Brando's granddaughter at trial
2005-05-24 08:19
Los Angeles - Michael Jackson's lawyers want to call the nine-year-old granddaughter of acting legend Marlon Brando to testify for the superstar at his child sex trial, court documents showed on Monday.
But prosecutors have objected to the plan to call Prudence Brando, the daughter of Brando's son Miko Brando, a one-time Jackson employee, to testify to the alleged bad character of Jackson's teenage accuser.
The young Brando heiress told investigators that the then 13-year-old accuser and the boy's brother were "destructive and always crashing golf carts" and that they tried to enter a llama's cage at the star's Neverland Ranch, which boasts a zoo and amusement park.
"She said they would then go on the rides like the Sea Dragon, and would throw candies at people from the rides," legal documents filed on Monday by the prosecution showed.
Prudence Brando recalls spending time with the alleged victim and his brother on two occasions but does not remember the dates, court documents showed.
Her double Oscar-winning grandfather, the reclusive Marlon Brando, who died in July at the age of 80, also spent time at Neverland after befriending Jackson late in his life.
Jackson's lawyers maintain that the alleged victim and his younger brother were undisciplined and obnoxious, running amok on the ranch and helping themselves to Jackson's wine and pornographic magazines.
Prosecutors say it was Jackson who served the youngsters alcohol and showed them racy publications in a bid to "groom" the alleged victim into child abuse.
The defence also wants to call a ranch employee to testify to the accuser and his brother running wild at Neverland and allegedly bringing pornographic magazines to the theme park.
But prosecutors said the testimony of Prudence Brando and the ranch employee was an improper use of character evidence intended solely to "prejudice the jury" against the now 15-year-old accuser and his brother.
Jackson has denied 10 charges including molesting the boy, plying him with alcohol and holding him and his family prisoner at Neverland in February and March 2003.