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By TIM MOLLOY, Associated Press Writer

SANTA MARIA, Calif. - For the second time in less than two weeks, Michael Jackson arrived late to his child molestation trial Monday, walking slowly and stiffly into court. But the judge ordered testimony to resume with no explanation of what transpired during a 45-minute delay.

Superior Court Judge Rodney S. Melville ordered lawyers to continue questioning an investigator, sheriff's Sgt. Conn Abel, who was on the stand last week when testimony recessed.

The pop star had been was threatened with arrest on March 10 when he came more than an hour late after an early morning trip to a hospital for treatment of what his attorneys said was a back injury. Despite the threat, Melville took no action that time.

Jackson's motorcade pulled up at the courthouse about one minute past the 8:30 a.m. start time and it took him a couple of minutes to get inside. Aides held onto his arms as he walked.

For several minutes there was a series of entrances and exits from the courtroom. At one point a man in surgical scrubs was in court, although it was not known if he was a doctor. Defense attorney Thomas Mesereau Jr. entered and left repeatedly, at one point speaking to a bailiff. Jackson's mother, Katherine, left court.

In the earlier incident, Jackson arrived wearing a jacket over pajama bottoms after his aides sped him from a hospital to try to beat a one-hour deadline set by the judge when he wasn't in court at the scheduled start time. He came in a few minutes after the deadline passed.

The singer's spokeswoman said on that day Jackson awakened at 4:30 a.m. and his back gave out, requiring treatment.

On Thursday, the most recent day of testimony in the case, a Jackson attorney said the singer's back was still bothering him and he planned to rest and relax during the weekend. Jackson did not have to attend a motions hearing that was held on Friday.

Prosecutors have said they may wrap up the stage of their case focusing on a boy's molestation claims as early as this week.

District Attorney Tom Sneddon said in a hearing last week that prosecutors may finish presenting evidence about the 15-year-old's allegations that Jackson molested him by Friday.

Those expected to testify about the alleged molestation include investigators who searched Jackson's Neverland Valley Ranch on Nov. 18, 2003, and Stan Katz, a psychologist who interviewed the boy and his brother about the alleged molestation.

What comes after the testimony will depend on how Melville rules in a hearing next Monday on the prosecution's request that they be allowed to present evidence of alleged past molestations by Jackson. If the judge agrees to admit the evidence, they may begin presenting witnesses about Jackson's past immediately after the ruling.

When testimony left off Thursday, prosecutors were presenting dozens of books and adult magazines seized from Neverland that they allege Jackson may have used to lure his accuser into being molested.

The boy and his brother said they saw several adult magazines when they were in Jackson's bedroom. In one instance, they said they found the publications while poking through Jackson's belongings.

Sneddon said in opening statements that one magazine found at Neverland had fingerprints from Jackson and his accuser, but the defense argues that could be because Jackson once caught the boys looking at his magazines.

The defense says the boy also may have touched the magazine during his testimony before the grand jury. The prosecution denied that in Friday's hearing, but acknowledged that the magazines were not fingerprinted until after the grand jury proceedings.