Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Long-time Roadracing World contributor Herod Lowery was part of the Associated Press team covering the arraignment of entertainer Michael Jackson in Santa Maria, California, last Friday. Lowery normally covers MotoGP in Europe plus the Laguna Seca World Superbike event for AP. He was asked to help out with the Jackson proceedings in Santa Maria by AP Los Angeles as he has lived in Santa Maria for the last 40 years. AP Los Angeles sent three photographers, two reporters and two court reporters. There were 130 accredited media representatives at this event.

“I got to the courthouse at 6:20 a.m. and it was just like going into the GP at Jerez in Spain! There was designated media parking and you needed a press pass to park there. Just like Jerez, there were booths lining the street on the way in to the courthouse selling food and drink and trinkets. This was about 30 minutes before sunrise, it was very cold but there had to be at least 700 people milling about. Most of them were protesting that Jackson was innocent.

“It was a circus, it was nuts. At one time there were five helicopters above the courthouse. Over 100 police (local, state, federal and FBI) were assigned for crowd control and security. After the hearing, Jackson got a police escort to the Highway 101 freeway so he could go south to his Neverland Ranch, about 15 miles south of Santa Maria.

“At its peak, the crowd was estimated at 2500 people. No one was really sure as we’ve never seen 2500 hundred mammals at one time in Santa Maria, save for the occasional cattle round-up. The largest building here only holds about 700 people.”