Posted on 08/08/2005 1:43:20 PM PDT by COUNTrecount
Two of the jurors who voted to acquit singer Michael Jackson of child molestation and other charges say they regret their decisions.
Jurors Ray Hultman and Eleanor Cook, who both have pending book deals, planned to appear Monday night on the new MSNBC show "Rita Cosby: Live and Direct."
In a preview shown Monday on NBC's "Today," Cosby asked Cook if the other jurors will be angry with her.
"They can be as angry as they want to. They ought to be ashamed. They're the ones that let a pedophile go," responded Cook, 79.
Hultman, 62, told Cosby he was upset with the way other jurors approached the case: "The thing that really got me the most was the fact that people just wouldn't take those blinders off long enough to really look at all the evidence that was there."
Hultman has said previously that when jurors took an anonymous poll early in their deliberations he was one of three jurors who voted for conviction.
On June 13, the jurors unanimously acquitted Jackson of all charges, which alleged that he molested a 13-year-old boy, plied the boy with wine and conspired to hold him and his family captive so they would make a video rebutting a damaging television documentary.
Explaining the turnaround by Cook and Hultman, Larry Garrison, who is working with both on their separate books and a combined television movie, said all the jurors "had an agreement (to be united) and then basically when they went on 'Larry King Live,' both Eleanor and Ray couldn't tolerate what was going on anymore. They said, 'Enough is enough.'"
Cook told Cosby: "The air reeked of hatred and people were angry and I had never been in an atmosphere like that before."
In June, Hultman told The Associated Press about the verdict: "That's not to say he's an innocent man. He's just not guilty of the crimes he's been charged with."
During an appearance on ABC's "Good Morning America" with five other jurors in June, Cook was one of three who raised their hands when asked if they thought Jackson may have molested other children but not the 13-year-old boy.
"We had our suspicions, but we couldn't judge on that because it wasn't what we were there to do," she said at the time.
Hultman's book will be called "The Deliberator" and Cook's is "Guilty as Sin, Free as a Bird," said Garrison. Part of the profits from their book sales will go to charity, he said.
Both were in seclusion and unavailable for comment until after the MSNBC broadcast, Garrison said.
I guess a hung jury doesn't get you enough juice for a book deal that a (not)guilty verdict does. Otherwise these two would have held out.
I think the only serious deliberations going on with this jury were with their book/media agents.
That isn't what they said.
In June, Hultman told The Associated Press about the verdict: "That's not to say he's an innocent man. He's just not guilty of the crimes he's been charged with."
During an appearance on ABC's "Good Morning America" with five other jurors in June, Cook was one of three who raised their hands when asked if they thought Jackson may have molested other children but not the 13-year-old boy.
"We had our suspicions, but we couldn't judge on that because it wasn't what we were there to do," she said at the time.
This is how I read it...
"I really thought he was guilty. I still do. But, we were all getting tired, and it wasn't going to happen. So, I changed my vote, we acquitted him, and I was able to get out of there to get the ball rolling on my book/movie deals."
The woman is utterly despicable.
Totally agree on that point and further who really gives a - - - - (insert 4 letter word here)!
The "united" agreement stuff sounds like it was following the verdict. That they wouldn't bicker about it in public.
Malarkey. Which lawyers? The case was full of holes.
It's not the jurors' fault that there was no conviction, it is the District Attorney's fault.
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One might say that, given the case was weak, but they still had enough to convict. An appeal would not have stood on its own. As far as I am concerned this jury was a pile of excrement. Weak. Easily intimidated. But sadly, that is how our system works.
So this twisted, psycho-pedophile is out to continue to examine the rectums of young boys...
...2 regret... there are a lot of us who wish we were the jurors - case closed Ped!
Look in the mirror lady, if you want to see who let the pervert go!! Unbelievable.
Oh, cry me a river!
Two more "victims" trying to make a buck off their stupidity!
I think they share the blame.
Tell the story to your grandchildren. Late at night. When you can't sleep. Because you know, in your heart of hearts, he was guilty. And you let him go free. POS.
No, Lady, YOU'RE responsible for letting a pedophile go, you could have hung the jury and let him be tried again. You had no courage.
Or, let's say you didn't commit the murder. But, if a prosecutor who's sharper than your pro bono lawyer can convince 51% of your 'peers' that you did it, you fry.
No, thanks.
taking a annonymous poll?? What's that all about?????????
Cook let him off knowing that he was guilty. Personally, I wouldn't pay $0.02 for Cook's book and hope that no one else does either.
It's not juror's job to convict people without evidence.
Let them point their crooked accusative finger all they want in hopes to boost book sales. Bottom line: "On June 13, the jurors UNANIMOUSLY acquitted Jackson of all charges". End of story!
I totally agree. I think he is a freaking weirdo but I saw nothing but a bunch of parasites hanging on him looking for money. It's almost like his development stopped when he was about 10- he seems so naive and unaware of the vultures that are all around him. Gross, really gross.
Today>Cosby>jurors>pedophile
Whores using whores using whores....
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