Jackson witnesses 'were bullied'

Mr Jackson has pleaded not guilty to 10 child molestation charges

Michael Jackson's lawyers have asked for his grand jury indictment on child molestation charges to be thrown out, saying prosecutors bullied witnesses.

The secret grand jury hearings in Santa Maria, California, represented an "abuse of power" by prosecutors, the singer's lawyer Robert Sanger said.

The motion for dismissal, to be studied at a future hearing, called prosecutors "hostile" and "very uncooperative".

Mr Jackson, 45, has pleaded not guilty to 10 child molestation charges.

'Ridicule'

The motion was released on Wednesday after being edited by Santa Barbara County Judge Rodney Melville to remove names of witnesses, and references to the specifics of the indictment.

The defence lawyer said prosecutors who conducted the secret grand jury hearings "ran the proceedings as if they employed the grand jurors".

"There is no case in the history of the state of California that has condoned anything like the abuse of power demonstrated in this grand jury proceeding," said the motion signed by Jackson attorney Robert Sanger.

The motion claimed prosecutors proceeded "by innuendo and sarcasm, impugning Mr Jackson by ridiculing those allegedly associated with him and even those who sought to legally represent him".

The motion included a transcript of a testimony given by an indictment witness to District Attorney (DA) Tom Sneddon.

Mr Jackson is due to face trial in California on 13 September

"I found the DA's office to be hostile when I called," the witness told Mr Sneddon.

"I found the head DA, that being yourself, to be very uncooperative."

Later the indictment witness said to Mr Sneddon: "It was only after I told you that I might have to tell the press of your reaction that you called back."

Mr Sneddon said: "That is not the way that conversation went and you know it."

"You know it too," said the witness, who added he had a clear recollection of the events because he took notes.

"So did I," said Mr Sneddon.

The testimony was given as an example of the prosecutor testifying, rather than asking questions.

Jackson is due to be tried on child molestation charges in Santa Barbara, California, on 13 September.