June 13, 2005

"Michael, on behalf of mankind, we're sorry."

So read a sign in the crowd of supporters, as seen on CNN.

Jeffrey Toobin on CNN: "Utter humiliation and defeat" for the prosecution.

I hope Michael Jackson reinvents himself as an artist. He's gone through an ordeal. If he is an artist, he should talk to us about what has happened in his music.

13 comments:

Troy said...

Perhaps "Ben 2005".

Ann Althouse said...

Jimbo: Everyone is on notice and he's easily recognizable. It will be hard for him to continue as a predator, if that's what he was.

Finn Alexander Kristiansen said...

"As the black SUV pulled out of the court complex, a relieved and chastened Michael Jackson turned to his mother and said, 'Can we celebrate at Chucky Cheese's? They have really good pizza there'".

goesh said...

If I could have had an interest in this case, I could have as easily had a fetish for the tiny feet of Ruth you-know-who. God! Those old fashioned button-ups would look good if I could grovel and grimace in front of that bench!

goesh said...

I would rather have a foot fetish over the tiny feet of Ruth you-know-who than to take an interest in this case. God! Those old fashioned button-ups would look good if I could grovel and grimace in front of that bench!

Ann Althouse said...

Iron: I didn't delete anything. If I delete something there's a little note "deleted by adminstrator." Just tryi again.

Bruce Hayden said...

I wouldn't call it a utter humiliation. Rather, I would call it million dollar justice.

The reality seems to be that in a lot of criminal trials, at least when it is not the DOJ, when the defense can "deep pocket" the prosecution, they will often win, but when the tables are turned, as they usually are, the prosecution wins.

We possibly saw this with OJ, probably with (Dr.) Wm. Kennedy Smith, and probably now with Michael Jackson. Small goofs by the prosecution that would normally not hurt are caught, and they have a lot more money for investigations, etc.

Life is not always fair, and, IMHO, one of the unfairest is that of the criminal justice system.

Back to my original comment - the fact that the jury had to deliberate as long as they did is probably some indication that some jurors had to be convinced, and, thus, that it was not slam dunk in Wacko Jacko's favor.

And if you can't lose a few, then you shouldn't be practicing law.

Bruce Hayden said...

Interesting to me, this is one place where British English differs a bit from U.S. English. I believe that they often spell it paedophilia. Silly Britts, esp. when the temptation is to turn the "ae" into an "i"

Troy said...

L.A. Channel 7 went into a barber shop in "South L.A." (really South-Central, but that has lost its zing and been replaced to rehab the area) and asked about the verdict.

2 guys answered and neither were behind him. The gist at the barber shop was he probably did it, but was not proven beyond a reasonable doubt.

One guy said "he used to be Black" (snickers in the background) and the other made a crack about Jackson wetting in his diapers... Those guys were just like the movie (Cedric et al. had the atmosphere down perfect) and the Euros in Santa Maria were vastly more pro-Michael than African-American Los Angeles judging by the media coverage.

Ann Althouse said...

Craig: I do not use my blog to make disparaging assertions about individuals that I do not know to be true. I understand the evidence and the basis for inferences, however.

Smilin' Jack said...

An interesting sidelight of this trial (as well as the recent Catholic priest scandals) is the drifting definition of pedophilia. In many primitive societies it was not uncommon for girls to become pregnant at 10. Most Biblical commentary puts Mary's age at Jesus' birth between 12 and 16, which makes God Himself a pedophile by today's standards. There may be good sociological reasons for raising the age of consent into the late teens, but doing so makes it more difficult to stigmatize pedophilia as abnormal.

BehalfofMankind said...

I heald that sign... www.jacksonaction.com -it just came to me.

Unknown said...

You all gotta feel like Jackasses now leaving your pathetic comments behind. If any of you actually read the complete Trial transcripts since then you all should hang your head in shame! YES "Michael On behalf of Humankind we are sorry". You all Killed the man without even as much as checking out the goddamn Extortionist Family! You are quick to judge but not quick to say sorry!