A federal judge sought more information Wednesday about repressed memories, before deciding whether to dismiss a lawsuit by a man claiming he was molested by pop star Michael Jackson more than 20 years ago.
Jackson’s lawyer, Charles F. Gay Jr., has asked U.S. District Judge Eldon Fallon to throw out the suit by Joseph Bartucci Jr. because the alleged incident happened more than 20 years ago.
There is a one-year statute of limitations on filing a lawsuit in such cases.
Bartucci, who was 18 in 1984, argues the statute applies only from the time he recovered a repressed memory of the event after seeing a television show about child molestation charges against Jackson in California. The singer was acquitted in that case.
Bartucci claims he was lured into Jackson’s limousine in 1984 and held for nine days during which he was sexually assaulted.
Jackson’s attorneys have called Bartucci’s claim a “fantastic tale†in court papers seeking to have it dismissed.
“They have no facts or evidence to support the claim of repressed memory,†Gay said, contending the notion is not supported by medical studies.
Attorney Louis Koerner, who represents Bartucci, countered that his client “went through a terrible, terrible, terrible time.â€
Judge Fallon asked Koerner to depose Dr. L. Mulry Tetlow, a psychologist who agreed that Bartucci had repressed the memory.
“I want to look at what he says about repressed memory,†Fallon said.
Lawyers for Jackson said Bartucci was a party to 18 civil suits and criminal complaints in the past 17 years.
“We think this whole thing was conjured up by a guy who knows how to use the system,†Gay said.
Neither Jackson nor Bartucci were in court.
Quelle:
AP
Kurze Zusammenfassung auf Deutsch:
Der Richter im Zivilprozess Joseph Bartucci Jr. gegen Michael Jackson zieht in Erwägung, die Klage abzuweisen.
Er hat nach mehr Informationen zum Thema “unterdrückte Erinnerungen†verlangt.
Die Situation ist so: Bis zu einem Jahr nach der Tat des Misbrauchs hat ein Opfer Zeit, eine Zivilklage gegen den angeblichen Täter einzuleiten.
Der Kläger in diesem Fall (Bartucci) behauptet, er habe “diese schrecklichen, schrecklichen Dinge†vergessen, bzw. unterdrückt, bis er 18 Jahre später eine Reportage über den Michael Jackson Fall 2003-05 sah - in dem Jackson der Kindesbelästigung für unschuldig erklärt wurde.
Bartuccis Anwälte sagen also, dass die Limitation von einem Jahr in diesem Fall ab dem Zeitpunkt des Wiedererlangens der Erinnerung an die Tat gelten sollte.
Unterdessen haben Michael Jackson’s Anwälte die Tatsache zur Sprache gebracht, dass Bartucci in den letzten 17 Jahren 18 mal jemanden verklagt hat. “Diese ganze Geschichte wurde von jemandem erfunden, der genau weiß, wie man das System benutzt,†sagte Jackson’s Anwalt Charles F. Gay Jr.
Übersetzung: Been Told
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