This week, a grand jury will be convened in Santa Barbara County to hear testimony concerning the [Michael Jackson] case, and the bill Garcetti is pushing will be introduced in the state assembly.

Los Angeles District Attorney Gil Garcetti urged state legislators last week to amend a law that now prohibits forcing people who say they have been sexually assaulted to testify in criminal proceedings.

If passed, the change would take effect immediately and allow Garcetti to compel the 14-year-old boy with whom Jackson reached an out-of-court settlement last month to testify in any criminal trials growing out of his widely reported charge that the superstar sexually abused him.