# 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:** 17\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2005, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-jackson-free-on-all-counts/308145/21 "2005-06-14T12:29:49Z")
One juror said that the mother (hispanic) snapped her finger at him (hispanic) and said, “You know, that’s how it is in our culture.” He said he thought to himself, ‘Um, no. That’s not how it is in our culture’. ---
**Author:** ![max\_power](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/db5fbb/32.png) [@max\_power](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/max_power)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2005, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-jackson-free-on-all-counts/308145/22 "2005-06-14T12:54:34Z")
> [@MadSam](#): > > Michael Jacksons interest in just young boys has to be sexual in nature IMO… So, if a person is sexually attracted to young boys, but doesn’t act on it, is that enough reason to imprison that person? ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2005, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-jackson-free-on-all-counts/308145/23 "2005-06-14T14:30:59Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > I don’t think they’re going to sue-based on what I’ve heard, they’re already in witness protection. Shouldn’t they be in witless protection? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![brickbacon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/898d66/32.png) [@brickbacon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brickbacon)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2005, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-jackson-free-on-all-counts/308145/24 "2005-06-14T14:49:27Z")
> [@FriarTed](#): > > Shouldn’t they be in witless protection? > 😃 after they are taken in custardy ---
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2005, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-jackson-free-on-all-counts/308145/25 "2005-06-14T16:55:24Z")
> [@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. Not necessarily. O.J. was found not guilty but lost the civil case. The burden of proof in a civil case is lower than in a criminal case; preponderance of evidence vs reasonable doubt. Also civil juries need not be unanimous. That being said I think the accusers are facing an uphill battle and civil court and it’ll probally be settle out of court with no admission of wrongdoing. ---
**Author:** ![LonesomePolecat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a88e57/32.png) [@LonesomePolecat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LonesomePolecat)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2005, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-jackson-free-on-all-counts/308145/26 "2005-06-14T17:53:28Z")
I have to agree that it wasn’t much of a case. MJ may be guilty of molestation in other cases, but it’s extremely doubtful in this one. Those witnesses/accusers had zero credibility, and I’m more than a bit puzzled the prosecutor’s office even bothered to take it to court. However, it was very gratifying that the defence attorneys resisted the temptation to play the race card … or did I miss that? … ---
**Author:** ![holmes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e95f7d/32.png) [@holmes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/holmes)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2005, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-jackson-free-on-all-counts/308145/27 "2005-06-14T18:10:53Z")
The civil case is tougher for the accuser as well. A lot of the stuff that wasn’t allowed in the trial can be allowed in a civil case. If they weren’t believed with the protection of the state, what chance to they have in a no-holds barred civil suit? ---
**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, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-jackson-free-on-all-counts/308145/28 "2005-06-14T18:14:55Z")
> [@LonesomePolecat](#): > > However, it was very gratifying that the defence attorneys resisted the temptation to play the race card … or did I miss that? … I think Michael’s race (and his gender) stopped being clear cut long ago. ---
**Author:** ![I\_don\_t\_care\_about\_your\_cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/f08c70/32.png) [@I\_don\_t\_care\_about\_your\_cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_don_t_care_about_your_cat)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2005, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-jackson-free-on-all-counts/308145/29 "2005-06-14T18:49:50Z")
> [@Arwin](#): > > (the current jury system isn’t great, imho) It’s the worst system there is…except all the others. ---
**Author:** ![OliverTwistofLime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/b487fb/32.png) [@OliverTwistofLime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OliverTwistofLime)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2005, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-jackson-free-on-all-counts/308145/30 "2005-06-16T05:19:41Z")
> [@max power](#): > > So, if a person is sexually attracted to young boys, but doesn’t act on it, is that enough reason to imprison that person? If that is the only fact we have, you are absolutely correct…not enough reason to imprison that person…But in Michael’s case as you know he went to bed with them, carried around porno materials and you know the rest. ---
**Author:** ![ambushed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3bc359/32.png) [@ambushed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ambushed)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2005, 6:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-jackson-free-on-all-counts/308145/31 "2005-06-16T06:38:52Z")
I received enormous pleasure seeing all those pundits from Fox & elsewhere who had proclaimed loudly and with absolute certainty that Jackson was going to be found guilty being forced to eat their words. What made me _particularly_ happy was seeing how pissed-off **Nancy Grace** – the most evil, despicable, hate-fueled harridan bitch of the entire Universe – was made by the not guilty verdict! What joy!! ---
**Author:** ![ambushed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3bc359/32.png) [@ambushed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ambushed)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2005, 6:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-jackson-free-on-all-counts/308145/32 "2005-06-16T06:44:28Z")
> [@MadSam](#): > > But in Michael’s case as you know he went to bed with them Innocently, according to the boys who actually slept there… > [@MadSam](#): > > …carried around porno materials and you know the rest. The jury made a point of saying that anyone can legally possess that material and it was a completely spurious matter to them. And lest anyone think this was just a matter of reasonable doubt, let’s recall that the jurors also considered the accuser and his family to be flat-out liars. That, my friends, is innocent. Not just not guilty, but **innocent.** ---
**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 16, 2005, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-jackson-free-on-all-counts/308145/33 "2005-06-16T14:40:51Z")
Um, no, no it’s not. Several of the jurors have said that the believe that Jackson is most likely a child molestor. They just found the mother to be uncredible. ---
**Author:** ![rfgdxm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c0e974/32.png) [@rfgdxm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rfgdxm)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2005, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-jackson-free-on-all-counts/308145/34 "2005-06-16T16:04:44Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > Um, no, no it’s not. Several of the jurors have said that the believe that Jackson is most likely a child molestor. They just found the mother to be uncredible. The jury’s duty was to rule on just this specific case. Not to find Jackson guilty of other past crimes he may have committed. ---
**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 16, 2005, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-jackson-free-on-all-counts/308145/35 "2005-06-16T20:09:41Z")
I KNOW that. I’m merely pointing out that people shouldn’t read an acquital in ANY case, not just this one, as a person being declared innocent. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2005, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-jackson-free-on-all-counts/308145/36 "2005-06-16T20:12:30Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > I KNOW that. I’m merely pointing out that people shouldn’t read an acquital in ANY case, not just this one, as a person being declared innocent. Of course they should. Acquittal means innocence of the charges. ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2005, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-jackson-free-on-all-counts/308145/37 "2005-06-16T20:27:08Z")
> [@Fear Itself](#): > > Acquittal means innocence of the charges. No. There’s no such thing as being found “innocent” in a court of law. Jackson was found “not guilty” on all charges. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-jackson-free-on-all-counts/308145.md?page=1)