The defence rested in the Michael Jackson child molestation trial Wednesday without putting the pop star on the stand, wrapping up after a surprisingly short three weeks devoted mostly to portraying the accuser's mother as a shakedown artist.
Singer Michael Jackson appeared in the Santa Maria court again on Wednesday but did not take the stand in his child molestation trial, leaving jurors with only the singer's videotaped statements about what happened behind Neverland's closed doors.
Jackson has declined to discuss the decision not to testify, but the odds of Jackson's testifying were considered remote from the outset.
However, jurors did hear from Jackson when his attorneys played nearly three hours of videotaped interviews with the entertainer in which he talked about his feelings for children, which he said were innocent and loving.
Jackson, 46, is charged with molesting the boy in February or March 2003 when the youth was 13.
He is also charged with giving the teenager alcohol and conspiring to hold his family captive to get them to rebut a documentary in which the boy appeared. Jackson said he let children into his bed for innocent, nonsexual sleepovers.
"Rush Hour" star Chris Tucker - who resumed testimony on Wednesday - was the final defence witness.
Tucker on Wednesday testified that during the time he befriended Jackson's young accuser he found the boy to be unusually sophisticated and cunning child.
Tucker said the boy repeatedly asked for gifts but that he forgave him because he knew he had battled cancer and had family problems.
The actor and comedian had testified Tuesday that he met Jackson's accuser at a benefit while the boy was battling cancer in 2000.
Tucker said that a few days after the benefit the boy told him it hadn't made any money, so he wired "probably 1,500 US dollars or more" to a foundation for the family.
Defence attorneys put Tucker on the stand to bolster their argument that the boy and his family have a history of targeting celebrities for money.
After Tucker finished testifying, the defence was expected to formally rest its case.
Prosecutors will begin a rebuttal that is expected to last at least a day.
Jackson's attorneys will then be given an opportunity to respond, followed by closing arguments, which probably won't begin before next week.
