The Thriller Begins

By Jeffrey Ressner

As jury selection got under way last week in Michael Jackson's child-molestation trial in Santa Maria, Calif., so began what is anticipated to be a six-month media extravaganza. Jackson himself got things rolling with a video, posted on his website, proclaiming his innocence. (He sent the same signal sartorially, wearing a white suit, far right, on his first day in court.) If convicted on all 10 counts, the Gloved One faces up to 24 years in prison. Can he beat it? Here's a Notebook rundown of what to expect. --By Jeffrey Ressner. With reporting by Matt Kettmann

PROSECUTION'S CASE The accuser, 15, will testify that Jackson groped him. A documentary in which they hold hands, left, and erotic material with their fingerprints on it will be shown to jurors.

DEFENSE'S STRATEGY Jackson's lawyers, left, will grill the boy's mom, whose first call after the alleged abuse was to a lawyer who had wrung a big settlement from Jacko over similar charges in 1993.

THE MEDIA More than 1,000 journalists applied for press credentials, but only seven seats in the courtroom have been reserved for reporters.

LOCAL COLOR Santa Maria, a central coast town of 85,000, is "doing four times normal business" owing to the trial, says a cafe manager.

WILL HE TESTIFY? Risky--think of the cross-examination--but not impossible. The singer has taken the stand before in civil cases (with mixed results). Says former prosecutor Anne Bremner: "If the state's case is really strong, he may have no choice" but to testify.

With reporting by Matt Kettmann