Jackson Risks Arrest Over Late Arrival at Court

Michael Jackson today risked arrest and a $3m penalty after arriving just over an hour late to the California courtroom hearing his child molestation case.

After Mr Jackson failed to arrive at 8.30am local time (16.30GMT), his lawyer, Thomas Mesereau, told the court Mr Jackson was being treated for a serious back problem at a Santa Barbara hospital.

But the presiding judge in the Santa Maria courtroom, Rodney Melville, ordered Mr Jackson to appear within an hour or face arrest and forfeit of his $3m (£1.6m) bail.

Mr Jackson's black limousine pulled up outside the courtroom three minutes past the deadline, making it possible that Mr Melville could put the singer in jail. He walked slowly toward the courtroom, looking somewhat dishevelled.

Today Mr Jackson's 15-year-old accuser was expected to begin a second day of testimony against the singer. The jury was not yet in the courtroom when the judge entered.

Mr Mesereau told the judge: "Mr Jackson is at Cottage hospital in Santa Ynez with a serious back problem. He does plan to come in."

The judge, obviously angry, declared, "I'm issuing a warrant for his arrest. I'm forfeiting his bail. I will hold the order for one hour."

Mr Mesereau paced up and down outside the California courtroom, talking urgently into his mobile phone for about half an hour before the session was to begin.

Mr Jackson's health has already delayed proceedings by one week when he was taken to hospital for flu at the start of jury selection. However, he has arrived on time or early since then.

Mr Jackson faces 10 criminal charges including two counts of molesting a then 13-year-old cancer survivor, supplying a minor with alcohol, and then conspiring to hold the boy's family captive. He denies the charges.

The trial continues.