The last day of January in 2005: Hundreds of Michael Jackson fans congregated in front of the Santa Maria courthouse hoping to see the self proclaimed King of Pop show for the first day of jury selection in his child trial. Michael Jackson appeared minutes before 9 a.m. a and walked into court under the protection of a black umbrella, surrounded by lawyers and bodyguards. He paused only momentarily to signal the crowd before walking briskly inside. By the end of the daylong hearing, 176 of the 314 potential jurors summoned to Santa Barbara County Superior Court in Santa Maria indicated that they were willing to serve on the six-month trial, if chosen. As the morning group of 170 panelists entered court, Jackson stood and smiled at them. Many in the room continued staring at the pop star in the early moments of the hearing. The defendant looked calm and relaxed as he sat at the defense table, flanked by his four lawyers and a jury consultant.
Meanwhile, The government added viruses for the first time to its list of known or suspected causes of cancer, including hepatitis B and C and a third virus that causes sexually transmitted diseases. Lead, X-rays and compounds in grilled meats also are joining the list. It has been known that the hepatitis viruses can cause liver cancer and that some forms of the sexually transmitted human papillomavirus can cause cervical cancer. They were added to the list Monday only after officials decided to go beyond the report’s historical focus on the occupational and environmental causes of cancer, said Dr. Christopher Portier, associate director of the National Toxicology Program, which prepared the latest update.
And Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton fainted earlier after complaining of a stomach virus before a scheduled speech on Social Security. She received medical attention at the scene and then went on to give another speech at a Catholic college Monday afternoon. “It wasn’t as dramatic as it sounds,” Clinton said after the 30-minute speech.
Clinton aides said doctors believed she had a stomach virus. They said she felt weak at the private club where she was to speak, needed to sit down, and then fainted briefly. Clinton, 57, was smiling when she walked out of the club, the general manager said. “I saw her walk out the door by herself, she smiled and said ‘thank you’,” said Saturn Club general manager Vincent Tracy. Later Monday, she delivered a speech about health care at Canisius College.
She was introduced by former U.S. Rep. John LaFalce, who told the crowd that Clinton went against doctor’s advice because she was committed to talking about health care. Clinton was to return to Washington after the speech, the last event on her public schedule.
And along with news on the Michael Jackson trial, that’s a little of what went on, January 31, 2005 from CBS Radio News and WCBS in New York.
