Michael Jackson found not guilty

[LikaNui]

And your opinions on the verdict are... ?

[pzarquon]

Relieved. Almost makes up for the travesty of justice that was the O.J. Simpson verdict.

[adrian]

Good.

All they wanted was money, and they better not reappeal.

[Miulang]

{Yawn} Now Michael, poor and penniless after all the out of court settlements and the hefty attorney bills from this Hollywood team, can go in some corner and finally have that mental breakdown he's been on the verge of having for the last 3 years.

All people in the public spotlight know that there are always going to be opportunists who try to capitalize on their fame. So Michael won't be the last one subjected to this kind of scrutiny because, um, the people in the US like this kind of media hype.

He's so poor, he can't even sell Neverland; the place has got a lien on it that's steeper than the Leaning Tower of Pisa!

Miulang

[poi cocktail :)]

money troubles?

/announcer_voice_on
Tyson... vs. Jackson, Live on Pay Per View...
/voice_off

:p

[Ailina]

...pleasantly shocked at the verdicts--I expected at least some conviction, simply because it seems high-profile cases are always disastrous.

...ashamed there are people in our country who will stoop so low to make a buck.

...sympathetic. I think Jackson is probably in a psychological world of hurt--all the ideals shattered with a sledgehammer. I hate to see the death of optimism.

...ready to move on. I'm watching Aruba in disbelief.

[YoungNeil]

He's now free to help O.J. find the "real" killer.

Must make Phil Spector happy.

[scrivener]

All they wanted was money, and they better not reappeal.
I believe this was a criminal trial, meaning the People of California vs. Michael Jackson. I am not sure exactly how money would come into play here, unless those witnesses for the state brought a civil suit after Jackson's conviction.

Also, something to be aware of with our justice system, Adrian, is that once a court hands down a "not guilty" verdict, that's it. It's over. The state cannot bring a new trial and the same charges, else Michael Jackson would be placed in "double jeopardy," which is unconstitutional in this country. The appeals process exists to help people who have been wrongfully found guilty, not people who might have been wrongfully declared not guilty, and it's an important process. Once guilty, you can't just "appeal" the decision. You have to have grounds for the appeal--usually it's something procedural, such as evidence that was not handled appropriately, or a jury not being informed of critical information, or a judge not allowing testimony that should have been permitted.

In this case, the jury determined that the State of California did not bring forth enough evidence to declare Jackson guilty beyond reasonable doubt. It doesn't get a second chance to try again.

[arrakis]

and the world as usual shakes its collective head in disbelief.
the world is not shocked by what happens in america anymore.
be a mass murderer and hire expensive attorneys and go play golf in florida.
molest an elementary schoolboy and get a big wedding to him after she gets out.
spend decades molesting little boys and walk outside to hundreds of screaming fans.
the world is ashamed for a shameless america and can't watch it anymore.
it will all be irrelevant and forgotten in a few years as america will not exist anymore.

[Miulang]

Of course, that's not to say that MJ can't be hauled into court AGAIN at some future date by another claimant who wasn't part of the last trial. :rolleyes:Eventually, the truth will see the light of day.

Miulang

[lavagal]

Consider the people who permit their children to spend sleepovers with Michael Jackson at Neverland. What are their motives? Who is the victim? How can charges ever stick to MJ if the only people who put their kids at risk are slime themselves? I hope he had the shit scared out of him. Personally, I think pedophiles around the world are toasting the man child. Children are so much more at risk now. We really need to protect kids.

[kimo55]

Good.

All they wanted was money, and they better not reappeal.


i missed something;
did they already appeal?!

[SouthKona]

humm .... reappeal ...perhaps there needs to be some education on the difference between a civil case and a criminal case ..... :rolleyes:

[Miulang]

The other thing that amazes me about this and other recent celebrity trials is that all the major cable networks spend hours and hours of airtime on these trials, and yet in 2 far off countries in the Middle East, we have soldiers who are putting their lives on the line; more than 1,700 of them have died already in Iraq. The cable networks give their cursory 3 minutes to the war and they spend hours covering those celebrity trials.

What's wrong with this country, anyway?!!! Where are peoples' priorities? BTW: this is just a rhetorical question. I already know the answer. :rolleyes:

Miulang

[adrian]

In other related 'Jackson news:

Will (a) Hawaii museum show Jackson's footprints? (http://www.khon2.com/khon/display.cfm?storyID=5105&sid=1152) :D

[Pedro]

Well just wanted to know from everyone, just a few question.

Do you think it was Micheals Fame that got him aguited?

Do you think he'll end up back in court again for the same thing?

Do you agree with the verdict?

And if he came to Hawaii or wherever for a concert would you go?


Fame? Well I think of OJ Simpson and how he got away so I think it could have been his fame.

Court again? Well I think why not. He is wierd. But he's Micheal Jackson.

Verdict? I cannot say.

Concert? Maybe.

[DaveNSoKona]

Micheal who?

[Kilinahe]

humm .... reappeal ...perhaps there needs to be some education on the difference between a civil case and a criminal case ..... :rolleyes:

This is exactly what Jackson supporters can't seem to wrap their tiny little brains around. The accuser's mom wouldn't have gotten jack squat out of this trial, had he been convicted. He would have gone to prison. End of story. What someone thinks of the victim or his family means nada. It is irrelevant. He is not on trial. The sicko child molester is.

[pzarquon]

Good thing I'm not a Jackson supporter, else my wife would have just said I have a tiny little brain.

I don't like Michael Jackson. But I am satisfied with the "Not Guilty" verdict. At worst, Michael Jackson is guilty of being a total weirdo, and in all seriousness, a fellow with substantial mental problems. But a predator and molester? Not in my opinion.

Of course, my opinion means squat. The jury's opinion is what counts. And they found the prosecution's case severely lacking... as would I imagine even casual observers of the trial. If Jackson was guilty of a crime, the state should have made a better case. They did not. Innocent until proven yada yada yada, and Jackson can now go back to Neverland and hopefully fade into obscurity.

What someone thinks of the victim or his family means nada.Not true. An accuser's accusation is a tiny fraction of what's weighed in a courtroom. The rest is credibility. And it's pretty obvious the "victim" here was seriously lacking in that department.

[Pedro]

Thank God we're not all wierdos. Well some of us but no one will admit. At least I think the trial is over. When I was in sixth grade I use to take art classes from this guy Brian Ibaan in Mililani. Now he was a great Artist just sort of quiet and withdrawn, there where time's where he just stare and stare for no reason he use to draw some of the props for my Drama class. Than later after I graduated from High School I hear on the news he was arrested for touching little girls. I had no idea he was well ya know... Well I have no idea how this matches up to Micheal Jackson.

[kimo55]

Do you think he'll end up back in court again for the same thing?




One cannot be tried twice for the same thing. A similar case; another separate occurence, maybe. But not for "the same thing".