Why the MJ trial is NOT trivial.

[Maddy McCall]

Because it has demonstrated to parents of children who have been molested that they will be vilified right alongside the molester.

Because, if he IS found guilty, it will demonstrate that, even if the parents are vilified, a guilty verdict is still possible.

To parents of children who have been molested, this trial is in no way trivial. It provided a bird's eye view inside the judicial system in dealing with molestation.

[Redstone]

1. Ah, but the parents are being vilified because they

let their kids spend the night with that pervert.

Would you have done that?

I wouldn't have.

Redstone

[Maddy McCall]

5. No, I certainly wouldn't have.

However, the fact that they were negligent doesn't change the fact of his guilt or innocence.

:hi:

[Midlodemocrat]

11. Exactly. But I think part of the reason they are being vilified

by the media and everyone else is that 'normal' parents wouldn't have had such a case of 'stars in their eyes' that precluded keeping their children safe.

I don't care how much money he has, their alarm bells should have been going off like crazy.

[Midlodemocrat]

6. I am with you, Redstone.

My intuition would have never allowed it.

Gavin DeBecker has a wonderful couple of books called 'The Gift' and 'Protecting the Gift' about listening to your intuition. Really amazing stuff.

[JimmyJazz]

15. His books are fabulous! I highly recommend them as well -

:hi:

[proud2BlibKansan]

7. No way

He is just too creepy.

On the other hand, I do need a couple million bucks. . . .

[slackmaster]

2. You're assuming MJ is guilty

None of your outcomes allows for the possibility that MJ is innocent and that his accusers deserve to be vilified.

[Maddy McCall]

8. I'm guessing that he WILL be acquitted on SOME counts.

But he will be found guilty on some counts, also.

[Goldmund]

9. Exactly.

I think another thing that this trial has demonstrated is that conformism plays a big part in deciding somebody's guilt.

Here we have all of these supposed liberals totally forgetting about the "innocent until proven guilty" principle -- mostly because he's "weird" and does "weird" things.

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

3. But what if...

He is not guilty? Even if found guilty in this over-heated environments that surrounds the bringing of charges like this.

It is a consideration that I just cannot get out of my head.

[Maddy McCall]

12. 33 hours of deliberation.

I have faith in the jury. They have access to all of the evidence. They spent much time deliberating.

No matter which way it goes, they are the ultimate authorities on this case.

[proud2BlibKansan]

4. But IF he is found guilty, won't that also

send a message to anyone wanting to squeeze money from a celebrity?

[Maddy McCall]

13. No. Have you heard how this family has been trashed?

This isn't a civil trial, BTW. It's a criminal trial, and there is no payout in a criminal trial. (Maybe later in a civil trial, but that hasn't happened yet.)

[proud2BlibKansan]

16. I am not so sure they haven't

brought it upon themselves.

[Maddy McCall]

19. By your logic, if you're "shady" parents...

then your children can be molested without fear or prosecution?

Even shitty parents' kids are molested. That doens't change the fact of guilt or innocence of the molester.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

10. Possibly... but the problem is

that MJ (assuming he's found guilty) isn't a typical child miolester; he's a high-profile, wealthy celebrity who is also about the weirdest dude out there in every way you can think of. This is a completely atypical trial for those reasons, so I'm not sure it's a legitimate example of anything.

[Maddy McCall]

14. I've been witness to what a family friend went through in a criminal...

trial against a molester. The parents, just like the ones in the Jackson trial, were totally trashed in the trial.

In that way, it's very similar, because parents of molested children might learn that it's better to walk away from prosecution instead of going through the mill that the family of the Jackson accusers have been through.

[proud2BlibKansan]

17. Had that family been arrested for shoplifting?

Did they have a history of extortion?

[Maddy McCall]

18. So, the children of people who have engaged in criminal activity should

be fair game for molesters?

Remember, molesters CHOSE weak victims.

[proud2BlibKansan]

20. I never said that

You said they were trashed. I merely gave a reason for such trashing. These are not nice people.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

21. Unfortunately, that sometimes can happen in any kind of trial,

including civil trials, because the defendant wants to deflect blame from himself by placing it on others. My only point is that in most respects this trial was so strange that it shouldn't be taken as an example of what normally happens. For one thing, even though the victim or his/her family may be unfairly blamed, at least it won't be a huge, public spectacle.