Will Michael Jackson be found innocent or guilty?

[skooooo]

[hippiepunk]

1. Who gives a shit?

[LSK]

2. EXACTLY

[chalky]

3. Where's THAT choice?

I missed that choice, dammit.

[skooooo]

5. That wasn't the question......

[Bluebear]

12. I do.

I don't know whether he did it or not, but American justice interests me. If one doesn't give a shit, you are saying you either don't care if a guilty molester is set free or an innocent man is imprisoned.

[hippiepunk]

14. No, I'm saying

its a pointless distraction from more important news.

[Bluebear]

17. I can walk and chew gum at the same time

Seriously, I know what you are saying that the important news is not getting out there, but I worry that people downplay the importance of issues like this.

One day, people might say, "Don't worry about those DUers in Gitmo." :)

[chalky]

31. Wow. That's quite a leap you got going there.

From MJ on trial to imprisonment of DUers.
Don't hurt yourself in the fall.

Here's the deal. True, both the Michael Jackson trial and even the OJ trial are seething with serious subtext--innoculation from guilt by the vaccine of fame, the menacing racial divide, etc. etc.

Hell, you can even find serious subtext in the "Runaway Bride" story if you look hard enough--Is Jennifer Wilbanks a victim of Dissociative Fugue? Is she bi-polar?

But lets do a little search in Google News:
Michael Jackson -- 38,200 relevant articles.
OJ Simpson -- 745.
Jennifer Wilbanks -- 6290.

And the Downing Street Memo? 399. (And if I search for "Downing Street Minutes", I get an additional 266, for a total of 665.)

Don't you think it's a little sad when even OJ Simpson beats out the Downing Street Memo in relevant articles in a Google News search?

Bottom line, it looks like the Michael Jackson debate is being handled quite nicely outside of DU, certainly better than the Downing Street Memo/Minutes story (much to the irritation of many a DUer). Is it really necessary to start yet another debate about him in here?

[LSK]

22. ok, then lets see a news report every night on every other case

Theres got to be thousands going on right now. And meanwhile NOTHING WILL GET DONE TO FIX OUR BROKEN POLITICAL PROCESS.

[Protagoras]

19. Where are our weapons of mass DISTRACTION?

nt

[indy_azcat]

4. where's the "I don't give a fuck" option?

eom

[skooooo]

9. Start your own poll..

...and ask that question. It wasn't the question I wanted to ask.

[indy_azcat]

13. sorry

Not guilty because they're star struck and there's too many technicalities for "reasonable doubt"... what's CourtTV saying?

[Gothmog]

6. Prosecution had a great closing

I understand that the prosecution had a great closing. The only way that Jackson will be found guilty is the prior bad acts testimony that should have never come in.

[Piperay]

7. Not guilty ...

the Prosecution put on a piss poor case.

[PowerToThePeople]

8. No "who gives a fuck." option.. n/t

[indy_azcat]

10. great minds my friend!

:7

[skooooo]

11. see response above

[Enraged_Ape]

15. He'll be found innocent, and you know what?

He'll be right back sleeping with little boys next week, as if none of the stuff that has ruined his career, finances, and life over the last decade had ever happened.

Because he is completely disconnected from reality, and because he is quite possibly the second stupidest man on the face of the Earth. And you know who number one is.

[MnFats]

34. I hate tosay it but I agree with Enraged here...not guilty, and then..

...he will take it as vindication; that it REALLY IS OK to sleep with young boys, masturbate with them and blow them because it's really really charming and loving and if you give them hot chocolate and read to them, well, it's very loving and anyone who doesn't understand is just ignorant, very ignorant.

Jesus but this whole mess makes me want to puke.
True, it is distracting from more important issues, but I think he's going to walk and feel fucking invulnerable because of it.

[redqueen]

16. Need a "Why the $#&*( should I care?" option.

I'm not in any danger of sending my kids to stay with him ... why should I care?

[skooooo]

18. see response above...

...a simple question. If you don't like the question, feel free to post one of your own. :)

[Bluebear]

20. Because an innocent man may be jailed?

Or a guilty man may go free?

[redqueen]

29. That's for the jury to decide, not me.

Furthermore, this man is not a dangerous criminal, abudcting children off the street.

All the children that stayed with him were given permission by their parents to do so. Not that that lessens the seriousness of his crime... I just think it makes him less of a danger to society.

[MzShellG]

33. Bingo...

You nailed it.

[newsguyatl]

21. definitely innocent

prosecution had surprisingly weak case... combine that with the shadiness of the accusing family (mother and son) and the stellar performance from lead jackson attorney, i think it's a no brainer...

then again, we could all be in for a suprise, stranger things have happened.

[OldLeftieLawyer]

23. There's no such verdict as "innocent"

There's 'guilty' and 'not guilty.'

Innocent is not a legal concept; it's a moral one. Or something high-flown like that ...............

[Bluebear]

25. I tried explaining that to my colleagues during jury duty

to no avail.

[skooooo]

26. Touche'

"not guilty" should have been the other option.

[mcscajun]

24. I don't know. And I Don't Care.

I just want him and his trials to go away.

[saracat]

27. Don't know really. Prosecution wrapped up strong

surprisingly. The defense was hung out to dry promising too much they couldn't deliver. Oddly the celebrity factor didn't help the defese as the celebrities din't say what they were expected to say! And messereau closing was ridiculous. He asked the jury to look at Jackson and realize this wasn't the face of a child molestor! Makes you wonder if the Defense has taken a look at Micheal lately!

[surfermaw]

28. MARTHA AND JACKSON ARE BOTH DEMOCRATS

Who support the democrat party? Could that have been the starting of both Jackson and Martha's problems....One never knows.

[saracat]

32. In Martha'a case, possibly. in Jackson's doubtful.

Micheal has been asking for this to happen for years. He just doesn't get that sleeping with little boys is wrong.

[6000eliot]

30. This is a tough call

because so many people find him so creepy.

[Awsi Dooger]

35. I agree, much tougher call than most

I'm not familiar with the number of charges and their range. If there's something very minor he'll probably be convicted on that charge. I would be very surprised if he's convicted on the prime counts.

The lock of all eternity is Nancy Grace and Court TV will rejoice with ballooons from the ceiling and widebeam smiles if he's sent away on all counts. If he's acquitted, the replay of a 1998 trial that ended in a death sentence will begin five minutes later.