The following article was reported by Santa Barbara News Press:

Michael Jackson's defense lawyers lambasted the media Monday, charging that press coverage has turned the legal proceedings into a circus.

The charge was made by defense lawyer Robert Sanger. He was objecting to a media lawyer's request that the Court of Appeal hasten consideration of a challenge to a judge's decision to seal all the documents in the child molestation case.
"The circus created by the news media in this case has defied all rationality," Mr. Sanger wrote. "The illogic of the charges against Mr. Jackson and the absence of evidence to support the charges has been drowned in the flood of commotion. Mr. Jackson's innocence has been lost in the media need to generate ratings, sell newspapers and garner mass audiences."
Mr. Sanger's court filing is the latest example of the high stakes legal wrangling about every aspect of the case against the entertainer.
Theodore Boutrous, who represents numerous news organizations, has repeatedly sought more access to documents, saying this would allow the public to judge better whether the legal system is working effectively.

However, Mr. Sanger said: "The interest in this case is more voyeuristic and entertainment-related than it is an interest of a audience concerned with matters of government or public affairs... This is a case where the conduct of the government is called into question. However, those questions have been raised in portions of the pleadings which have been unsealed."
From the beginning, the Jackson case has been cloaked in secrecy — from a gag order prohibiting lawyers from speaking with reporters to a secret grand jury proceeding where witnesses were smuggled into the hearing behind blackened vehicle windows.
Documents have also been routinely sealed, keeping basic facts about the alleged crimes secret. Superior Court Judge Rodney Melville has said he ordered the documents sealed to protect the rights of the alleged minor victim and to ensure a fair trial.
Mr. Boutrous has said this can be accomplished without compromising the public's right to know.
Mr. Jackson is accused of lewd conduct, administering alcohol to commit molestation, conspiracy to commit child abduction, false imprisonment and extortion. He pleaded not guilty to all charges April 30. The trial has tentatively been scheduled to begin Sept. 13. The next court date in the case is scheduled for July 27