Jackson Faces The Jury And Names His Own Court Superstars

LATEST: Michael Jackson faced his would-be jurors in court in Santa Maria, California, this morning (14FEB05), and served up an impressive star-studded list of witnesses he hopes will help him win his upcoming child molestation trial.

Wearing a dark suit, Jackson attended the resumed court proceedings, which were halted last week (ends11FEB05) when his attorney THOMAS MESEREAU suffered a death in his family.

In the courthouse, Judge Rodney Melville ordered the pop superstar to stand and face prospective jurors as he joked the trial would help everyone lose weight.

Melville quipped, "We'll all weigh about 30 pounds less when this is over, we'll all be happy and we'll be calling it The Melville Diet."

Then Jackson's defence team announced their list of potential jurors, which would include BACKSTREET BOY NICK CARTER and his brother AARON, basketball star Kobe Bryant, Larry King, Quincy Jones, Barry Gibb, Diana Ross, Stevie Wonder and Elizabeth Taylor.

The defence team has also called on Jackson's former attorney MARK GERAGOS and TOM SNEDDON - the man behind his latest child molestation charges - to testify in court.

Both the defence and prosecution will now work with jury consultants to select a 12 person jury with eight alternates for the trial.

Jackson has pleaded not guilty to plying a boy, then 13, with alcohol, molesting him and conspiring to hold his family captive. He is free on $3 million (GBP1.58 million) bail but must attend the court hearings daily.