January 30, 2005

LAS VEGAS - Jurors had been told to ignore what they knew about O.J. Simpson's past, but for many observers, the line connecting the former NFL star's murder acquittal last decade and his new conviction for robbing memorabilia peddlers couldn't have been clearer.

They heard unsavory facts about Dawn Rae Nelson.

July 13, 2004

LOS ANGELES - O.J. Simpson says that without the money to pay for a "dream team" of lawyers, he would not have been acquitted of murder charges.

So Dan Lovelace wants his job back. We were hoping we wouldn’t have to talk about this. We were hoping Chandler wouldn’t have to formally face the question of whether an ex-policeman with as much baggage as his should ever wear its police department’s badge again.

Former Maricopa County Attorney Rick Romley ridiculed his successor, Andrew Thomas, on Thursday, accusing the current top prosecutor of poor courtroom performance and harassment of Hispanics.

A Mesa doctor accused of sexually abusing or assaulting a dozen of his female patients has been acquitted in the case.

LOS ANGELES - Michael Jackson plans to make his first public appearance since his trial acquittal last June at a ceremony in Tokyo to accept MTV Japan's "Legend Award," his spokesman said.

Prosecutors won a legal battle Friday over whether they can retry a man on charges that he murdered Paradise Valley millionaire Rick Chance.

March 23, 2005

Michael Jackson has refinanced Neverland ranch in time to save his famed California spread from a public auction that was scheduled for later this month.

LAS VEGAS - Michael Jackson is "a little bit under the weather," but has not sought hospital treatment, his spokeswoman said Thursday. "He is not in the hospital and he has not been in the hospital," Raymone K. Bain said, denying news reports that Jackson was hospitalized for pneumonia.

KINGMAN - A jury on Wednesday convicted a Colorado City polygamist of sex offenses related to his marriage to an underage girl. The jurors took about 40 minutes to find David Bateman guilty of sexual conduct with a minor and conspiracy.

TOKYO - Michael Jackson is back in the United States after living in Bahrain, France and Ireland. He emerged with his spokeswoman Friday to confirm to The Associated Press that he is back after more than a year in self-imposed exile following his acquittal in a high-profile child molestation trial that ended in June 2005.

The candidates for Maricopa County attorney are using statistics as weapons of political destruction. An unprecedented rise in felony trials has flooded the courts during Andrew Thomas' four years as top prosecutor, all sides agree.