A California appeals court appeared strongly inclined Monday to give new life to lawsuits filed by two men who accuse Michael Jackson of repeatedly molesting them when they were boys.
In a tentative ruling, three judges said that lawsuits from James Safechuck and Wade Robson against two corporate entities that Jackson owned should be reconsidered by the trial court that dismissed them in 2017.
Both sat in court this Monday and looked like a “Leaving Neverland II”!
Outside, their attorney Vince Finaldi said the decision was the right one, and they are pleased.
“All they’ve ever wanted is their day in court,” Finaldi said.
The move marks a high-profile outcome for a new California law signed last month by state governor Gavin Newsom, which raised the age ceiling for victims of sexual abuse to file lawsuits from age 28 to age 40.It also gives victims of all ages a three-year window to sue, starting 1 January.
The new law was proposed in the wake of the scandal involving Larry Nassar, the former US Olympic gymnastics teams doctor convicted of sexually abusing young athletes.
Previously, survivors of child sexual abuse had to file a lawsuit within eight years of becoming an adult. The new law has opened the floodgates to a wave of potential lawsuits, and advocates said the reforms have given new hope to victims who previously had no options in the legal system to seek justice.
“The idea that someone who is assaulted as a child can actually run out of time to report that abuse is outrageous,” said Lorena Gonzalez, the California assemblywoman, when she introduced the bill. “More and more, we’re hearing about people who were victims years ago but were not ready to come forward to tell their story until now. We shouldn’t be telling victims their time is up when in reality we need them to come forward to protect the community from future abuse.”
The tentative decision does not revive the actual Jackson estate as a defendant. A 2015 decision throwing out that part of the lawsuit will stand. The remaining defendants are the two corporate entities, MJJ Productions Inc, and MJJ Ventures, Inc.
Attorneys for Jackson’s estate accepted that the cases must be returned to the trial court under the new legislation, but emphasized that the ruling is unrelated to the allegations they have long denounced as demonstrably false.
“This new law extends the time for genuine victims of abuse to file legal claims,” said Howard L Weitzman, Jackson estate attorney, in a statement. “The appellate court’s tentative ruling is not on the merits of Robson and Safechuck’s allegations and the court in no way said that these cases will go to trial. Neither does it reverse the 2015 rulings dismissing Robson and Safechuck’s claims against the estate, which are final and no longer subject to any appeals. We are confident that the claims against Michael Jackson’s corporate entities will, once again, be dismissed as has happened before.”
It seems the Estate is prepared for this and they are currently working to Defend Michael Jackson. It might be also a blessing in disguise as both proven liars will have to show a court of justice what they are saying is the truth and stick to what they told millions of people in “Leaving Neverland”. Might be difficult for them as “Leaving Neverland” was debunked by fans around the world!
As fans, it might be a hard time ahead but as usual, we will do everything we can to defend an innocent man: Michael Jackson.
I am on MJ side because he is innocent. He loved children cause he never had a good child hood .And MJ cared for people of the world and always help people and still is .He is still helping people and sick children in the world. He believed in Gold. JESUS loved children and people of the world MJ believed in God so MJ believed like God looking after people care for people of the world don’t judge people.love one and other.So MJ just loved and wantec to help. These boys are only father his money .Well I hope you both go down .And jelouse of MJ you are of MJ .Let him Rest and make your own money let him RIP .
I think it will be a difficult time ahead. However this time around I personally will be pleased to see more and more rubbish coming out. It makes it so much harder for them to defend their fraudulent scam.
Despite the short term pain we may experience if these false claims are given another day in court, it could be a blessing in disguise if the false accusers have to consolidate what they said previously in their legal depositions, compared to what they said subsequently in Leaving Neverland.
I agree that having a trial will get national media coverage and show to the world that these are false accusations, like it did with the false accusers in the 2005 trial.
Safechuck and Robson , have no proof, whatsoever, if anything, going public, will only show, what liars they both are. It will only be seen as another extortion attempt. MJ is innocent.
Shout out to Tom Mesereau.