News groups seek Jackson details

Michael Jackson pleaded not guilty to 10 child molestation charges

News organisations have asked a court to release details of a grand jury's decision that Michael Jackson should stand trial.

Witness testimonies should also be made public by Santa Barbara Superior Court, California, lawyers argued on Tuesday.

Mr Jackson has pleaded not guilty to 10 child molestation charges, including a charge of conspiracy to abduct a child.

Most of the evidence the jury used last month to make its decision has remained confidential so far.

But lawyer Theodore Boutrous Jr said indictments can only be kept private in extraordinary circumstances.

Last month Judge Rodney Melville ordered edited portions of Mr Jackson's indictment to be released, but sealed - kept confidential - details about acts alleged to have been committed in connection with the conspiracy charge.

At the request of Mr Jackson's lawyer Thomas Mesereau, the judge also sealed the names of alleged co-conspirators.

Protection

But Mr Boutrous said the case did not raise any issues that had traditionally been invoked to keep indictments private.

He said these included "the need to protect the lives of witnesses, to ensure the defendant or other potential targets did not flee, or the need to protect innocent persons from injury".

The judge initially said material was sealed to protect the identify of Mr Jackson's accuser and to insulate prospective jurors from publicity that might prejudice them.

Mr Boutrous told the California court that the accuser's identity was already well known, although most news media outlets have chosen not to publish it.

In a separate motion the lawyer argued for the release of transcripts of the grand jury proceedings as it considered Mr Jackson's case for trial.

The news organisations' cases for releasing the material will be heard at a futher hearing on 28 May.