Jackson Seeks Mental Exam For Teen Accuser

NOVEMBER 24--In an aggressive move targeting his accusers, Michael Jackson has asked a California judge to order that mental competency exams be given to the 14-year-old boy who has accused him of sexual molestation, as well as the child's mother and younger brother.

The singer's bombshell court petition was unsealed late today by Judge Rodney Melville, who is presiding over Jackson's criminal case, now slated for trial January 31.

While the bulk of Jackson's controversial motion was redacted by Melville, excerpts (which you'll find below) reveal that the performer's legal team is focusing on discrepancies in the family's account of the alleged sexual abuse, specifically in the timeline first presented in a December 2003 criminal complaint and then later refined in an April 2004 indictment.

Lawyer Brian Oxman stated that the "markedly different" fact pattern has "created an irreconcilable inconsistency with no explanation." In addition, Oxman argued that Jackson's legal team would not be able to effectively cross-examine Dr. Stanley Katz, a prosecution witness who has interviewed the alleged victim and his family more than seven times, without also being "permitted equal access" to independent mental evaluations of the boy and his family.

The Jackson motion is scheduled to be argued Monday during a Superior Court hearing. (4 pages)