# RESOLVED- If Michael Jackson walks...

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-if-michael-jackson-walks/294451>\
**Category:** Great Debates\
**Created:** [March 14, 2005, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-if-michael-jackson-walks/294451 "2005-03-14T12:56:06Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**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:** [March 14, 2005, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-if-michael-jackson-walks/294451/1 "2005-03-14T12:56:06Z")

</div>

then any parent who lets their child near him should have no legal recourse, BUT if a child credibly charges MJ with abuse, any enabling parents should also face charges.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\
**Post date:** [March 15, 2005, 6:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-if-michael-jackson-walks/294451/2 "2005-03-15T06:07:02Z")

</div>

… it’s because he’s not guilty of committing the crime?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\
**Post date:** [March 16, 2005, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-if-michael-jackson-walks/294451/3 "2005-03-16T00:34:15Z")

</div>

It’s not like he can’t go out and buy more children. He’s already up to … what…3? He just needs to hold on to what he’s got.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Lamia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)\
**Post date:** [March 16, 2005, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-if-michael-jackson-walks/294451/4 "2005-03-16T02:14:41Z")

</div>

I’m not sure I’m parsing this correctly. Are you saying that if Michael Jackson is found not guilty in this case, but found guilty in some future child molestation case, then the parents in that case should also be punished by the law for trusting him?

Morally I think they’d share in the blame, but I don’t see how the courts could do anything about it. Letting a man who _isn’t_ a convicted sex offender hang out with your kids isn’t a crime. I wouldn’t let my (imaginary) children anywhere near Jackson no matter what the verdict was, but if the state blows their opportunity to convict they can’t then require everyone to ignore the “not guilty”.