Michael Jackson - Down the Charts and Up the River?
A while back I did a Michael Jackson post and said it would be the last one I ever did.
I lied.
The defense rested its case and today many pundits were making their predictions about the outcome. So here are mine:
Child molestation - guilty. No matter what a cheap hustler and awful person that mother is, I doubt a jury will subsequently leap to the belief that it automatically didn't happen. And I don't think there is anything they can do to erase the testimony by that other kid who claimed he was molested; he is now an adult and reportedly bears an astonishing resemblance to the purported victim. (Note -- there are seven counts, I don't know that all of them will stick, but I'm betting at least one will.)
Serving alcohol to a minor with the intent to commit a felony - guilty. Some were saying this might be the compromise position if there are hold-outs who won't vote guilty on molestation, but since the charge is not serving alcohol per se but serving it with the intent to commit a felony (in this case, molest), it's hard to see them finding him guilty on this and not on the molestation charges.
Conspiracy - I don't know that it didn't happen but I don't think they proved it. Of all of the charges the most likely not to stick, so I'm going with not guilty. I think that may be the compromise position.
Oh and for the record, I think they ABSOLUTELY did the right thing not putting Michael on the chair; celebrities often have a really distorted perception about how people are reacting to the things they say since they are rarely subject to anyone calling them on their shit like normal people are. I just don't think the guy has the slightest clue how to appear "normal."
But what do I know, I didn't think they proved the Scott Peterson case either and he got the chair.
So what does your crystal ball say?
posted by Jane Hamsher @ 5/25/2005 04:15:00 PM
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