Is Michael Jackson being railroaded?

[Bushknew]

Here is a piece in the LA times.

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http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-060105jackson_lat,0,6923804.story?coll=la-home-headlines

The judge explained how the jury could use material relating to past allegations that Jackson molested young boys. None of the incidents led to criminal charges, but there were two multimillion-dollar settlements in civil cases.

"If you find that the defendant committed a prior sexual offense, you may, but are not required, to infer that the defendant had a disposition to commit sexual offenses," Melville said.

But the jurist warned that the material is "not sufficient by itself to find beyond a reasonable doubt that he committed the" acts alleged by the current accuser.
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IÕm not a lawyer but why would the judge bring up the past allegations made against Michael AT ALL.

Quoting judge Melville:

"If you find that the defendant committed a prior sexual offense, you may.

WTF!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It seems a responsible judge would have said:

You are to consider and ONLY JUDGE the EVIDENCE made in THIS CASE and not
any prior allegations made against Michael Jackson, period.

Judge Melville went on to say:

"you may, but are not required, to infer that the defendant had a disposition to commit sexual offenses," Melville said.

My response to judge MelvilleÕs jury instructions is that one can infer that the American
Justice system has a disposition to railroad minorities.

[MercutioATC]

1. "Railroad minorities"??? How about "Lock up child molesters"?

I don't skin color being an issue here.

[Bushknew]

4. MJ coverage VS pedophile priests coverage

Why has there been more coverage given to MJ than the pedophile priests?

Skin color perhaps?

Yes, there has been coverage of the pedophile priests but in comparison, there has been
more time, money and TV coverage spent on Michael Jackson than
all the pedophile priests COMBINED.

I mean really, has any one of the pedophile priests become a house hold name like Scott Peterson
has?

I donÕt think so.

[MercutioATC]

6. Interesting that you mention Scott Peterson...isn't he white?

You're correct that some stories play more than others, but do you REALLY think that Michael Jackson gets the degree of press coverage he does because he's black, not because he's a very famous entertainer?

[Bushknew]

11. IÕd say the Catholic church is more famous than MJ.

Therefore, it should have received as much if not more coverage than MJÕs trail.

Scott Peterson became famous because the media decided to give him attention but
really, IÕm sure all the while the Scott Peterson case was going on, their were MANY
cases of husbands killing their wives that didnÕt make the news.

[MercutioATC]

22. But MJ is a CELEBRITY.

How do you think the Star and the Enquirer make money? People want to hear about celebrities even though there may be much more weighty issues to read about. Plenty of people make home porn tapes...Paris Hilton and Pam Anderson got press. It's simply a matter of what sells.

[Bushknew]

23. Pete Townshend is a celebrity and É

He was not crucified in the media like Michael Jackson has been.

So, IÕm afraid there is no other explication than it is a racial thing.

"Townshend admitted using his credit card to visit a web site * OFFERING * child porn, but told cops he was just conducting research. The rock star will still spend five years on a U.K. register of sex offenders."

http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/petetownshend1.html

[MercutioATC]

24. You don't see a difference between looking at a web site and molesting

children?

I respectfully disagree.

[Bushknew]

25. Pete said, I was just doing research.

I donÕt buy that.

Who is interested at looking at naked little boys having sex but pedophiles?

To my knowledge Jackson has never tried to access child porn online like Mr Townshend
has. IÕm sure the media would have let us know about that by now.

When MJÕs place was raided (without prior warning) the police didnÕt find any child pornography, they did find some regular pornography though.

Regular pornography meaning a girl and a guy having sex.

What does that say to you?

[demosincebirth]

20. I thought he was white

[Warpy]

2. There goes the verdict

Those instructions are from a hostile judge who realizes the prosecution witnesses need a lot more coaching than they got for the case to be presented in such a way to obtain a conviction. This conviction will be thrown out on the basis of prejudicial instructions from the judge. They'll eventually retry it, possibly with sober prosecution witnesses next time.

This judge knows damned full well the prosecution failed because the prosecution witness were so egregious. He knows the only way they're going to convict Jackson is by holding another trial, and working to coach those witnesses for the months or years such a trial will take to start.

This is sick.

Then again, the judge could be a GOP appointee who has forgotten everything he learned in law school.

[Bushknew]

8. Coaching a conviction

To me, thatÕs exactly what it seems the judge is trying to do.

What happened to "You are innocent until PROVEN guilty."

Apparently, not if your Michael Jackson.

Michael has already been convicted in the media.

AFTER one has been found guilty by a court of law, then the media can begin their character assassination, not BEFORE though.

When journalists and newspapers refer to him as Jacko, you already know how they are
going to portray him.

Innocent until PROVEN guilty? For some perhaps.

[autorank]

3. Right and O'Liely didn't sexually harass that woman either.

Oh, am I picking on him because he's Irish.

Give it up, this isn't about race, it's about the evidence in the trial. In CA (pipe in CA lawyers) sexual crimes allow the introduction of some elements of past behavior.

You would not, I am sure, like to lessen the ability of the state to protect people against sexual predators.

Jackson settled a previous case for about $25 million. In today's dollars, I don't even want to tell you how much that is but maybe $40 million.

It always looks different on the outside because the reporters are not the jurors and the jurors decide. This is a small town working class jury. We'll see how it comes out.

One thing I don't understand is why a jurisdiction would bring charges against anyone with tons of money without hiring a special counsel. They're out there, they are kick-ass lawyers, and they let the state compete. Jackson's lawyer was pretty damn good from what I can see. The guys from Santa Barbara needed some help.

Please don't make this about race.

[beam me up scottie]

5. I don't think it's because he is a minority,

I think it's because he is different and makes an easy target for bigots who are shopping for someone new to hate.
It seems many have already convicted him because he's a "freak".

[Richard Steele]

10. I'll second what SCOTTY said.

Michael J. Jackson is, without a doubt, a "freak".

He just isn't NORMAL by anyone's standards.

And while it's easy to assume that "freak = pedophile" (as I once did concerning MJ);
I have begun to have doubts about my assumptions.

Paying off those accusers way back when might be a sign of guilt in a NORMAL person...but Michael ain't normal!

He's not even a normal FREAK; he's really in a class of his own.
If all the freaks lived in one big "Freakville", Michael would STILL be at the top of the hill behind a high wall; unseen and unseeing!

I honestly think he _MIGHT_ be innocent, but just too 'out-of-touch' to understand how he is percieved by normal people.

I really think he is DISTURBED enough to enjoy sharing his bed with children in a NON-SEXUAL way.
I'm not saying I believe that's what happened, I'm just saying it's POSSIBLE.

Guilty or innocent: he's a sad, sad man. Lost in a world he never made.

[beam me up scottie]

13. Argh! Please don't hang me with my words!

I put the word "freak" in quotations because I hate the word.
If you've ever seen the movie "Freaks", you'll know why.

Excellent post. Your comment:
"Guilty or innocent: he's a sad, sad man. Lost in a world he never made"
was really touching. He had such a brutal childhood it's no wonder he keeps trying to retreat into a world he never experienced.

It's too bad more people can't see it the way you do.

[Richard Steele]

16. My bad, Beamer; I didn't mean to drag you down with me!

To whom it may concern: My opinions of Mr.Michael J. Jackson are my own, and are entirely SEPERATE and DISTINCT from the opinions of our fellow DUer "BeamMeUpScottie".

His use of the word "freak" simply REMINDED me of my own opinion; I do NOT imply that HIS opinions are in any way similar to my own.

(FREAKS was a truly EXCELLENT motion picture, btw.)

[beam me up scottie]

17. Thanks, I usually include waivers

when I discuss religion. :evilgrin:

I am so glad that they were able to save that movie. It taught me a lot about myself.
Is it me or is the behaviour of the "normals" becoming more prevalent today than it was then?

[mitchtv]

14. oh they want more than that

Neverland ranch and his music franchises= these are rich whities in Sta Barbara Cty- Black folks just don't belong.

[beam me up scottie]

15. I guess I didn't know that

because I'm not familiar with California.
I did hear it was the venue of choice for the prosecutor, I can see why.
Liberal jurors would be inclined to overlook race and eccentricity.

[ugarte]

7. I think he'll be found innocent

on the serious charges but perhaps convicted on the lesser charge of giving alcohol to a minor. Although it is a misdemeanor, the judge might throw the book at him and give him 12 months in the local slammer.

[demosincebirth]

21. I think he will be found not guitly

The rich are never found guilty. Only the middle class and the poor, mostly the poor. Never heard of a rich man serving time.

[Dogmudgeon]

9. The Great American Pedo Frenzy

Jackson has never been convicted of child molestation, and in each of the cases brought to trial, it became clear that the parents of the alleged victim were looking for a payday. This is the same strategy we see today.

Yet millions of people are certain, beyond all doubt, that Michael Jackson is a molester, because ... because ... well, they just know. After all, he's a single man, and he's eccentric as they come. So of COURSE he's a pedophile. And maybe a Communist, too.

In my area (Philadelphia), we just had a case of a principal (Dr. Eboni Wilson) who was accused of having sex with a 16-year-old girl who was attending his school. The charges were drawn up because school security cameras caught each of them entering an auditorium at the same time. Obviously, they were having sex -- "everybody knows". Except that she was cutting class, and he was going in to round up class-cutters and couples making out. Under pressure, with the interrogation being conducted well after school hours, the girl lied to the police and said that she and Wilson had had sex.

Dr. Wilson has the distinction of being one of the very few educators who has been able to make a charter school work -- and he's not even 29 years old. Students, teachers, parents, and community members alike love the guy -- and he has made a few "enemies" with his down-to-Earth, yet no-B.S. style. He literally worked himself up and out of the ghetto. He's a prodigy and an inspiration, and therefore the target of every junior D.A. with aspirations to higher office.

The girl quickly disavowed her statement, and substantial evidence has emerged to support her contention that it was muscled out of her. The charges were dismissed, and Dr. Wilson was reinstated, but the case was not closed. The local D.A. is convinced that Wilson is a molester. And, of course, a significant number of people still think Wilson is a molester, too. He and his wife have been through a year-long ordeal, and his reputation has been badly damaged.

America is embarking on a new crusade for moral hygiene, a kind of a national Pedo Frenzy (as I call them). Not a week goes by that some lower-echelon cop or prosecutor doesn't get his mug on TV talking tough about being "the Traffic Cop on the Information Superhighway", busting "active child molesters" who often turn out to be innocent of all wrongdoing, and speechifying about the need to protect The Children (though still supporting the practice of prosecuting children as adults, including possible execution).

You'd think that people would eventually learn that moral crusades inevitably turn just plain evil. I fear that it won't be long before some hapless victim of the Pedo-Frenzy Railroad is found dead in his cell from the effects of torture -- the day before the judicial misconduct that sent him there is exposed.

--p!

[beam me up scottie]

12. You are on to something.

Just pull up any of the threads on this board regarding accused child molesters and watch how easily sanity and reason get tossed out the window.
This must be what lynch mobs sounded like.
Speak up for the rights of the accused and become an advocate of child molestation. I dare you.

[queeg]

18. I say Lock him up on principle

The guy is a nut. ---- and his records have sucked for a long time ---maybe we can lock up some more of the top 40 too.

[patricia92243]

19. Didn't realize there were TWO payoffs. n/t

[TaleWgnDg]

26. wha?

.




.

[donheld]

27. Michael is being railroaded by the "He's weird" offense

:nuke:

[davelyoung1]

28. After Jackson's Trail on FoxNews

I tried to listen to all news programs to diversify my opinions. Then I found myself being divided among lines of hate, by people who were reporting the news, who were acting as dictators and politicians. With every one wanting to be judge and jury for America, I was watching not news but a raunchy talk show of sneers and innuendo, each one trying to outdo the others putdown. They were reporting actors who use intimidation and harassment because a jury’s decision did not mirror their choice. Who decided on their own, stated that a country was an enemy and needed to be punished. Who on their own, without physical evidence (like Newsweek was supposed to do), reported gossip to inflame its audience. What Americans were traitors and who were true saints. To dramatize stories into a feeding frenzy by putting on, so called experts; seldom balancing them in equality. The color of diversity can be easily seen in the makeup. Anyway, news is not a propaganda machine, like that of a communist nation, but a free press just reporting the facts in the truth without comment, to let the viewer decide what to think.

I truly hope America does not need judge and jury journalism, for the media would convict us, before a trail could be held. In the worst case, we would draw a reporter’s card “Go To Jail” without trail. To then be sentenced for the rest of your life to Guantanamo without any legal rights guaranteed from a Constitution and a Bible of prayer.