<p>Any predictions on whether Michael Jackson will just beat it or will he be a smooth criminal?</p>
<p>Not guilty. I wouldn’t leave him alone for 10 seconds with my kid but at the same time the prosecution didn’t make its case and the witnesses were as wacked as Michael is. The whole trial was a freak show.</p>
<p>ditto–couldn’t have said it better myself.</p>
<p>yeah, I think the defense made a good case. I have my suspicions about him, but I think that in this particular case the accusers family were quite clearly out for money.</p>
<p>I didn’t watch the trial but I just heard something weird today.
Nicholas Cage wants to name his son Elvis after his exwife father
His wife is not amused but Nick is determined.
So what is going on with Lisa marie that she was married to , two of the weirdest guys in show business? ( MJ was another)</p>
<p>Elvis Cage? </p>
<p>MJ- well, he is an alien afterall, he will be found not guilty, and what an farce the whole thing was…money I am sure has been flying everywhere</p>
<p>Santa Barbara County votes conservative and expect jurors to respond conservatively, regardless of how the evidence was presented. If MJ touched the boy inappropriately JUST ONE TIME, no matter if parents are just after money, he is guilty. If he gave alcohol to a minor, showed inappropriate pictures or exposed himself to a minor EVEN ONCE, he is guilty!</p>
<p>It’s a sad situation, but he has to pay a very heavy price for what he has done and for his arrogance.</p>
<p>I love his music, especially the ole school stuff, be he is clearly a pedophile that has to be dealt with.</p>
<p>Not guilty. I know the accuser (the boy). So do a few other people I know. Although I’m no fan of MJ, I have to say (reluctantly) that this time, he’s not guilty.</p>
<p>Oh wow, how do you know the accuser. So juicy!</p>
<p>Somehow it is hard to believe that with the hundreds (thousands) of young hcildren going to Neverland, that MJ, if he is a pedophile, only went after 4-5 kids. Money does talk, and I vote not guilty. There is enough reasonable doubt in the boys’ stories (esp after the brother was found to have lied ont he stand) to acquit. I, too, would not leave a child alone with him, but that is because I think he has major problems as a person, doing unacceptable things, not just the pedophile issue.</p>
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<p><em>hides his embarassed face</em> He goes to my old middle school. I didn’t realize it until I saw the name of my old Journalism teacher, who became the Dean of Students at my MS. Only then did I realize…</p>
<p>As you know, I’m heavily involved with ROTC; part of which involves recruiting students from California Cadet Corps units in Middle Schools. One day, this arrogant little middle schooler decided to become all rock-hard and tough and sort of challenged me. I, being way taller than him, just sort of stared him down, laughed, and pushed him to the side.</p>
<p>He then went on and made snobbish little lies about me, and spread them around the Cadet Corps, which I didn’t appreciate. But, then again, the Cadet Corps hated him and well, by default went on my side (my god, I’ve never seen a group of 150 kids hate a guy so bad)… It was then that a 8th grader who later joined my battalion told me, “That’s the guy that was molested by Michael Jackson.”</p>
<p>I couldn’t believe it at first. Little did I know that that would come back to bite me in the ass. After a bit of research, it was then that I learned that it had been him.</p>
<p>I say this is all a ploy for money. Michael Jackson’s not the only one with issues in this entire case.</p>
<p>I recently met with the Dean/my old journalism teacher… I jokingly asked him, “So, how many phone calls/subpeonas did you receive today for the MJ case?”</p>
<p>He just laughed. He also said, “If ***** [name of defendant, hidden for purposes] wanted to defend himself, he …” well, I can’t finish it… it might be entered in as testimony and next thing you know, aargh… Meseareau might be knocking on ** my ** door.</p>
<p>Tlatkan, that is really interesting - coming from someone who knows the parties involved. From the media, I thought for sure he was guilty and thought for sure he would be acquitted… but maybe he really didn’t do it!?</p>
<p>guilty or innocent – he is still a “strange” bird!</p>
<p>All this speculation is rather pointless, since no one here sat in on the entire case. :)</p>
<p>well, we haven’t seen the Superbowl played, but still offer a prediction. As an attorney, I agree that your point is well-taken in most cases. But as these major cases have become huge media events, mpore and more of the public has access to the same testimony and evidence that the jury has. The bigger problem, as I see it, is that the public has too much information that can sawy one’s opinion – testimony and/or evidence that the jusry may never see or hear because of well-taken evidentiary objections.</p>
<p>In my opinion, that is why so many people are incredulous when the jury comes back with a verdict that is against the weight of what the public “knows.” The “public” often fails to realize that the jury did not see/hear what they heard on the evening news, or in the tabloids.</p>
<p>As someone who has lived with an attorney for thirty + years, I agree with you, concerneddad. 
I was trying to make the point that no one here has heard exactly what the jury heard, which is what you’re saying. Even with the access that the public now has to testimony in various trials, I think it’s ill-advised for people to be making declarations such as ‘the prosecution did not prove their case’, or ‘the defense made a good case’, when they’re basing those statements on limited knowledge. Of course, we all have our opinions based on that limited knowledge, but juries are so unpredictable in these celebrity cases. This one has really been a circus.</p>
<p>alwaysamon: I fear that the O.J. trial foerver changed the landscape of justice in America. Cnn discovered that Big Trials=Great TV. O.J. gave birth to the “trial commentator” whose role has grown to that of a sportcaster, hence my reference to the Superbowl. Remember the “Dream Team,” a reference to the U.S. men’s baskeball team that included Magic Johnson, et al., and then the second Dream Team, F.Lee Baily, Johnny C., Shapiro. Major trials are now a 'sport," and the media engages in this discussion of who is winning. So, it is no wonder that the general public gets sucked into the same discussion.</p>
<p>Not guilty on all counts. I’m not sure what’s more surprising, the verdicts or the circus which is taking place outside the courthouse.</p>
<p>Yeah, it’s a moonwalk.</p>
<p>neither is truly surprising, it was a pretty weak case IMHO.</p>