. I’ve heard that for so long! And I’ve got very skeptical at almost anything that people say about their relation with Michael Jackson. It’s just outstanding. This guy really thinks he was his closest friend, I doubt it.

· APHRODITE JONES TALKS

KJ: Give me a break. This is totally absurd. Like they said on the talk already with Doctor Conrad Murray. But the other issue gets in the “MJ DIE-HARD FANS”. Aphrodite Jones, less than 2 months ago made appearance, right here on KING JORDAN RADIO and she said “I comeback on the other side I don’t want to get thick.”

AJ: I would say, I am not willing as the author of the book that I wrote to say “I 100% know anything about Michael Jackson’s life to say what or was he did first instant of Jordan Chandler. I have my own questions there.

KJ: You say that you have your own questions about Jordy Chandler’s accusation of Michael Jackson. You have any doubts about Michael’s innocence since 1993 and if so why?

AJ: Do I have any doubts about his innocence in 1993? Yes. If so why? Why? Because I’ve watched the testimony of June Chandler in the court, in Santa Maria, Jordy’s mother. And I was, how should he put it? I nerved by what she was saying. She was talking about Michael things in a hotel room with Jordy, about Michael sleeping over her house with Jordy, about Michael crying as he couldn’t stay in the same with Jordy. This is all part of her testimony at the trial. It was very innerving. And I felt like he was in love with that boy and whether or not there was anything more to it obviously we’ll never know. But everything that his mother was testifying to when I was reading between the lines made me very uncomfortable.

KJ: Okay. Well other than making you uncomfortable, do you have other reasons or do you have any doubts?

AJ: That’s a huge reason honey bonny. There couldn’t be another bigger reason. I sat inches away, sit away from Jordy Chandler’s mother and watched her testified for hours and hours on end. And everything about her made me feel like she was a woman she looking the other way. Everything about what she said.

· TOM MESREAU REACTS

JK: Tom, your thoughts on Aphrodite Jones who you want [prefacing] her book back in 2007 and now your feelings when you hear this.

TM: Well, first of all, let me briefly summarize my own experiences with Aphrodite Jones. I met her in the criminal courthouse in Los Angeles many years ago. She was covering a trial called “The gov in trial” which involved the women in San Fransisco which had been mutilated by a dog, I guess it was two dogs. And they bonded into Los Angeles because they thought they didn’t get a fair jury in San Fransisco, and then she was covering it. And then she wrote a book on it I believe.
Then I re-met her when I was defending actor Robert Blake in his murder case. And you know my perception was that she was very aggressive, very intelligent, very ambitious. I then saw her in the news on the Scott Peterson case with Mark geragos who was defending Peterson. And she put her head right on his shoulder in front of the media, and I thought it just looked terrible. I don’t think Geragos thought it was gonna happen. I don’t think he was excepting it all. Then I got a very queasy feeling that she’s never doing that to me! So when I was, when I appeared in the defense of Michael, the first time that I was at the courthouse, she started walking toward me and I gave a real nasty stare and she just stop heading her tracks; And I never a word to her at the all trial because, as you know, she was at the other side. She was, had appearing on FOX NEWS, she was pro-prosecution. I never said a word to her. Then, I think it was a year after Michael was acquitted, I met her in an Art gallery in Beverly Hills, California. And she came up to me and said : “Look, you know, you may not believe me but I’m re-considering some of the things I’ve said and some of the conclusions I reached during that trial. Can I talk to you?” And I really didn’t trust it, still. So, I said “Look, if you want to send me some of the things you’re writing and I’ll take a look at it, I’ll be happy to do that.” And she started to send me some chapters she was writing. And I realized that she was very strongly re-considering her position during the trial. So when I saw what she had done, including criticizing herself! Getting called-up in this media grand-slot against Michael Jackson, I was very, very complimentary about what she had done. And when I read her book, I said this is gonna do a great service to Michael Jackson and to anyone who wants to really know what happened in the court-room. And I volunteer to write the forward, she didn’t ask me to. I said, “Look…” And also I knew that she had published, I think, about seven “True Crime” books before she wrote “Michael Jackson, conspiracy” and also known by major publishers. But she couldn’t go to a major publisher to do this book because they didn’t want a book that was positive about Michael Jackson. They all were embarrassed about what happened in that trial. And she could not say no. She decided to publish it herself and it has become a classic on what really happened in that court-room! So I have command her for the book she wrote and the way she admitted she was wrong and the way she conducted herself during the trial. And I think that book is a great service to Michael’s reputation, a great service to all of us who believed he was absolutely innocent and all of us who believed that, that trial was an absolute monstrosity, I don’t find a better word for it. It was unjust, it was painful, it was destructive and he may never recover from it. But nevertheless, she did a wonderful service for Michael and all of us when she was determined to get that book published and she did it. And it has been read all around the world and I think it has achieved a lot of good.
Now, remember that Aphrodite Jones is a journalist okay? And I’ve spoken about this before. As you I’ve strongly endorsed Randall Sullivan’s book “Untouchable”.

JK: Right

TM: Because Randall Sullivan also is a journalist. A journalist is someone who wants to be known as someone who is objective and detached. Someone who would look at the facts and idyllically and objectively. And write down what they think is true, alright?
Aphrodite Jones, I don’t think wants to be perceived, as just Jackson’s fan because that would allow people who don’t like her book to say: “Listen, she’s just a Jackson’s fan. She wants to be known as a journalist, who looks at hard facts and reach her conclusions with guard less of what people think.” Just like Randall Sullivan approached his book without any real buyers’ forces against Michael Jackson. And in my opinion he did the best analyst of that Jordy Chandler’ fiasco of anybody. Now what I’m hearing is that Aphrodite Jones is saying “Look, I didn’t really analyze the jury in the Jordy Chandler’s case.” You know? I’ve been at the Arvizo’s trial. And this testimony did come-up. Obviously was rejective with the jury. Because the prosecution was hoping that in fact the jury thought Michael may have molested other people, and it didn’t work, it that’s like. But I think what Aphrodite is saying is “Look, I found this testimony disturbing. I’m not sure what to make of it. But I really did investigate that case. So I’m gonna, with all the conclusion on it.” That’s what journalists do. But, you know the all thing; don’t forget the baby with the baffle order. I mean, don’t take her into account with the great service she did by writing that book and contracting herself in the process.

· THOMAS MESEREAU SUPPORTING RANDALL SULLIVAN’S BOOK. AND WHY?

Now, again I mentioned Randall Sullivan’s book because I think every Michael Jackson’s fan should read that book twice at least. And read it carefully. And if you don’t like some parts of it that’s fine. But remember, this a detached objective journalist who was actually the Chandler Family, some of the Chandler Family’s members allowed him to speak to them. And he dove pretty into that all case. And he concluded that Michael Jackson was not a pedophile.
Now, I know he upsets some fans when he made some statements that I think that the Chandler case was a closer call than the Arvizo’s. But he would just being an objective journalist. The important thing is that he concluded that Michael Jackson was not a pedophile. And someone who is perceived as a journalist as oppose to a fan, has a much more power to persuade non-fans that Michael was not a pedophile. You know, the fans don’t need persuading okay? Other people need persuading. And that’s why when that fraudulent phony ignorant campaign that’s surprised Randall Sullivan’s book started on the Internet I get very upset. And really felt like people who don’t care much about Michael Jackson were behind it. They care more about themselves and the fact that they were criticized so they wanted discouraged. You know fans and other people from reading it. When the reality is that book probably has been more to persuade non-fans who had been twisted by the media that Michael Jackson was not a pedophile, than anything else I can think of.
So, I mean I can understand why supporters of Michael Jackson are a little disturbed that he said that on June Chandler. But I don’t think she concluded that he was, he molested Jordy Chandler. I think what she said was understanding her testimony. But I haven’t really checked it out yet.

· ACCORDING TO THOMAS MESEREAU, APHRODITE JONES IS NOT TO BLAME

I spoke to Aphrodite recently and that’s what she said to me. She said “You know, I am a journalist and I haven’t really investigated the facts of the Chandler case. But what I’ve heard disturbed me and I gave an honest statement.”
So that’s how I look at it: You can’t blow the baby out of the baffle order. You can’t say, “Well I don’t like what she is saying about June Chandler so I’m gonna reject her.” The reality is, she did a lot of good for the Michael Jackson’s community and she did a lot of good for justice, when she wrote that book. And she went through a lot of obstacles when she wrote it. She went up to Santa Maria, she got permission to in to the evidence locker, she reviewed all the evidence herself, she wouldn’t take wrong for an instant, she was determined to publish the book and she did. And I’m very happy she did. But the other thing you have to understand is that Jordy Chandler settlement in 1993 was a disaster, an absolute disaster. When I took over the case I had never tried, you know case; I have never tried cases in Santa Barbara County which is North of Los Angeles County, where I haven’t practice. And I had a consultant do some phone surveys on local attitude in the Santa Maria area. And the one thing that kept talking of was everybody was disturbed by the Jordy Chandler’ settlement. They’ve heard that 20 million was paid; they didn’t think the innocent person would pay that kind of money and that settlement was a disaster. Obviously, I didn’t know Michael at the time but I remember thinking to myself: “this is gonna hunt him”. And it really has. And the Randall Sullivan’s book he does quote me as saying “this was a disaster”. It just was. And then remember it was followed by a Jason Franckly as settlement. And the lawyers who did this, some of whom are still around, Johnny Cochran passed but Howard Waxman signed a settlement document saying that he represented Michael in that. And if you look at David Guest’s documentary, “Michael Jackson: The Life of an Icon” you’ll see the press-conference to announce a settlement. Larry Feldman was there, at my cross-examination at the criminal case, he was the Chandler’s lawyer, Howard Waxman, Johnny Cochran. According to Randall Sullivan, John Branca was general canceled to Michael Jackson at that time. And didn’t think Michael, physically did this through along trial. But I think the lawyers who settled the case, you know Waxman, Cochran if Branca was involved and no he wasn’t […] Branca was an entertainment and music lawyer but I don’t that the ever meant to do anything wrong. I think they thought it was in his best interest to get this off her way. Get it behind him and let his career continue. But it turned out that it’s just a disaster.
And I think probably Aphrodite like many people who haven’t looked at the facts closely, are still probably battered by that settlement, you know. And that probably, affected her view of June Chandler’s testimony which, I think she was being when she said “It disturbs me”. But didn’t she also say in that interview “I really haven’t reached a conclusion, I don’t know” I think she did.

KJ: Yes. And she said she was agnomen that the 2005’ trial was a “hard wash” to quote her.

TM: Well, again, that settlement was, you know, I know that, I’ve been told that Howard Waxman and John Branca are telling people that it was Johnny Cochran’s idea to settle the Chandler’s case not theirs, and I don’t believe that for a second. Now, of course I wasn’t there but I think all of them thought this was in his best interests we’re doing a favor. Let them pay the money. And do some great things with his musical talent and opportunity. They just kind of were mis-calculating in my opinion.

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