Witness Testifies About Travolta's Desperation

The first witness has taken the stand in the John Travolta extortion case and testified John initially wanted to take his son Jett to an airport instead of a local hospital.

Police inspector Andrew Wells testified paramedic/defendant Tarino Lightbourne told him John signed a form releasing medical professionals from liability in order to take the dying 16-year-old boy to the airport.

As we previously reported, John thought it would take just as long to put Jett on a plane to Florida -- where he could get better care than at a Bahamian hospital. John had a change of heart en route and Jett went to the hospital, where he later died.

Prosecutors claim Lightbourne and former state senator Pleasant Bridgewater tried extorting Travolta, demanding $25 million in return for not making the release form public.