WWW- THE Michael Jackson child molestation trial should have ended in a mistrial if the judge had been paying more attention to the jurors, author Diane Dimond claims in her new book.
In “Be Careful Who You Love: Inside the Michael Jackson Case,” in stores today, Dimond exposes improprieties of juror No. 5, a gray-haired widow named Elanor Cook.
Dimond writes, “Toward the end of the trial, it was revealed that 79-year-old Elanor Cook already had a book deal in the works” – a no-no in California for 90 days after the end of a trial.
In addition, after court one day, Cook “went to the local JC Penney store . . . and sought out her pal [former Neverland maid] Adrian McManus, who worked at the store for many years.
“Cook took McManus aside in the store, in full view of others, and praised her friend for doing well when she had testified for the prosecution on April 7 and 8,” the book says.
Although Cook admitted knowing McManus during jury selection, McManus told Dimond that “she and the widow would take drives together, eat a meal on occasion, and once Cook had counseled her about an attorney she might want to hire.”
“If the judge had known about her actions, there would have been a mistrial,” Dimond told PAGE SIX’s Lisa Marsh. Rules regarding jurors knowing witnesses were bent, she says. “We had the celebrity spotlight and people were blinded by it.”
As for the pubescent victim in the case, Gavin Arvizo, he’s thriving even after all he’s been through. “That boy went through more than we’ll ever go through – the stage-four cancer, his father beating him, and this trial – and he’s getting on with his life, playing football,” Dimond said. The author didn’t have a problem using his name in the book because, she said, “the family lives under an assumed name in the Witness Protection Program.”
Arvizo’s stepfather, Jay Jackson, “shipped out for Iraq six weeks ago and will be gone for about a year. His mother is due to have a [new baby] girl in January.”
Michael Jackson, however, is not faring as well. “He’s completely broke,” Dimond said, and will face the music in December when a balloon payment is due on one of his loans.
In addition, Neverland is up for sale. But, Dimond added, “Who’s going to buy it, Ronald McDonald House? I don’t think so.”