Do you personally think Michael Jackson is guilty?

[Kelly]

I think he could have done it in the past but I do not think he is guilty of these particular charges. I also heard one juror say he thought it was possible that Jackson had molested the prior accuser but he had no way of knowing for sure as he never heard the kid testify. He went on to say that the prosecution did not prove its case for this boy and all the family members seemed uncredible. There was plenty of reasonable doubt, IMHO. One part of the kids story I find most disturbing is his allegation that the molestation happened AFTER the documentary when the rebuttal video was being made and all the worlds attention was on this situation. That sounds odd to me.

[mondaymornin1]

Originally Posted by dissention

Do bears bear and bees be?

My dad says that! Love it!

Anyhooo, I think MJ is guilty. It's like 2 local DJ's said this morning---Martha Stewart was convicted and spent some time in "the cage"---but MJ is found not guilty. Just goes to show you that in America, you can mess with our kids, but don't f*#$ with our money!!

[gldstwmn]

Originally Posted by strandinthewind

I know - I thought I was agreeing with that/you - mea culpa!

Yes. On re-reading it this morning we agree completely.

[strandinthewind]

It juswt amazes me that people think MJ was aquitted because of his celebrity. Every single juror repeatedly said it was because the alleged victim's mother was a grifter and a liar who had been covicted as such in the past and all of the prosecution's witnesses were not credible. They also said that they considered MJ just as they would any other person. So, clearly and from the horses' mouths, celebrity was not a factor in the jury's decision. But, people will think what they want and who am I to keep them down

[dissention]

Originally Posted by mondaymornin1

My dad says that! Love it!

He must be a Moonlighting fan.

[mondaymornin1]

Originally Posted by dissention

He must be a Moonlighting fan.

You got it!

[dissention]

Originally Posted by mondaymornin1

You got it!

Squuuuuueeeeeeeee. Me, too. I haven't stopped watching the new DVDs since I got them.

[gldstwmn]

Originally Posted by strandinthewind

It juswt amazes me that people think MJ was aquitted because of his celebrity. Every single juror repeatedly said it was because the alleged victim's mother was a grifter and a liar who had been covicted as such in the past and all of the prosecution's witnesses were not credible. They also said that they considered MJ just as they would any other person. So, clearly and from the horses' mouths, celebrity was not a factor in the jury's decision. But, people will think what they want and who am I to keep them down

I was very impressed with what I saw of this jury. Did he have a jury consultant? If so, they did a very good job.

[strandinthewind]

Originally Posted by gldstwmn

I was very impressed with what I saw of this jury. Did he have a jury consultant? If so, they did a very good job.

I can assure you he had a one if not two jury consultants and they probably made well over a hundred grand each - money well spent considering one of the jurors, I think, was the victim of sexual abuse as a child - though I may have misremembered that.

Here is an article on the jurors:

Who are the Jackson trial jurors?

By Matthew Davis
BBC News, Santa Maria

Michael Jackson's fate was decided by a diverse jury of eight women and four men.

Their names are kept secret by the court, but glimpses into their private lives were revealed by questionnaires they submitted during the screening process and during jury selection.

A pool of 250 prospective jurors was whittled down to 12 in a process that required them to answer a number of questions ranging from whether they had ever visited Michael Jackson's Neverland ranch, to whether anyone they knew had been a victim of sexual abuse.

The jury's ethnic make-up - eight whites, three Latinos and one Asian - roughly reflects the spread of those eligible for jury duty in Santa Barbara County, home to the town of Santa Maria where Jackson's trial has been taking place.

About 2% of the county's population is black and one black juror is among the reserve jury members.

Distrusted

Most jurors told lawyers they enjoyed Jackson's music and were impressed by his career. Many also said they distrusted what they heard in the media, and few had seen recent interviews with the pop star.

Half the jurors have college degrees, half have full-time jobs and two are retired. There are eight parents among them, and four without children.

They range in age from 20 to 79 and include professionals, service workers, students and retirees:

Juror 1 - White male, 62
He is a civil engineer with a graduate degree. He has been married for the last 13 years and has four grown children. He owns a home in Santa Maria.

Juror 2 - Latino male, 63
A retired school counsellor. He enjoys bronze casting, has a passion for Western art and is an avid horseman.

Juror 3 - White female, 53
She has been a horse trainer for 33 years and said she was a subject of inaccurate media coverage when she was an Olympic hopeful.

Juror 4 - White female, 52
Former computer programmer and systems analyst who also used to be a high school maths teacher. She now says she is a homemaker with two teenage children, married to university researcher.

Juror 5 - White female, 79
The oldest juror is a grandmother who has lived in Santa Maria all her life. A widow with some college education, she is also a movie buff and a fan of the TV show Jeopardy. She has a close relative who is a registered sex offender.

Juror 6 - White female, 22
A physical therapy aide who works in a nursing home. She is a mother with two daughters and lives with her boyfriend.

Juror 7 - White male, 21
A student with a high school degree who lives in Santa Maria. He is a wheelchair user. His father has served in the US Air Force. A keen motorsports fan, he dreams of becoming a sports journalist.

Juror 8 - White female, 42
This juror is a special needs educational aide. Her four children are aged four to 20 years old.

Juror 9 - Asian female, 39
An office specialist for the county government whose first language is Indonesian. She has been married to a local TV reporter for eight-and-a-half years but has no children.

Juror 10 - White female, 45
A supermarket worker who previously sold radio advertising. She has three children aged 14 to 26.

Juror 11 - Latino male, 20
Single with no children, and has a disabled mother. Says he is a Simpsons fan and doesn't really watch television news. Lists his job as an assistant head cashier.

Juror 12 - Latino female, 44
Social services supervisor for the last 12 years whose ex-husband is a Santa Maria police officer. Says she also has a friend who is a police detective. Her half-brother served in Vietnam.

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/h...nt/4610913.stm

Published: 2005/06/05 09:29:07 GMT

[bikerchic]

What do you guy's think of MJ's fans? Are they crazy or just loyal? At first I thought they are just as f**king whacked as he is and why are they standing out there day after day supporting him when he could be a possible child molester? But then I thought what if Lindsey Buckingham (god forbid, I don't even like to think it, none alone write it) was up on the same charges (now I'm only using him as an example because I don't have any other male musical artist that I love as much as Lindsey to be able to relate properly), I would believe in his innocence, and if I lived near the court house (and didn't have a job and nothing better to do ) I would probably be there supporting him. Maybe this has already been discussed but I didn't read the whole thread, just curious what ya'll thought?

[diamondsnake]

Originally Posted by irishgrl

I wish he would become a pariah like OJ did, but I dont know if that will happen...

I think he will. I don't see any sort of comeback for him because he is just painful to look at. He is the ugliest man alive (if I do say so myself), he is just plain a freak. People appreciate the Michael Jackson of old but the people that currently respect the man are few and far between.

Someone like Martha Stewart can make this big comeback because people can relate and she is still the same person and I think people respect that fact that she did serve her time, held her head up high and is ready to start a new chapter in her life.

Michael Jackson is going to be the new OJ. I don't see him being a guest on Oprah anytime soon!

[strandinthewind]

As if on cue:

Attorney: Jackson will be more careful



Programming Note: Michael Jackson's lead defense attorney, Tom Mesereau, discusses the acquittal and how Jackson is doing, Larry King Live, tonight at 9 ET.

SANTA MARIA, California (CNN) -- Michael Jackson's lead defense attorney said Tuesday that he believes his client's behavior will change now that Jackson has been acquitted of charges including child molestation.

Thomas Mesereau Jr. says Jackson needs to be "tougher with who he lets into his life."

"He's allowed families to come into his life, not just young boys. Their parents were allowed to stay over, they did stay over, everything was done with the parents' permission," Mesereau said. "They were allowed to come in and out of his room. The prosecution tried to misinterpret and misconstrue what Michael Jackson did, and they failed, as they should have."

Mesereau bristled when asked if he believed Jackson would cease sleeping in the same bed with young boys.

"You've misinterpreted what he's said in the past," Mesereau told CNN's Soledad O'Brien, who asked whether the not-guilty verdict meant the sleepovers would stop.

Jackson was accused of molesting a 13-year-old boy two years ago when they were sleeping alone together in his bed at Neverland Ranch in Santa Barbara County.

The jury acquitted Jackson on all 10 counts. (Verdict list)

One of the jurors, however, said Tuesday he hopes the trial served as a "wake-up call" for Jackson and that his behavior would change.

"I don't have a problem with the decision that I made in this case," Raymond Hultman told CNN's "American Morning."

"I have a problem with Michael Jackson's behavior. And all I can say at this point is that I hope he recognizes that this is a serious problem and that his behavior is going to be affected in some way by it. I've learned a lot from this case, and I hope he does as well," Hultman said.

The jury foreman, Paul Rodriguez, said jurors were "very troubled" that Jackson, by his own admission, had overnight sleepovers with children in his bed.

But Rodriguez, a 63-year-old retired high school counselor from Santa Maria, said jurors were instructed by the judge to base their verdicts on the facts of the case, not "our beliefs or our own personal thoughts." (Full story)

Hultman said Monday he thought that Jackson had previously molested boys, although he said there was reasonable doubt as to whether he committed the crimes he was charged with.

"Michael Jackson has not molested anyone," Mesereau said.

"As far as Neverland and his home, he's been too nice to too many people. You know, people get to Michael with a sad story about their life, and he's so generous, he's so kindhearted, he takes people in and does nice things for them, and they suddenly decide they want to get rich off of Michael Jackson, and that has to change. He has to be a lot tougher with who he lets into his life, and who he allows to run around his home, and that will happen."

Asked specifically about the sleepovers with boys, Mesereau said, "I don't know what you mean by 'sleepover,' because he's allowed to have his own children into his room, he's allowed to have friends come into his room if he chooses, but he's not going to allow people like the ones who accused him of this to enter his life."

Mesereau said, "Michael Jackson will do what he is allowed to do in his own home, but he'll be very careful who he allows into his home."

Jackson made no comment, and didn't even smile, as he left the Santa Maria courthouse after the verdict Monday, surrounded by his parents and siblings.

He did wave and blow kisses to hundreds of supporters, who screamed, hugged one another and threw confetti when they heard the news. Some were overcome with tears of joy. (Fans react)

Jackson's brother, Jermaine, told CNN's "Larry King Live" his family was "very, very happy."

"Like we always felt from the very beginning and knew, he was one thousand percent innocent," he said. "It takes one person to tell the truth, but it takes many to concoct a lie."

Find this article at:
http://www.cnn.com/2005/LAW/06/14/ja...ain/index.html

____________________________________________________

What a stupid stupid man to allow any child whatsoever to step foot on the grounds of his estate I hope he videotapes everything they do because he is getting ready for another suit(s).

[diamondsnake]

Originally Posted by strandinthewind

It juswt amazes me that people think MJ was aquitted because of his celebrity. Every single juror repeatedly said it was because the alleged victim's mother was a grifter and a liar who had been covicted as such in the past and all of the prosecution's witnesses were not credible. They also said that they considered MJ just as they would any other person. So, clearly and from the horses' mouths, celebrity was not a factor in the jury's decision. But, people will think what they want and who am I to keep them down

If he didn't do it and there is reasonable doubt then he doesn't belong in prison. I do think that he belongs in a nut house though and should not be aloud to roam the streets. Anyone that admits to sleeping with little boys that are not part of his family should be locked away.

[strandinthewind]

Originally Posted by diamondsnake

If he didn't do it and there is reasonable doubt then he doesn't belong in prison. I do think that he belongs in a nut house though and should not be aloud to roam the streets. Anyone that admits to sleeping with little boys that are not part of his family should be locked away.

Actually, he doesn't belong in prison only if there is reasonable doubt, legal culpability does not really care whether one actually did a crime - sad, very true.

[diamondsnake]

Originally Posted by bikerchic

What do you guy's think of MJ's fans? Are they crazy or just loyal? At first I thought they are just as f**king whacked as he is and why are they standing out there day after day supporting him when he could be a possible child molester? But then I thought what if Lindsey Buckingham (god forbid, I don't even like to think it, none alone write it) was up on the same charges (now I'm only using him as an example because I don't have any other male musical artist that I love as much as Lindsey to be able to relate properly), I would believe in his innocence, and if I lived near the court house (and didn't have a job and nothing better to do ) I would probably be there supporting him. Maybe this has already been discussed but I didn't read the whole thread, just curious what ya'll thought?

See that is hard to say. Someone like MJ is really insane and you can easily believe the charges. With someone like Lindsey, you just know that the charges would be false because he has never acted strange or done anything that would lead you to belive that he would do that. With MJ, he clearly has some psychological issues so it wouldn't be completely out of the blue for sexual molestation charges to come up.

If Lindsey was the celeb in question I would be on Lindsey's side because I know he could never do that.