Fears over potential terrorist acts during Michael Jackson’s trial on child molestation charges led the Santa Maria Police Department to enlist the aid of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, an FBI report revealed.
According to files on the pop star made public on Dec. 22, local police requested the FBI’s involvement in 2004, concerned the singer’s trial “could represent a soft target for terrorism” due to its worldwide media attention.
An “urgent report,” dated April 28, 2004, mentions the presence of members of the Nation of Islam outside the Santa Barbara County Courthouse and of “a known New Black Panther Party member” seen dressed in fatigues at Jackson’s first court appearance. However, the FBI found no threat of terrorism occurring during the court proceedings.
At Jackson’s arraignment in April 2004, the FBI’s resident agency in Santa Maria assisted about 90 officers from the SMPD, Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department, and the California Highway Patrol with security for the event, the report states.
The report was part of a 333-page file on Jackson released on the FBI’s website.
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This article appears in Dec 31, 2009 – Jan 7, 2010.
