Michael Jackson walks!

Hi Gig
You said it all...I think it really is a case of the jurors not wanting to concede the fact that somebody so popular-that in fact many of us have admired at one time or another, could be such a monster.
I could talk about this case for days-it's so complicated. It was interesting that many of the jurors admitted after the verdict that in fact, they believed that Jackson was a child molestor, but that the state's case was not sufficiently strong. Many of today's jurors do not fully understand the meaning of the term-"reasonable doubt". Most equate this with the idea of a perfect, incontrovertible, open-and-shut evidence against a defendant. In the real world however, it is almost impossible, with a high priced defence team, to produce such a result.
A sad day indeed....it looks like money and fame can indeed buy anything. Just think...Martha Stewart went to jail for a few mis-timed phone calls...and Micheal Jackson uses children for his own sick gratification and walks away free.....

It's great to see you, Xenamoured!

Yeah, it all comes down to "beyond a reasonable doubt," and if the prosecution had brought in the kid from the previous case that was settled, I don't see how the prosecution could have lost.  So why didn't he bring in the kid who described Michael's private parts right down to the freckle?  Was there some legal technicality that wouldn't allow it, or did the prosecutor not really want to put Michael away?

Yeah, even DNA proof couldn't put OJ away with the jury he had.  If juries consisted of professionals... psychologists, forensic scientists, detectives, etc... then verdicts would be much more accurate.  But when you pull 12 Joe Blows off the street, stick them in the jury box and let counsel weave any kind of "evidence" they want to, it's no wonder the verdicts turn out to be such farces, and in the case of the rich and famous, you get more of a circus act than a trial.


BH —

I sure hope he would have a personal vendetta against a pedophile.  If I were the prosecution, I would have done my best to have him put away, either behind bars or into a mental hospital.  He was already proven to be guilty when the kid in the previous case described the freckle on his private parts and Sneddon knew this.  It was because the evidence was so irrefutable that he settled for millions of dollars (I think it was 20 million), so he wouldn't have to go to jail, as well as for damage control.  Obviously it worked, because some people still question his guilt.

I agree with all three of you that nobody should ever let their child go to a sleepover with a grown man and not be present themselves.  What amazes me is how parents keep allowing their children to attend these sleepover especially after such allegations have been made, even if they don't completely believe them to be true.  As they say, better safe than sorry, and I wouldn't want to take that chance with my child.  Sure, I might take my kid there, let them ride some rides, and take them back home with me at the end of the day.  But would I leave that child out of my site for an instant?  Other than letting him go to the bathroom while I can at least see the bathroom door (and maybe even check the bathroom out first to make sure he'll be alone), I would have to say no.

Cook: I caught Michael Jackson groping child actor Macaulay Culkin

For the sake of hearing both sides:
Culkin: Jackson 'never' molested me

Macaulay Culkin reluctant to defend Michael Jackson

What a weak excuse for not wanting to testify on behalf of someone who is supposed to such be a close friend of his.  If he was such a good friend, I would think Culkin would immediately jump to his side and say no he didn't do it, but instead all he could say is "no comment" until he was served with a subpoena and was legally obligated to appear on the witness stand.

Of course he was reluctant to testify.  He didn't want to be followed by all those paparazzi and have all those stories about him in the tabloids, as well as being the subject of all those late night talk show hosts' monologues.  And this wouldn't just be for a week or even a month, but he would hear jokes about it from time to time for years to come.  I mean, how long ago was the OJ case, and we're still hearing about that.  Not only that, but how many regular Joes out there do you think would want to admit to being molested as a child?  It's too embarrassing for even the average Joe to discuss, and guys are much more reluctant to admit something like that than girls are.  They're afraid of how they would be looked at by people, and when you add stardom to the mix, you add the fear of what it will do to one's popularity, thus their career.  Due to testimony from more than one source, and due to his reluctance to testify on Jackson's behalf, I have no doubt that Culkin was molested by Jackson.

Let's also not forget that Culkin is an actor.  I'm sure he put on an exemplary performance on the witness stand.

Jurors outline reasons for Jackson's acquittal

Character witnesses don't mean squat.  They're just a ploy that defense attorneys use to get their clients off.  Jeffrey Dahmer's neighbors thought he was a nice guy, too, and never would've guessed in a million years that he was eating people.  It doesn't matter if the character witness is a close friend or even a spouse, either.  Wives are quite often shocked or in denial when they find out their husband is a serial killer, and it's not like Jackson is going to tell Elizabeth Taylor if he rubs his family jewels on a kid.  Of course he's a nice guy when he's not molesting children, and even I don't think he realizes he's hurting them.  He just thinks he's loving them, and that is the impression his friends get when they talk to him.

I also feel sorry for the guy.  His dad used to beat him and his brothers to force them to be 'perfect' and make him lots of money.  His older brothers and his dad used to pick up groupies on the road, and if I recall correctly, some of them even had sex with those groupies while young Michael was in the same room.  He never had a real childhood, and I can understand all the arcade games and even his amusement park and zoo animals to try and make up for that loss.  But he crosses the line when he exposes himself to young children and who knows what else.

I honestly don't know for a fact that he molested the child in this particular case.  After all, the mother claimed they were being held hostage at the very time she ran out to get a manicure, so who knows what else she could be lying about.  I did get the distinct impression that Jackson's relationship with the boy was less than innocent when I saw them in the interview with Bashir; although after reading more about the case, I'm not so sure the kid wasn't coached by his mom to sit like that with Jackson.  I think I would need to see the kid's testimony to really tell one way or the other.

What is beyond reasonable doubt in my mind, though, is that he molested the young boy who described Jackson's genitals right down to the freckle.  How else would he know about it if he hadn't gotten a very close look at it?

Then you have two different adults from two different occasions that testify to Jackson giving alcohol to young boys -- both at the ranch and on a private airplane, flying across state lines without his parents -- hiding the alcohol in pop cans; and several other witnesses who have nothing to gain, testifying to other inappropriate and/or lewd behavior.  Logical deduction states that that young boy whose case was settled out of court for over $20 million wasn't the only boy he has molested.

Michael Jackson Acquitted

Some jurors believe star probably molested others

I guess this post is long enough, and I'll probably have more to say later.  But for now, I leave the floor to someone else.

*steps down & leaves soapbox for someone else*.....thanks Le, that felt good....

Thanks for a lot of good thoughts and discussion on this troubling event. But if M.J. isn't a pervert he is awfully close to the line. I can't comment on the verdict, There it is: Not guilty, which only says 'presumed innocent.' I hope Mikey wakes up and becomes aware of what this was all about, and maybe changes his attitudes, and his behaviour.

rejean

And don't forget to tell your daughter about bad "nice" people. Yick.