Singer Michael Jackson replaces legal team with single attorney

It was unclear whether the move was the idea of Jackson or the two lawyers .
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Less than a week before his latest arraignment, Michael Jackson dumped his high-profile legal team in his child molestation case in favor of a single well-known attorney.
Attorneys Mark Geragos and Benjamin Brafman "decided to step down" from representing the pop star, Brafman said Sunday. He said the decision was "based on recent developments and discussions with various persons in the Jackson camp" but declined to reveal exactly what prompted the move.
Thomas Mesereau Jr., Jackson's new lawyer, represented actor Robert Blake in his murder case until they recently parted company, citing irreconcilable differences.
Arraignment scheduled
Mesereau has met with Jackson in the Orlando, Fla., area, where the singer is staying at a compound with his children. He said he would join the singer at a court date Friday, where Jackson will be arraigned on charges in a grand jury indictment handed up last week.
Geragos, who is currently in Northern California handling the Scott Peterson murder case, declined to discuss reasons for the change.
Loyola University law professor Laurie Levenson said the change could mean Jackson lost faith in his attorneys, or they in him. She also noted that Geragos' representation of Peterson could be a liability in trying to find an unbiased jury, and that Mesereau would bring less baggage to the case.
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