The mother of Michael Jackson's child molestation accuser has pleaded not guilty to welfare fraud and perjury charges.
The 37-year-old woman, accompanied by a defence attorney, entered her plea on Tuesday, one day earlier than scheduled, in a bid to avoid an expected crush of reporters.
Los Angeles Superior Court commissioner James Bianco released Janet Jackson with no bail requirement and ordered her to return for a status hearing on October 28.
Prosecutors say the woman formerly known as Janet Arvizo, whose son Gavin Arvizo was the focal point of Jackson's recent trial, defrauded the welfare system of some $18,000 (€14,472). She could face more than five years in prison if convicted. |