Obviously ailing and trembling Michael Jackson arrived late to his child molestation trial again Monday and walked hesitantly into court along with a doctor in surgical scrubs, but after a 45-minute delay the judge ordered testimony to resume with no explanation to the jury.

Superior Court Judge Rodney S. Melville took no apparent action against the singer, who he had threatened with arrest and revocation of bail when he failed to show up on time on March 10 after an early morning trip to a hospital for treatment of what his lawyers said was a back injury.

Jackson, 46, took tiny, hesitant steps entering the courtroom and appeared to be in great pain.

Robert R. Butterworth, psychologist at International Trauma Associates, suggested that "Michael Jackson is beginning to manifest overt symptoms of extreme stress, as demonstrated by an increase of physical ailments and a susceptibility to illness, resulting from his presence at his molestation trial.”

“We are beginning to see what could be a psychological meltdown, as the testimony and the reality of the charges begin to penetrate his psyche. Stress has the power to not only disable one's emotional equilibrium, but it can manifest itself as a breakdown of one's physical health. Jackson's back pains and flu symptoms, both requiring hospitalization, fit this stress pattern." 

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