SANTA MARIA, Calif. – Dressed in a bright white suit and a jewel-trimmed vest and belt, Michael Jackson yesterday stood before the first group of prospective jurors who could decide his fate on charges he molested a teenage cancer patient and plied the boy with alcohol at his Neverland ranch.

The pop superstar, accompanied by four defense lawyers, stood and smiled as he faced prospective jurors for the start of jury selection in what could become the most sensational celebrity trial the world has ever seen. He greeted the clerk with a handshake at the courthouse in this small city in central California about 15 miles from the Pacific coast.

Outside, several hundred fans from around the world pressed up against a chain-link fence and shouted words of encouragement, holding up signs that read, “Dear God, Please Give Michael Justice” and “France Supports and Loves MJ.”

Fans danced and sang a Jackson song attacking the district attorney and booed a woman who held a sign backing the accuser. Still, the scene was not as crazy as a year ago at Mr. Jackson’s arraignment, when 1,500 or more watched the star dance on an SUV outside the courthouse.

Santa Barbara County District Attorney Thomas Sneddon, whom Jackson has derided in a song as a “cold man” with a vendetta, did not come to court. A deputy represented the prosecution.

Mr. Jackson, 46, is charged with molesting a teenage boy – then 13, now 15 – and plying him with alcohol.

On Sunday, Mr. Jackson issued a court-approved video statement on his Web site, predicting he would be acquitted. His parents also spoke out in his defense yesterday, saying the young accuser was after his money.

“I know my son, and this is ridiculous,” his mother, Katherine Jackson, said in an interview broadcast on the CBS television program “The Early Show.” She said people who believe her son is guilty “don’t know him.”

Judge Rodney Melville told prospective jurors that they might have to serve for about six months, but that it was an important duty. Jury selection for this trial could last a month or longer.

“Most of us have relatives who have fought and died to protect this service,” Judge Melville said. “Freedom is not free. Jury duty is part of the cost of freedom.”

Three hundred prospective jurors came to court yesterday in two groups. The pool was predominantly white, about a quarter Hispanic, and with only a few black prospects. Another 300 were to be processed today.