The Michael Jackson Case Blog 

MJ Just can't get away...

Just when it seems like this whole "child molestation allegation" thing was over and done with, more scandal...

++ Two of the jurors from Michael Jackson's trial (who voted for acquittal) now say that they think they "let a pedophile go." Ray Hultman and Eleanor Cook both say that they were "bullied into" casting their non-guilty verdicts, and now regret their decision. It's worth mentioning, however, that both of them have signed book deals, and may just be saying this to promote their books. Now, five other former Jackson jury members have signed book deals, all of which support their decision that Michael Jackson is innocent of all the charges he faced in his (criminal) trial.

++ In related news, Jackson was fined $10,000 for failing to appear in civil court regarding separate allegations of sexual assault. Instead, he traveled to Dubai in the United Arab Emirates to celebrate his 47th birthday.

The Verdict: Michael Jackson = Aquitted of ALL CHARGES

I ran here as soon as I heard it!

I had been watching Court TV's live broadcast since the jury informed the court that it had reached a verdict. The news came at about 4pm eastern; Michael Jackson and family got to the court at around 5pm and by 5:20pm all the verdicts had been read by the jury foreperson. Here are the details:

Count

#1 - Not Guilty on Conspiracy
#2 - Not Guilty of Committing A Lewd Act On A Minor Child
#3 - Not Guilty of Committing A Lewd Act On A Minor Child
#4 - Not Guilty of Committing A Lewd Act On A Minor Child
#5 - Not Guilty of Committing A Lewd Act On A Minor Child
#6 - Not Guilty of Attempting To Commit a Lewd Act On A Minor Child

#7 - Not Guilty of Administering An Intoxicating Agent To Assist In A Commission of A Lewd Act Upon A Minor Child; Not Guilty of the Lesser Charge of Providing Alcohol To A Child Under the Age of 21

#8 - Not Guilty of Administering An Intoxicating Agent To Assist In A Commission of A Lewd Act Upon A Minor Child; Not Guilty of the Lesser Charge of Providing Alcohol To A Child Under the Age of 21

#9 - Not Guilty of Administering An Intoxicating Agent To Assist In A Commission of A Lewd Act Upon A Minor Child; Not Guilty of the Lesser Charge of Providing Alcohol To A Child Under the Age of 21

#10 - Not Guilty of Administering An Intoxicating Agent To Assist In A Commission of A Lewd Act Upon A Minor Child; Not Guilty of the Lesser Charge of Providing Alcohol To A Child Under the Age of 21

This is what was broadcast; I am not sure of the specifics of each count as far as what they entail, but that is besides the point. Michael Jackson has been acquitted on all 10 counts, plus the 4 lesser charges of providing alcohol to a child under 21 years of age.

Awaiting the Verdict, Jackson Falls Apart

The stress of being on trial, accused of (among other things) child molestation, has taken its toll on Michael Jackson. Ever since the case was turned over to the jury, reporters can't stop talking about how particularly sick and frail the once "King of Pop" has been looking. At 125lbs, the 5'11 star was skinny even before the trial began; now, estimates put his weight at around 90lbs!

Jackson has reportedly been getting very little sleep and is surviving only on carrot and celery juice. Friends of the star say that the back pain that he has been complaining about for weeks is legit, and not just some ploy to get the jurors determining his fate to feel sorry for him. That question -- what, if any effect will Michael Jackson's failing health have on the jury -- seems to be the new "hot topic" being debated.

Some people feel that this is "an act" by Jackson, who hopes to sway the jury's decision in his favor any way he can -- even if that means making himself sick. Those loyal to Jackson, however, say that he really is a "delicate soul" who could never do what he has been accused of.

Regardless of whether or not his current state is self-inflicted, one thing is for sure: Michael Jackson today is barely a shadow of what he once was.

African Neverland

If Fox 5 News is correct, Michael Jackson must feel pretty confident that he will be acquitted in his current child molestation case. On today's (5/28/05) evening (6:00pm) newscast, it was reported that Michael Jackson is already looking forward to opening a theme park in Africa based on his Neverland Ranch in California. There are no further details at the moment on the exact whereabouts planned for African theme park, but that could be because he is also working on headlining a show soon, in Los Vegas.

My Apologies to Everyone

I had no idea that my blog had become popular while I was "gone".

Initially, when I started this blog, I had just quit my job and was enjoying my very first "vacation". I spent a lot of time watching Court TV and following the Michael Jackson case, which had just begun. Time passed, and I was still enthralled with the case enough to forego looking for a job. Then the bills started coming, and -- whoops! -- I didn't have much money to pay them with. So, I began spending less time focusing on the case and updating my blog.

When I started having difficulties finding work, I began to panic. I basically abandoned this site which, at the time, wasn't attracting too many visitors. Today, 5/26/05, was the first time in approximately two (2) months that I even looked at this site. Needless to say, I was surprised to see so many comments posted on the few blog entries that I had published.

Now that most of testimony has been said and the Defense has rested its case, I will be posting more frequently. I will be sure to respond to EVERYONE who wants to get into contact with me, and I look forward to discussing the trial and possible verdict with you all.

Thanks!

Naked Michael Jackson Pictures

It's been about two months since my last post, and for good reason! The case against Michael Jackson, which started out pretty interesting, has gotten dull. Until now.

Senior Deputy District Attorney Ron Zonen motioned to allow graphic photos of Michael Jackson's genitalia into evidence. The photos were taken ten years ago, under subpoena, as prosecutors tried to gather evidence against Jackson for another child molestation case that never went to trial. The alleged victim at that time drew a picture of Mr. Jackson's anatomy with a noteworthy "blemish" on it to illustrate that his relationship with Jackson wasn't just casual friendship. The pictures taken of Michael Jackson's anatomy were said to have matched the boy's drawing, suggesting that something sinister had, in fact, taken place.

Unfortunately, the judge denied Ron Zonen's motion, saying that admitting the photographs would be too prejudicial. The jury will be left to decide Michael Jackson's fate with only the weak testimony and "evidence" presented by each side throughout the duration of the trial.

Now that the trial is coming to a close, I will keep you posted regularly, with frequent updates.

Drama and Smut: Just Another Day in Court

There’s never a dull moment in the Michael Jackson trial. On Wednesday, a woman (seemingly) fainted outside the courtroom; when she became conscious again, she began screaming (what sounded like) “Michael! Michael!” The woman was then strapped to a gurney and taken away from the court house – still screaming – with a yellow tarp draped over her face and body, so as not to reveal her identity.

Court TV reported that the woman was a long-time fan of Michael Jackson’s, who stood outside the court house everyday hoping to obtain one of the admission passes set aside for the public. She was also said to be in her late 30s, and that she has been “saving” herself for Michael for over eighteen (18) years now and still hopes to one day marry Jackson and “have lots and lots of kids” with him.

Yesterday, one of Jackson’s lawyers, Brian Oxman, had to be taken to the hospital for what was later called “lung pneumonia.” The “emergency” happened at 2:30pm Pacific time, which was when an ambulance pulled up to the court house and took Mr. Oxman away.

Now, for the actual trial! It’s the (seemingly) trillionth day of looking at “adult material” taken from Michael Jackson’s bedroom during the polices’ raid of Neverland Ranch. The “adult material” largely consisted of magazines such as “Barely Legal,” which features adult women (over the age of 18) made-up to look much younger; like teenagers. The prosecution says that Jackson showed these (types of) magazines to the accuser and his brother – which in itself is illegal in the state of California – to get them to feel comfortable talking about sex with him. Oddly enough, the state DID NOT charge Jackson with showing “adult material” to minors, even though that’s exactly what they were implying.

All day the prosecution put sexually explicit picture after sexually explicit picture on a screen for the whole courtroom to see; approximately 75 in total. If that wasn’t enough, the state wanted to enter four (4) hard drives they seized at Neverland into evidence. These hard drives supposedly contained 1700 sexually explicit images on them, but the judge has yet to allow them in as evidence. Apparently, the dates that the images were downloaded were either before the boys came to the Ranch or after they had already left. Plus, there is “no way to tell if Michael Jackson downloaded those pictures, or if someone else at Neverland did.”

So all that I have gathered from all this “adult material” evidence is that Michael Jackson likes smut. OK, but that’s not what he’s on trial for. Let’s get back to what the trial is SUPPOSED to be about: child molestation. I’m still waiting for the prosecution to “blow (me) away” with some overwhelming evidence of Jackson’s guilt.

Dethroning the King

I'm sure we have all seen and/or heard by now about how Michael Jackson arrived to court in pajama bottoms last Thursday. Apparently, Jackson went to the hospital with "back problems" Thursday morning, and expected to spend the day there. The judge hearing the case, however, decided that Mr. Jackson needed to be in court and threatened to revoke the bail (meaning Jackson would be put back in jail) if he didn't appear in court within one (1) hour. Apparently, Jackson rushed out of the hospital and sped down the highway at 95mph in order to make the deadline, but still missed it by 5 minutes. Nonetheless, the judge decided not to put him in jail, and let him off with a "stern warning."

Those who have been watching Court TV have also heard that Jackson is in extreme debt. It has been reported that Jackson spends approximately 35 million dollars a year, but due to lackluster sales of his last few albums, has only been bringing in a fraction of that amount. Even with the rights to most of the Beatles' songs, Michael Jackson has "only" been earning about ten (10) to eleven (11) millions dollars a year -- not enough to cover his debts. It is estimated that Jackson owes about $450 million to his creditors, and some speculate he will be foreclosing on some of Neverland Ranch in the near future.

Regardless of whether or not Michael Jackson is found guilty, it seems "The King of Pop" has been dethroned. As for the "pajama incident," I am left to wonder if it truly was coincidental that his back problems and visit to the hospital occurred the day his accuser took the stand. While I am still largely unsure of Michael's guilt or innocence, my mind is slowly starting to turn against him. I do not want to believe he is capable of doing the things he has been accused of, but his actions and antics have left me wondering.

Is it possible that Jackson's just "affectionate?"

I've been following this (Michael Jackson's latest child molestation accusations) since it was first reported and, to the best of my knowledge, no one has accused him of actually having sex with these boys. All the reports that have surfaced had to do with "inappropriate" touching, but no actual sodomy. So, if he hasn't actually had sex with a child, is he still a pedophile? I mean, if he really is sexually attracted to young boys, wouldn't he try to actually have sex with them?

That's not to say that touching and groping is acceptable behavior; if he is guilty of what he is accused of doing to these boys than he deserves to be punished to the fullest extent of the law. But could it be that maybe he is just affectionate and that these "accusers" have exaggerated (or outright lied) about what, if anything, actually transpired at Neverland? Stranger things have happened.

Letourneau vs. Jackson: Double Standard?

There seems to be a double standard when it comes to child molestation cases: if the alleged perpetrator is a woman -- specifically a white woman -- the public outrage seems significantly less than if the accused is a man. Take the case of Mary Kay Letourneau, for example. Letourneau was a 34 year-old (white) teacher having "relations" with one of her 13 year-old students, Vili Fualaau. When the case was made public, there were men -- even men on the police force -- who said "where was she when I was in school?" and even referred to Fualaau as being "lucky". When Michael Jackson and (director) Roman Polanski were charged with allegations of child molestation, however, American society at-large became enraged. Polanski, who pled guilty but fled to Europe (from California) before he could be sentenced for "engaging in unlawful sexual intercourse" with a 13 year-old girl back in 1977, has never been able to recover his reputation or business here in America.