# Michael Jackson free on all counts **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [June 13, 2005, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-jackson-free-on-all-counts/308145 "2005-06-13T21:22:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![OliverTwistofLime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/b487fb/32.png) [@OliverTwistofLime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OliverTwistofLime)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2005, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-jackson-free-on-all-counts/308145/1 "2005-06-13T21:22:00Z")
With money you can buy honey…Sour grapes you may say? If everyone had the money to pay for the best lawyers and the expertise to support their innocence far more not-guilty verdicts would come thru. It iss unfortunate that Joe Lunchbucket does not have the same opportunities that Michael Jackson had. ---
**Author:** ![Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac8455/32.png) [@Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bippy_the_Beardless)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2005, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-jackson-free-on-all-counts/308145/2 "2005-06-13T21:32:42Z")
But no-one would go after Joe Lunchbucket’s money. ---
**Author:** ![brickbacon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/898d66/32.png) [@brickbacon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brickbacon)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2005, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-jackson-free-on-all-counts/308145/3 "2005-06-13T21:37:31Z")
I think this was fair, he probably didn’t do it this time. You can’t really put a guy in jail for being weird. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2005, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-jackson-free-on-all-counts/308145/4 "2005-06-13T21:46:49Z")
I guess this means we won’t hear any other news on any of the cable news channels for at least the rest of the week… ---
**Author:** ![OliverTwistofLime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/b487fb/32.png) [@OliverTwistofLime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OliverTwistofLime)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2005, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-jackson-free-on-all-counts/308145/5 "2005-06-13T22:03:10Z")
OJ…Robert Blake…Coby i Bryant…and now Michael Jackson…all not guilty. Michael Jacksons interest in just young boys has to be sexual in nature IMO…I cannot see how anyone can say otherwise…Fire away!! ---
**Author:** ![Aeschines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aeschines/32/16251_2.png) [@Aeschines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aeschines)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2005, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-jackson-free-on-all-counts/308145/6 "2005-06-13T22:08:48Z")
Per the law, Jackson’s guilt needed to be proved beyond a reasonable doubt. Considering that the accusing family was shown (beyond a reasonable doubt, it would seem) to be scheming, weird gold diggers, it’s hard not to have a reasonable doubt whether Jackson did what they said he did. No doubt they were salivating over the multimillion dollar civil lawsuit that would follow any guilty verdict. All they get now is bupkis. Considering their execrable record of behavior (they seem at least as weird as Jackson himself, and very grasping), I have a hard time feeling sorry for them. ---
**Author:** ![brickbacon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/898d66/32.png) [@brickbacon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brickbacon)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2005, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-jackson-free-on-all-counts/308145/7 "2005-06-13T22:11:30Z")
> [@MadSam](#): > > OJ…Robert Blake…Coby i Bryant…and now Michael Jackson…all not guilty. > Michael Jacksons interest in just young boys has to be sexual in nature IMO…I cannot see how anyone can say otherwise…Fire away!! How are you going to lump Kobe in with OJ? There was basically no credible evidence against him. ---
**Author:** ![OliverTwistofLime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/b487fb/32.png) [@OliverTwistofLime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OliverTwistofLime)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2005, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-jackson-free-on-all-counts/308145/8 "2005-06-13T22:16:54Z")
IANAL but I do know that even the greatest of lawyers have difficulty at times with the term “beyond a reasonable doubt”…I had no desire to see the plaintiff make a dime…My thinking went strictly towards Michael Jacksons guilt or innocence. If a murderer and his family are also trash, it does not excuse someoe else to murder the murderer. Michael Jacson was either guilty or not…I believe he was guilty…no atter what monetary reasons the plaintiff appeared to be. ---
**Author:** ![Nars\_Glinley](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nars_glinley/32/8177_2.png) [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2005, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-jackson-free-on-all-counts/308145/9 "2005-06-13T22:22:43Z")
> [@Aeschines](#): > > No doubt they were salivating over the multimillion dollar civil lawsuit that would follow any guilty verdict. All they get now is bupkis. Considering their execrable record of behavior (they seem at least as weird as Jackson himself, and very grasping), I have a hard time feeling sorry for them. I’d say that it’s way to early to award them bupkis. OJ certainly lost the civil case and then weaseled his way out of it by moving to Florida. I guess Jackson will probably have to look into that too. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2005, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-jackson-free-on-all-counts/308145/10 "2005-06-13T22:38:50Z")
Michael Jackson, free to go forth and sin no more … To the tune of “Roll out the Barrels” “Roll out the rolleyes!” ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2005, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-jackson-free-on-all-counts/308145/11 "2005-06-13T22:39:37Z")
> [@KRM](#): > > OJ certainly lost the civil case and then weaseled his way out of it by moving to Florida. I guess Jackson will probably have to look into that too. Errrmm . . . . You know, Michael, there’s all kinds of weird shit a rich person can get away with in say, Mexico or Jamaica! And the cost of living is really low! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2005, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-jackson-free-on-all-counts/308145/12 "2005-06-13T22:50:17Z")
I don’t think they’re going to sue-based on what I’ve heard, they’re already in witness protection. ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2005, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-jackson-free-on-all-counts/308145/13 "2005-06-14T00:15:18Z")
I just find it amusing how all the folks who have pre-judged Jackson’s guilt are all a-twitter over this “miscarriage of justice.” (Not directed towards anyone in this thread in particular; I’m just commenting on water-cooler chatter around here after the announcement was made.) ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2005, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-jackson-free-on-all-counts/308145/14 "2005-06-14T00:40:55Z")
> [@Aeschines](#): > > Per the law, Jackson’s guilt needed to be proved beyond a reasonable doubt. Considering that the accusing family was shown (beyond a reasonable doubt, it would seem) to be scheming, weird gold diggers, it’s hard not to have a reasonable doubt whether Jackson did what they said he did. > > No doubt they were salivating over the multimillion dollar civil lawsuit that would follow any guilty verdict. All they get now is bupkis. Considering their execrable record of behavior (they seem at least as weird as Jackson himself, and very grasping), I have a hard time feeling sorry for them. A child’s finger print on a porno book owned by a man who likes to sleep with little boys is more than weird. This is not a victory for Michael Jackson in anything except prison time. The trial has cost him a fortune as well as a career. I have a hard time feeling sorry for him. ---
**Author:** ![Aeschines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aeschines/32/16251_2.png) [@Aeschines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aeschines)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2005, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-jackson-free-on-all-counts/308145/15 "2005-06-14T02:50:43Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > A child’s finger print on a porno book owned by a man who likes to sleep with little boys is more than weird. This is not a victory for Michael Jackson in anything except prison time. The trial has cost him a fortune as well as a career. I have a hard time feeling sorry for him. Me too. Both accuser and accused were freaks. ---
**Author:** ![LH75](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lh75/32/4438_2.png) [@LH75](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LH75)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2005, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-jackson-free-on-all-counts/308145/16 "2005-06-14T02:52:36Z")
the verdict was announced a coupe of minutes too early. a co-worker was pretty insistent that jackson was going to be found guilty. i suggested a wager. just my chump was counting his cash to see if he could cover my hundred bucks, another co-worker came in with the news of the not guilty verdict… ---
**Author:** ![Arwin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/51bf81/32.png) [@Arwin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arwin)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2005, 9:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-jackson-free-on-all-counts/308145/17 "2005-06-14T09:11:51Z")
I think you make a joke of your own justice system. Regardless of the discussion whether that is justified (the current jury system isn’t great, imho), Jackson was already convicted before the trial, and the outcome changes little. Regardless of whether Jackson was guilty or not (and nobody here has a right to consider him guilty), people have a right to be considered innocent until proven guilty. I find those who second guess the justice system morally reprehensible. They apparently think they know better from watching TV and whatever other silly bit of knowledge they feel makes them more qualified. > [@Jim Carry as The Joker](#): > > Welcome to Brrrrain Drrraain ---
**Author:** ![Arwin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/51bf81/32.png) [@Arwin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arwin)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2005, 9:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-jackson-free-on-all-counts/308145/18 "2005-06-14T09:14:15Z")
(sorry, make that Riddler) ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2005, 11:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-jackson-free-on-all-counts/308145/19 "2005-06-14T11:02:54Z")
**Arwin** , innocent until proven guilty applies to the courts. It doesn’t mean, nor has it ever meant, that people cannot form their own opinions on a defendent’s guilt or that we cannot disagree with a jury. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2005, 11:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-jackson-free-on-all-counts/308145/20 "2005-06-14T11:47:48Z")
Not being a lawyer, I have to rely on legal pundits on the radio and TV. I heard one say that the prosecution presented one of the weakest cases he’d ever seen. Many accounts during the trial were that prosecution witnesses were ineffective at best and hostile at worst. The mother of the accuser was not credible to the jury. Under the circumstances, I have to agree that guilt beyond reasonable doubt was not established. That being said, MJ is one odd duck. But being an odd duck is not a crime. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-jackson-free-on-all-counts/308145.md?page=2)