Michael Jackson News

Michael Jackson might be able to see some daylight up ahead, but he isn't out of the woods yet.

A Los Angeles judge made things slightly more comfortable for the elusive singer Monday, dismissing a handful of allegations—including child molestation and fraud—that a 21-year-old man leveled at Jackson earlier this year, according to L.A.'s City News Service.

Plaintiff Daniel Kapon has accused the former King of Pop of a slew of unsavory acts, saying Jackson "repeatedly and forcefully sexually molested him" between the ages of 2 and 14.

L.A. Superior Court Judge Rolf Treu tossed the molestation claim, along with charges of plagiarism, conversion, breach of contract, accounting fraud, negligence, civil conspiracy and unfair business practices.

Allegations of assault, battery, willful misconduct, false imprisonment and sexual battery are still on the table, however.

Kapon stated in his lawsuit (originally filed in Orange County in January but transferred to L.A. County in March) that, starting in 1987, Jackson forced him to take drugs and drink alcohol, subjected him to unnecessary cosmetic surgery, burned, tortured and beat him.

The "false imprisonment" allegedly occurred at various times between 1987 and 1991 at Neverland Ranch and at Jackson's homes in Encino and Woodland Hills. Kapon was also occasionally held captive in a car, the complaint stated.

According to court documents, Jackson supposedly ripped off Kapon's song lyrics, ideas and melodies during the lucrative years when Bad, Dangerous, HIStory and Blood on the Dance Floor were released, between 1987 and 1997. (Yes, those were the same years when Kapon was between the ages of 4 and 14.)

Hence the dismissal of the business-related charges, perhaps? On Friday, Treu also granted Sony BMG and Sony Music Holding's motions to have themselves dropped as defendants. Kapon alleged that the two entities were complicit in Jackson's so-called breach of contract and creative thievery.

Jackson's attorney, Marshall Brubacher, pointed toward the statute of limitations, stating in court papers that most of the causes of action listed in Kapon's suit could no longer be prosecuted.

Most, maybe, but not all. The remaining case is scheduled to go to trial June 4. And although the banging of the gavel is still a ways away, who wants to bet that Jackson will testify—if necessary—via taped deposition, considering he hasn't set foot in the U.S. since being acquitted of criminal molestation charges a year and a half ago?