America: Where celebrities and the rich can get away with anything.

[Guy Fawkes]

http://www.cnn.com/2005/LAW/06/13/jackson.trial/index.html

[Champion Jack]

1. Money buys justice

[Debi]

2. What if he didn't do it?

:shrug:

[NoSheep]

4. I'd be willing to bet he didn't.

[Debi]

6. 12 other people do as well

and their opinion REALLY matters!

[NoSheep]

20. I'm heartened by the verdict. I never could see the "proof".

The molesters I've known and heard of aren't "weird"...they're considered otherwise "normal". It's bad enough that in this country, the rich and powerful can steal the presidency twice. I'm pleased to know that we aren't lynching weirdos yet...I may be one of them!!!:hi:

[tjdee]

5. No one cares.

For some reason, Michael Jackson is a very easy target.

Plus, he is really weird. So he's got to be a molestor, right?

[Debi]

7. Yes, anybody not like us must be baaaaaad

sheesh :crazy:

[Sean Reynolds]

8. So it's acceptable to sleep with little boys?

And have child porn layin' around the house?

Man I hope you don't have any kids...cause I'm not sure you'd be an "acceptable" parent if you justify those actions.

[Debi]

10. Hey , thanks for judging me for one post!

What I think is acceptable isn't really important here.

It's what is legal and what is not legal in the State of California and what 12 people (the jury) think.

And, in case you didn't know it...no personal attacks on DU. Clean it up.

[tjdee]

11. Where did I say that was alright?

And I am a parent. I hardly justify his actions.

Michael Jackson is a weirdo.

Michael Jackson acts inappropriately and wrongly.

But you know, as well as I do, that DU and most people generally were willing to believe he was a child molestor before this trial even started. And apparently, the jury did not believe he molested this kid. Rather, they believed that the prosecution could not prove he *did* molest this kid.

So perhaps the debate should be about the jury and how juries are stupid, and not how rich people get off. Stupid American legal system. :eyes:

[Sean Reynolds]

12. His actions are very telling.....

And it's a sad state of affairs when a man is given the ok to sleep with children and look at child porn.

[tjdee]

13. The jury didn't say that, either.

The jury basically said he's not guilty of what he was charged with.

The jury's job isn't to make an example out of someone, or to condone someone's lifestyle or actions (or not). It's to address the case at hand.

[Sean Reynolds]

14. That wasn't the point.......

But no one will ever bring this issue to light, will they? None of his supporters outside those gates cheering like mad won't turn to their friends and say, "You know....isn't it kinda weird that he openly slept with children? Or that he looks at child porn?"

No one will charge him with possession of child pornography....even though Americans every day are charged with such actions. If anything they should make it so kids can't go around him unless they're legally supervised. However that'll never happen...and his sick actions will only continue.

[Debi]

16. If you are correct (his sick actions will only continue)

He'll eventually get caught and it will stick.

But the jury had all the evidence (including the child porn) and didn't convict him.

I think it's weird that parents let their children sleep with them. Never did it and it never made any sense to me. But, that doesn't make all parents who let their children in to their beds child molesters.

I never understood adults who wanted to be camp counselors at Boy Scout/Girl Scout Camps...in the woods sleeping in tents with a bunch of kids? But, that doesn't make all camp counselors child molesters (even the Boy Scout Director that got caught with child porn on his computer).

But Michael Jackson is weird and child porn was found at his ranch and kids drank alcohol at his ranch (whether or not he condoned it or participated in it - happened at his house, must be guilty).

[Sean Reynolds]

19. However....

These weren't Michael's children. I could understand a parent letting their kid sleep with them because the kid was scared...or didn't want to sleep alone. However Michael Jackson is a grown adult and not in anway related to these kids. That is weird and that, while legal, shows some troubling signs about his actions.

IF Michael is brought up on charges again, I'm not so sure he'll be found guilty....money can buy a lot of things. Even freedom.

Just ask Ken Lay.

[Debi]

22. Let's ask Leigh and Andrew Fastow how much freedom

money bought them? With clear and convincing evidence they were tried and convicted of their crimes. Leigh is serving her jail time and Andrew will be serving his. All Ken Lay's money has bought him is delays. We'll see what happens in his trial.

Plus, camp counselors aren't all the children's parents. Doesn't that make them weird and someone that our children should be wary of? Don't forget church sleepovers, in a church with adults and children sleeping on the floor next to eachother. EWWWWW.

[Sean Reynolds]

24. If they sleep with the children, yes it is weird.

And I'm sure if a camp counselor WAS sleeping with children they'd demand he resign.

[Debi]

27. I hope there's a uniform resignation form for all camp counselors and

church leaders that sleep in church basements and gymnasiums along with the children they are supervising then....cuz they're just weird!

[BuelahWitch]

23. And who gave him the OK?

The kid's PARENTS! Michael isn't the pedo down the street exposing himself to kids. At some point that boy's mother and father thought it was ok to let him have sleepovers at Neverland. If something happened they deserve as much if not more of the blame for putting their son in h harm's way.

[Sean Reynolds]

25. I agree.....

But that doesn't mean Jackson didn't do wrong.

[Ariana Celeste]

28. self delete.

[tjdee]

3. Martha Stewart went to jail.

She's got to be really unlucky.

[Deja Q]

18. She's not a male.

[Misunderestimator]

9. I think you included the wrong link...

That one was about someone who was a target of an extremely irresponsible and greedy parent, who was finally found not guilty of the charges by a jury of his peers in a very conservative area of California. What did you mean to link to?

[ComerPerro]

15. Who says he did anything?

I was under the impression that the victim and his parents were looking for a settlement anyway.

[Fleshdancer]

17. Would the District Attorney spend $4 million on someone not famous?

Would this much money be spent on trying to convict the average Joe? If not, then the celebrity angle is just as much a curse than it is a blessing.

I personally don't have an opinion on whether MJ is innocent or guilty. I hope the jury's decision is the right one.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

21. Two words: Martha Stewart

Michael Jackson could afford competent legal representation and that was reflected in the verdict.

[RetroLounge]

26. or perhaps he wasn't guilty...

:eyes:

RL