Jackson trial jury selection begins
SANTA MARIA — Michael Jackson smiled Monday facing the first group of prospective jurors to undergo screening for possible service in his trial on child molestation charges.
Some prospects gazed at the superstar, who wore a bright white suit with a jewel-trimmed vest and belt and was greeted by a cheering crowd of supporters in the small Central Coast city.
The crowd, numbering about several hundred, danced and sang a Jackson song criticizing his prosecutor, but security fences kept order.
Jackson, accompanied by four defense attorneys, appeared relaxed and cheerful as he waited for more than an hour for the first prospective jurors to enter the courtroom.
UC Santa Cruz alumna gives back
SANTA CRUZ — Twenty-nine years after a jobless divorced mother returned to get her degree, the woman donated $1.4 million to UC Santa Cruz.
Kit Mura-smith’s donation was the largest ever single gift by an alumna.
Mura-smith, 60, went back to college in 1974 to get her degree, then pursued a career at a successful high-tech startup. She said she realized “what a gift I got at UCSC.”
Mura-smith put half her donation to the university library and half for scholarships for returning students.
Compiled from Bruin wire services.