Media turn to experts from USC Law
USC Law legal experts have been tapped by a wave of national media since the Michael Jackson child molestation case began in January.
Professors Jean Rosenbluth, a former federal prosecutor; Michael Brennan, a criminal defense attorney; Jody Armour, a legal expert; and Thomas Lyon, an expert in child witnesses and abuse, (pictured below in order) have generated an extensive amount of media coverage for USC Law.
The four experts have discussed the Jackson case in dozens of newspaper, radio and television stories. International and national media who have called upon their expertise include The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Newsweek, People magazine, Associated Press, Copley News Service, CNN, MSNBC, CBS News, ABC News, Canadian Broadcasting Co., the BBC, Reuters TV, German Public Radio, France’s Agence Presse and Associated Press TV.
Local media also have tapped these professors. Armour is a regular commentator on KABC, and Rosenbluth, Brennan and Lyon have appeared frequently on local radio (such as KNX and KFWB) and television news programs to discuss the case.
On occasion, two USC Law professors have been featured in a single story, including People, The New York Times, Newsweek and Associated Press pieces.
A March 21 Newsweek story, for example, included quotes from both Lyon and Rosenbluth. Lyon pointed out that under a California law written in response to the collapse of an earlier Jackson case, prosecutors are broadly permitted to bring in evidence of prior sexual acts to show a pattern of behavior. "I think this could be the linchpin in the prosecutor's case," Lyon said.
Separately in the story, Rosenbluth cautioned against drawing conclusions about the strength or weakness of the prosecution's case. Remember Scott Peterson, she said. "In early months, all the pundits were saying how poorly the prosecutors were doing and how Scott Peterson was going to walk,” said Rosenbluth. “Until you get to closing arguments, it's hard for prosecutors to put everything in order and really tell a story."
The professors expect more to come as the Michael Jackson trial reaches its mid-way point. Rosenbluth plans to make a trip to the Santa Maria courtroom in May to gather a more comprehensive picture of the jurors, the judge and attorneys.
“I think it will really help when I’m interviewed by reporters about the trial,” she said. “I want to get a sense of the attorneys’ styles and the reactions from the jury. The judge also plays a key role, and I understand he is something of a character as well.”
USC Law Dean Matthew L. Spitzer noted that USC Law faculty’s broad expertise make them a natural resource for the media when big cases make the news.
"I'm proud of our professors' willingness to take the time and energy to help educate people about legal issues in the news," Spitzer said. "Helping the general public understand how the legal system works is, in my opinion, an important part of what it means to be a legal educator."
