The media and Jackson’s people are making the boy and his family out to be gold diggers and greatly exaggerating it.
Considering, the mother did sue JC Penney’s and they settled. She won, no matter how you cut it, as soon as they paid out. Gold digger? Maybe. Telling the truth? Probably. Why would someone pay someone if they were lying? Just like Jacko paying off the last accuser’s family.
Also, the boy has testified this week, and was asked if he knew that he could, between now and when he’s 18, file a civil suit. The boy swore up and down that he’s not in it for the money, and will not file a civil suit, under oath.
The evidence is stacking up terribly against Jackson. There are witnesses to the abuse. There were scripts found for the family to read on camera, praising Jackson. The boy lied to the dean because he was embarrassed - and maybe some people don’t get that, but I DO. Because as a child, I was the same way. There are some things in life, at that age, that are so confusing and hurtful, embarrassing and awful, that you just want to hide it all and forget about it, pretend it never happened. I tell you, some of you could read that kid’s testimony from this week, and it is completely believable.
Guilty as sin, lock him up before he does it again and again, knowing he can get away with it. Take away his statues and paintings of nude boys hugging him and dancing around him. Take away his bedroom door alarm that warns him if anyone is coming. Guilty. Guilty. Guilty.
The sad thing is, molestors usually target people like this family-kids from broken homes who are unlikely to report what’s going on, or who won’t be believed if they do.
I say he’s guilty, mostly after reading this. That IS Michael Jackson.
I’m starting to think that he’ll be acquitted (which is, or course, a different question) based on the latest report of prosecutorial desperation:
I can only assume that the defense decided that it was better to let the prosecution do a slow bleed after shooting itself in the foot than to request that the material be thrown out as irrelevant.
I don’t really think he’s guilty, but he’s sure as hell not innocent. I believe he behaved inappropriately, on more than the occasions for which he’s being tried, but I am not at all convinced that he’s sane or rational enough to know the difference between right and wrong, in such circumstances.
At best, he’s shown repeated poor judgment in his dealings with children. Because of that, I don’t think he should continue to parent his own children, nor should he be allowed around anybody else’s kids.
I don’t think prison will do any good. Commitment to an institution, perhaps, where he could get some psychiatric help that he so obviously needs.
As to whether he’ll be convicted or not, I have no idea. The O.J. trial shocked the hell out of me, as did the Scott Peterson trial, and the Robert Blake trial. I called every one of those incorrectly, so I’ve quit trying to predict what juries will do.
Michael Jackson has some huge issues. He may have abused kids. He may have even abused this kid. But he didn’t do what the kid is alleging in this case.
It seems pretty clear that it is a setup masterminded by the mother to get some cash. The allegations came out just as Jackson stopped giving them money, the mother has a history of this sort of thing, the kid can’t keep his story straight, the “kidnapping” charges are absurd, and the evidence is flimsy. Remember how the kids undies were found in MJ’s daughter’s bathroom? To me that seems more like someone deliberatly planting them somewhere that MJ rarely ventures than whatever scenerios I can think of where MJ would put them there.
Sadly, it’s possible, even probable that he will skate on these charges. I don’t think the current jury can take into account any prior accusations, payoffs, etc. in deciding this case. Since the current victim denied to witnesses that he was molested, even though denial in molestation cases is common, the jury may feel they have to acquit. Too bad he can’t be put away for being creepy.
What I don’t understand is the public adulation of such a person.
If you read the fan forums, it’s obvious that they’re just as crazy as he is.
As for the verdict, I think it could go either way, but I’m steeling myself for not guilty, because I really don’t want to be disappointed like I was with OJ. I think he’s guilty and I’d hate to see him go free, but it just may end up happening.
That hasn’t been decided yet, the judge on the case wanted to see the prosecutions case in chief before decided if “prior bad acts” could be presented. I think California is unique in that settlements can be introduced at trial in this way. That will be decided on one of the “Dark” Fridays. If those prior accusations are anything like the one’s by this accuser, say buh-bye to Jacko.
Incidentally, I tend to watch Court TV for coverage rather than the local news. The local news seems to sensationlize what they perceive as prosecution mistakes. That’s why I think so many people thought Peterson would get off. I wan’t the least bit surprised by the Peterson verdict.
I think there’s a very good chance he acted improperly, although I’m not sure he’s committed true sexual assault. There’s some strong evidence from both sides.
The only thing I’m positive of is that he’s a victim of his success and money, and I feel for him. If he is convicted I hope that they don’t throw in the general population.
I just wish someone had smacked him upside the head about fifteen years ago and then explained to him a little of how the real world works.
I’m fed up with him! I’ve gone from being a huge fan in the seventies through Thriller to someone who is thoroughly disgusted with him. He has shown himself to be dishonest and manipulative (no plastic surgery, dislocated arms, speaks in normal voice when unguarded, etc.), but I don’t he’s guilty.
It’s pretty well known that child molesters have very strong compulsions and it has even gotten to the point that they have to register and let everyone know where they are just because their ability to control themselves is so limited.
Yet Jackson has had close contact with thousands of children over several decades, and there have only been a handful of accusations, none of which has ever been proved, much less this one. The family behind this go round must have absolutely no sense of carmic retribution or conscience. What a bunch of low-life scuzzbugs!
My gut feeling is that he’s very clearly guilty. But I don’t know whether it’s beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law (yet). As an earlier post said, if they got the other kids who previously settled with him out of court on similar charges to testify against him, then… case closed!
Guilty, and what scares the bejesus out of me is that I don’t think he has the mental ability to understand that he has done anything wrong. I think, in his mind, he is still a little boy, so sharing a bed with his chums is completely normal, which is why he is so horrified whenever accusations come up.
There’s something not wired right in his brain. He doesn’t comprehend that what he’s done is wrong.
I think both that he is guilty and that the mother is just in it for the money. She knew or suspected that Jackson is a pedophile (doesn’t take a rocket scientist) and got her kids close to him, figuring that he’d do something bad with 'em, and then she’d cash in. Much as that sucks, that’s what seems most logical and likely to me.
But I say if he is found guilty, then the parents of that kid should get the exact same punishment as MJ. After all, unless you have lived with Osama in a cave for the past 15 years, you know full well the stories of what may or may not happen with little boys at Neverland Ranch.
Any parent who freely sends their boy(s) for unsupervised sleepovers with MJ deserves to get the same punishment for abetting/pimping/child endangerment.
If MJ were a serial child molester, I think the victims would be crawling out of the wall at this point (like they did when abuse by priests started geting publicity). There was one previous accusation; it ended in a pay-off, which is not the same as MJ admitting guilt. He is mentally fragile, and he was subjected to intense humiliation. I don’t find it odd that he would use his money to end the situation.
Celebrities are frequent targets of all sorts of crazed behavior: stalking, physical attacks, home invasions, paternity suits, accusations of rape, email hijacking . . . . There are a lot of serious nuts out there, and quite a few that are willing to lie and even persuade their children to lie for money.
Well, yeah, but the OP asked us to act like the jury. Innocent until proven guilty is position we’re all starting from. We’re saying whether or not we think the evidence so far proves him guilty.
