Posted on 06/14/2005 7:32:32 AM PDT by Asphalt
Michael Jackson's fans were cheering and hugging each other Monday outside the courtroom where he was acquitted on all counts in his child molestation case. But it was impossible for us to get excited over the verdict. You could feel relief that this case was over and the 46-year-old "King of Pop" had gotten his day in court, but no number of "not guilty" pronouncements could erase the taint of the "lifestyle" choices that got him into trouble.
As Jackson was driven away in a funereal black vehicle, under the gaze of a now standard-issue helicopter camera, we wondered how he will respond to being freed of accusations some experts were sure he would be convicted of and even those who thought otherwise acknowledged came dangerously close to criminal behavior. Will the owner and aging lost boy of Neverland continue to insist he is pure of heart and spirit, did nothing wrong in sleeping with underage boys and faces no greater challenge than being misunderstood? Or will he respond to his brush with years in prison by facing up to his psychological problems and seeking help for them?
In saying "the healing process must begin," Jesse Jackson may have been talking about recovering from the grueling trial and its coverage. But Michael Jackson has deeper personal issues to deal with -- including, possibly, being in a state of denial. His strange appearance at the courtroom in his pajamas, his stomping on the roof of his SUV, his mystery trips to the E.R. certainly did nothing to establish his stability.
He will live with the knowledge that he owes his freedom to the prosecution's haphazard case as much as his pleas of innocence or any skillful turns by the defense to support them. This was a case, built and rebuilt over a decade by Santa Barbara County District Attorney Thomas Sneddon, undone by prosecution witnesses seemingly hired by the defense. They included a young accuser who kept changing his story; the accuser's mother, who came off as a gold digger and, in allowing him to sleep in Jackson's bed, a derelict parent, and an ex-wife of Jackson's, Debbie Rowe, who was brought in by prosecutors to testify against him but spoke of what a wonderful father he was. This despite being involved in a custody battle with him.
In the end, even as this verdict is applauded for showing you're not guilty until proven so in this country, it will, for some, confirm the notion that celebrities get their way in the justice system. Will Jackson's biggest media moment since "Thriller" recharge his career, which was on an artistic and commercial decline before the molestation charges were raised? Perhaps if he stops blaming other people for his misfortunes and starts taking responsibility for them. But if he continues living in his fantasy world, any buzz from this trial will wear off as fast as cable news can find another scandal to obsess over.
Exactly! I think it is possible that jurors could believe that Michael Jackson is very likely a child molester, but that there just wasn't enough evidence to convict in this case. But I don't believe these jurors were that high minded.
Making a clear decision to release a child molester to maintain the integrity of the judicial system would be a wrenching choice to make. Anyone truly faced with that wouldn't go running around on tv giving interviews. If it were me, I'd lock myself in the house for days praying that I made the right choice. And when the molester got to some other kid, I'd blow my brains out.
Wrong... There was a book of naked boys admitted into evidence. It was titled "The Boy".
Well, it is my opinion that she exposed him as a liar and extremely weak. I was mortified that they had chosen him as the foreman. It should have been Ray the engineer, who is thoughtful and intelligent and unfortunately allowed himself to be bulldozed by lesser minds.
I've seen other child molesters get convicted on less than this. There was a mountain of evidence. I believe that these jurors were intimidated by the celebrity factor, plain and simple. Boy-oh-boy I wish some East Coast jurors had gotten the chance to have a crack at this case. Who knows ? Perhaps one day they will.
Hey, I just read on Drudge that Jackson has been invited to the Live8 concert for a "sensational comeback". They're not too slow in trying to rehab one of their own MSM elite, are they?
I may be an optimist, but I believe there are a couple of boys who are victims out there who are waiting in the wings. Fueled by anger at this verdict they might, just might, bravely come forward. I refuse to be a cynic (although it would be easier, given this idiotic verdict)
I have been told by a sex crimes detective that an average pedophile molests on average at least 20 kids in his lifetime, and often more.
I don't agree, alas. I don't think this jury gives a damn. I don't think they care if Jackson was molesting these children or not. I think they'd give him a pass even if he did it right in front of them. I truly don't believe they care. This was an opportunity to stop this man from molesting children, and they let it go. WHy? They just don't care. They'd rather go on TV and try to make some money for themselves. Too much of America has become a nation of crooks , weasels and degenerates.
If you have actually HEARD these people talking today, I think you would have to be honest and just admit...they ARE morons. Frankly even if they agreed with me, well...I'd be kinder in my verbiage, but these folks are not Mensa candidates. They're a bunch of witless dummies -whether they agree with me or not. A moron is a moron.
Do you think it's okay for a 45 year old man to admit to sleeping in the same bed with young boys he's not related to? If you do, how could this be stopped? Or should it be stopped?
Or will he have a miracle recovery?
Nobody was "bulldozed." The very first vote taken was unanimous: not guilty on all counts. So all jurors had come to the same conclusion, independently.
There was a lot of evidence. As I've said before, what consistitutes sufficient evidence or proof is entirely subjective and can vary from jury to jury. I don't believe there is any amount of evidence that would have swayed this jury. I think they started off - most of them believing he was not guilty and I think they maintained that belief right to the end. It would not have mattered in the least what evidence the DA presented or not. People have been convicted of molestation on far less evidence and with a far less prominent reputation. Evidence is totally in the mind of the beholder. The bottom line is that Jackson is an open child molester and several members of this jury KNOW that and have ADMITTED that and they let him go anyway when they had sufficient evidence to hold him on at least some of the minor charges. What they did is INDEFENSIBLE, and his future victims lie on their heads.
Ya think mj's going to pay heed to the jury's warning.
Man! That's the funniest thing I've heard from the jury.
Well, I didn't hear any of them, but I will not trust your judgement since you are a biased filter.
So they are all witless cowardly buffoons. That vote in and of itself PROVES that they had not considered the evidence. HOw many charges were there for them to consider? and on the first vote they all voted not guilty on each charge? That can only mean that they did not actually evaluate the evidence. They went with their own biases, which were in favor of Michael Jackson and had been from Day One.
I am a total cynic, both about this case and this country. I think this case shows the degree to which this country has degenerated in terms of what people find acceptable and in terms of the intelligence level of the populace (and the degree to which the legal system has degenerated as well). Even if more victims came forth, do you think that any DA would actually try Jackson again? I don't. In terms of money, and difficulty of finding the funds and finding a jury that is not positively half-witted, I really don't expect to see him tried again. He has been given a free pass to molest children by this jury.
I dunno. I would hope this is the end of this sad piece of crap, but somehow I doubt it. It may be the end of his career in this country as he's just too big a butt of jokes. I mean, how can you make a comeback when most people in the country (except for that jury and some nuts outside the courtroom) believe you're a child molester, and you are the butt of every comedian on TV? I don't think that's going to change. He may be still viable overseas, especially in places where they routinely sell their children to make the rent money, however.
Excellent analogy.
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