Thomas W. Sneddon Jr. | |
|---|---|
| 33rdDistrict Attorney ofSanta Barbara County | |
| In office January 3, 1983 – January 9, 2007 | |
| Preceded by | Stan Roden |
| Succeeded by | Christie Stanley |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Thomas William Sneddon Jr. (1941-05-26)May 26, 1941 South Gate, California, U.S. |
| Died | November 1, 2014(2014-11-01) (aged 73) Santa Barbara, California, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 9 |
| Alma mater | |
| Known for | Prosecutingchild sex abuse allegations againstMichael Jackson |
Thomas William Sneddon Jr. (May 26, 1941 – November 1, 2014) was an American lawyer and politician who served as thedistrict attorney ofSanta Barbara County, California, from 1983 to 2007. He is best known for leading two investigations ofMichael Jackson onchild sexual abuse allegations in 1993 and 2005. His most famous case was when he was prosecuting child molestation charges against Jackson in a2005 trial, at the end of which Jackson was acquitted.[1]
A native of Los Angeles County, Sneddon was born inSouth Gate, California on May 26, 1941, and was raised inLynwood, California.[2][3] In 1963, he graduated from theUniversity of Notre Dame, where he studied history and was on the boxing team, and in 1966 fromUCLA Law School.[4] From 1967 to 1969 he served in theU.S. Army during theVietnam War.[5]
From November 1969 until May 1977, Sneddon served as a Deputy District Attorney inSanta Barbara County. In 1977, he was promoted to the position of Supervisor of Criminal Operations. In 1982, he was elected the 33rdDistrict Attorney ofSanta Barbara County, succeeding Stan Roden and taking office on January 3, 1983.[6] He was re-elected without opposition for five terms. He did not seek re-election in 2006 and retired in January 9, 2007; he was succeeded by Christie Stanley, a longtime deputy district attorney in his office.[2][4][7]
A father of 9 children, Sneddon was Chair of the Committee for Child Support Enforcement since its inception in 1991. He was presented with a "Director's Award" in 1995 by the California Family Support Council. A year later he was appointed co-chair of the National District Attorney's Child Support Committee and invited by theUS Attorney GeneralJanet Reno to be a member of the Presidential Commission's Federal Task Force to review and enhance federal criminal prosecutions for failure to pay child support.[citation needed]
Sneddon was aRepublican, but in 2002, he endorsed the re-election of DemocratBill Lockyer, who was seeking a second term as California's attorney general.[8]
His most publicized cases were his two investigations ofMichael Jackson onchild sexual abuse allegations in 1993/1994 and from 2003 to 2005. Jackson settled a relatedcivil suit with a civil settlement of over $15 million to the plaintiffJordan Chandler who ceased cooperating with investigators soon after receiving the settlement from Jackson.[9] The grand jury was disbanded before it could make a decision on indictment.[10]
The second set of allegations against Jackson resulted in atrial which ended on June 13, 2005, with Jackson's acquittal.[11][12] Sneddon later asserted that the jury was starstruck by Jackson, and maintained that any other defendant "would have been convicted in less than two hours".[4]
In 1995 Jackson wrote a song about him, titled "D.S."; Sneddon denied ever listening to the song.[13]
Jackson reportedly kept an "enemy list" on which Sneddon appeared, along with RabbiShmuley Boteach, illusionistUri Geller, music executiveTommy Mottola, attorneyGloria Allred, andJanet Arvizo, mother of a Jackson accuser.[14]
Sneddon and his wife, Pamela (née Shires), met at UCLA.[2] They married in 1967 and had nine children.[2][3]
On November 1, 2014, Sneddon died from cancer atSanta Barbara Cottage Hospital, at the age of 73.[3]
