Peace........................

I don't think any of us have any real idea of whether he is guilty. For me, the Bashir docco convinced me it was fairly likely that he is innocent. Unfortunately though plenty of people think he is weird, and is therefore guilty. We are just as afraid of what is different as we always have been.

Just because it is not a social norm to share a bed with a child who is not your own biological child, does not make Jackson a paedophile. Many societies have believed in much more communal approaches to parenting than Western society's current norm. Why shouldn't Jackson adopt such an approach and give the children what they need: affection. It is a tragedy when members of society assume that any sign of affection towards a child by a man is a sure sign of their sexual desires.

agree, we do. The path to the dark side, this is.

I just wanted to post that again because I love Yoda!

Interestingly, in the Scottish legal system, juries can return one of three verdicts: 'guilty', 'not guilty' and 'not proven'. 'Not proven' is the equivalent of what a lot of people are suggesting here: probably guilty, but the case was not made beyond a reasonable doubt, so the defendant walks.

I don't know how much of the court case was actually shown on t.v., but I personally wouldn't even venture an opinion unless I had heard most of what the jury heard.

I would hate to see him in prison, though. He's not stable or even sane, and prison would not only be dangerous for him (while I'm sure he would be kept separated from the general population, there's still great risk to his life), but I'm not sure it would even be the appropriate place for him.

If Ted is right, he will go back to his old ways.  But if he is not guilty, then perhaps this will be a wake up call for him, and he will avoid any instances that appear inappropriate.

I do agree with you however.  Given that pedophiles do not last long in prison anyway, he would not have survived to serve out any sentence.

And any parent who is foolish enough to send their child to Neverland? I pray for them too.

After this, they should be charged with Child endangerment!

Just because it is not a social norm to share a bed with a child who is not your own biological child, does not make Jackson a paedophile

Unfortunately, in this society, while the law sees you as innocent until provven guilty, Society does not.  To many, he was guilty as soon as the charges were filed.  And that is wrong.  But not unprecedented.  I think Robert Blake is innocent, yet many do not because he was charged.

Interestingly, in the Scottish legal system, juries can return one of three verdicts: 'guilty', 'not guilty' and 'not proven'. 'Not proven' is the equivalent of what a lot of people are suggesting here: probably guilty, but the case was not made beyond a reasonable doubt, so the defendant walks.

What is the reprecussions of the NOt Proven?  Does that mean the state can retry the case?  That will not fly here, and if it does not mean that, there is not much difference between not guilty in these cases and not proven.  To many, he was guilty before the first bit of evidence was presented.

(while I'm sure he would be kept separated from the general population, there's still great risk to his life),

he would have been sent to the protective housing unit at corcoran state prison--where manson, juan corona and 18-20 or so high profile 'dead anywhere else in the system' are housed. it's been described as a benign mental ward and is considered the one truly safe place of incarceration in the ca system.

it woulda definitely been a change of lifestyle for all of that. nobody to hold his umbrella among other things.

To many, he was guilty as soon as the charges were filed. And that is wrong

wrong as far as those specific 10 charges. i can think of 2 million reasons to question his credibility as well as his impulse control.

from what i saw of him entering and leaving the courthouse, it sure appeared as if he couldn't believe hed been acquitted; like he was more surprised than anyone else he was goin home to neverland.

Michael did not pay for kids to sleep in his bed,he paid BECAUSE they did.Mentally he is stuck at about their same age and they jury understood that.

he would have been sent to the protective housing unit at corcoran state prison--where manson, juan corona and 18-20 or so high profile 'dead anywhere else in the system' are housed. it's been described as a benign mental ward and is considered the one truly safe place of incarceration in the ca system.

I cant see why they would put Juan and Charles there.  That is just a waste of taxpayer money.

They had a show on the top forensic scientist and they asked him about the OJ case. He didn't want to make any comments on it since he was not involved and didn't have all the details. But he did mention one thing. They found blood from the two victims and they also found another blood spater that did not belong to either of the two victims. But they didn't bother to collect a sample and that third blood source was destroyed after clean up and was never tested. He said it most likely would have given you the identity of the killer.

Also, and this may be off topic, where do you find a jury of peers for a guy as unique as Michael Jackson?

Sunnyvale Sanitarium?

Unfortunately though plenty of people think he is weird, and is therefore guilty.

Weird he is, but that is not a crime in these parts.

Isn't it ironic that MJ's lawyer issued a public statement that Michael would no longer let little boys sleep in his bedroom????!!!!!! Think this only underlines the primary issue of a 46 year old man pretending he is 10 years old. Secondly, what happened to the security tapes supposedly operating in Neverland? Hardly any mention.

Regardless, think its time for MJ to divest his American holdings and move to another country. His career will not recover from this unless he retreats into the background to produce and direct others.

Sadly, this proves money buys justice, i.e. Blake, Stewart, and many others whereas the average Joe would be already jailed and labeled.

Isn't it ironic that MJ's lawyer issued a public statement that Michael would no longer let little boys sleep in his bedroom????!!!!!! Think this only underlines the primary issue of a 46 year old man pretending he is 10 years old. Secondly, what happened to the security tapes supposedly operating in Neverland? Hardly any mention.

Regardless, think its time for MJ to divest his American holdings and move to another country. His career will not recover from this unless he retreats into the background to produce and direct others.

Sadly, this proves money buys justice, i.e. Blake, Stewart, and many others whereas the average Joe would be already jailed and labeled.

Isn't it ironic that MJ's lawyer issued a public statement that Michael would no longer let little boys sleep in his bedroom????!!!!!! Think this only underlines the primary issue of a 46 year old man pretending he is 10 years old. Secondly, what happened to the security tapes supposedly operating in Neverland? Hardly any mention.

Regardless, think its time for MJ to divest his American holdings and move to another country. His career will not recover from this unless he retreats into the background to produce and direct others.

Sadly, this proves money buys justice, i.e. Blake, Stewart, and many others whereas the average Joe would be already jailed and labeled.

Good thread, Dr. G!!!

Isn't it ironic that MJ's lawyer issued a public statement that Michael would no longer let little boys sleep in his bedroom????!!!!!! Think this only underlines the primary issue of a 46 year old man pretending he is 10 years old. Secondly, what happened to the security tapes supposedly operating in Neverland? Hardly any mention.

Regardless, think its time for MJ to divest his American holdings and move to another country. His career will not recover from this unless he retreats into the background to produce and direct others.

Sadly, this proves money buys justice, i.e. Blake, Stewart, Robert Downey, Nick Nolte, Oliver Stone, Winona Rider and many others whereas the average Joe would be already jailed and labeled.

Good thread, Dr. G!!!

For me, the Bashir docco convinced me it was fairly likely that he is innocent.

Frankly, for me, it produced the reverse effect. The arguments MJ uses to justify sleeping with young MALES (the problem here is that it's not children, it's quite specifically males in early puberty), could be culled straight from the NAMBLA handbook. While he pleads a platonic love, his credibility gets lost in his insistence that sharing his bed with young adult males is somehow "innocent". If they were in sleeping bags on his floor, I would buy the argument a little easier.

Sadly, this proves money buys justice, i.e. Blake, Stewart, and many others whereas the average Joe would be already jailed and labeled.

Stewart?  Did she get a refund?

While he pleads a platonic love, his credibility gets lost in his insistence that sharing his bed with young adult males is somehow "innocent". If they were in sleeping bags on his floor, I would buy the argument a little easier.

truth is that he is so weird, I am not sure what to believe.  But following the trial from the outside, I would not have voted to convict.  As I said, I dont know if he did it or not, but the state failed badly to prove their case.  And I think even a street lawyer who put time into the case could have beaten this rap.

. But following the trial from the outside, I would not have voted to convict. As I said, I dont know if he did it or not, but the state failed badly to prove their case.

I agree. The prosecution did not, in my opinion, prove him guilty. Because these witnesses weren't credible, they relied on past accounts, which, even if taken as credible, simply couldn't prove him guilty in THIS case.

In many ways, there are parallels in my mind to the OJ case. I seriously believe the man to be guilty, but equally seriously believe the only verdict a responsible jury could return given the information they had was "not guilty".

In many ways, there are parallels in my mind to the OJ case. I seriously believe the man to be guilty, but equally seriously believe the only verdict a responsible jury could return given the information they had was "not guilty".

You hit a raw one.  I am an OJ fan from the 60s.  I know most believe him guilty, but I still do not.

MJ is not OJ, and at least in the MJ case there was not question in my mind.  I cannot say about OJ.  The proof did not fit, they had to acquit.  I hope it was because he was.  I just do not know.