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The Official Michael Jackson in Court Thread V Okay - Part V is upon us.
Court still in progress... many things going on. Enjoy the conversation. Once again, please don't RE-post pics (slows down the thread), and let's maintain a civil attitude... k? Thanks - June7 |
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Ok im back, (just needed to get away from this madness for a few days)
thought i'd be one of the first to comment on the proceedings so far, This has been a damaging week for prosecution... I believe that this case is pretty much over with the 15 yr old testimony and i don't even think the cross-examination did much damage.. When the child said "I don't like him anymore" thats damaging Cause now we have a motive... its not just about money anymore, its about vengence... Its about 2 old friends... and bad blood See in these type of cases your suppose to make the victim look like... well a victim! Just by the testimony i can tell this is a pretty stern headed kid. Now im thinking.. is this about retribution?, for being made fun of... then being kicked out of neverland? this is payback for an Ex-friend... who betrayed you. thats what i got from the complete testimony. theirs already so much admitted... i can't imagine how else their going to get a conviction... I just wanna see Corey Feldman get ripped by defense attorney's now but other than that... This case is pretty much done... [Edited 3/15/05 13:42pm] | |
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(CBS) Attorney Andrew Cohen analyzes legal issues for CBSNews.com and CBS News.
----- If prosecutors were hoping that Michael Jackson's accuser would come to the witness stand Monday and cement into place their case, they surely are disappointed, and perhaps even mortified, by the young man's courtroom demeanor and testimony. The alleged molestation victim did not talk or act like one in court. And on Monday, during the heart of the prosecution's case, no part of his story was immune from serious and substantial questions about its accuracy or reliability. At times sullen and combative, cheeky and evasive, acting more like a punk than a crime victim, and often mumbling so badly that the court reporter had to ask him to repeat his answers, the young man did little to persuade jurors that he is telling the truth and Jackson is lying about their alleged encounters together. And it wasn't because Jackson's attorney, Thomas Mesereau, went after the complaining witness like the pit bull attorney we all know he can be. Indeed, part of the reason why Monday was such a devastating day for prosecutors is because the accuser so often during the course of the cross-examination did himself in through word and deed. Calling the young man "Mister," Mesereau was subtle and soft because he didn't have to be blunt and firm. The witness was doing his dirty work for him. By far the most important revelation from the day's testimony is that the young man apparently told a former middle school dean of his that Jackson had not molested him. "I told him that Michael didn't do anything to me," the young man told jurors after Mesereau asked him what he had told the dean. And what had the dean said to the young man to elicit that response? Mesereau said the school official asked the young man: "Look at me, look at me. I can't help you unless you tell me the truth." Powerful stuff for the defense, especially since it appears that prosecutors were unaware of the dean's purported testimony until this past weekend. If the dean does testify, and if he says what Mesereau says he will, that testimony alone could easily create the reasonable doubt Jackson needs to be acquitted of the charges against him. What possible incentive would the dean have to lie? Why would he want to help Jackson? Why would he want to sink the prosecution's case? And even if the young man eventually says on re-direct examination that he didn't want to level with his dean because he was embarrassed, the fact is that then he's lied to a person of authority when asked him to tell the truth about molestation -- which is exactly what this trial is all about. If this were the only problem prosecutors faced with their most important witness, it might be enough to sink the case. But it is not. On point after point, the alleged victim came across as incredible, at worst, and just plain confused at best. During the afternoon, he even seemed to suggest that he was unclear about when the molestation took place; whether it took place before or after the family made a "rebuttal" video designed to respond to the infamous network video of Jackson at Neverland; the one in which he admitted to the world that he enjoyed sleeping in the same bed with boys not related to him. This, too, is the essence of reasonable doubt. The timing of the alleged molestation is so important to the case that the defense Monday afternoon trotted out for a third time the rebuttal videotape. If the alleged molestation took place before this rebuttal video was made, its floridly pro-Jackson tone makes even less sense than it did last week, when jurors were told that the alleged molestation took place after the rebuttal video. But no matter when jurors are told the molestation occurred, the rebuttal video is powerful evidence for Jackson and his lawyer made great use of it with the accuser in the courtroom. Over and over again, Mesereau stopped the videotape to ask the young man if he and his family were lying or telling the truth in it. Sometimes the answer was yes; sometimes it was no. Long hours before the rebuttal video graced the courtroom again came the first question of the day. Before jurors even got settled in their seats, Mesereau was talking about the young man's comments about masturbation. Mesereau asked the accuser why he had ascribed the same words about masturbation to both Jackson and his grandmother. In other words, the alleged victim apparently told some people that Jackson had told him that masturbation was necessary because it prevented rape while telling others that his grandmother had said that. The young man tried to explain away the inconsistency but it wasn't persuasive. And from that icky start it went downhill quickly. It got so bad, in fact, that the young man's answers to questions about his cancer made it seem like he often used the disease as a sword, not a shield, and had unrealistic and sometimes even offensive expectations about what Jackson and the rest of the world owed him. Then there were moments where the young man's testimony simply defied belief. For example, the young man told jurors that his mother was "scared the whole time" he spent at Neverland toward the end of his relationship with Jackson. Fair enough. But he also told the jury that he never told her that he was sleeping in Jackson's bed during that whole time. How can that be? How could a mother scared about her son's relationship with Jackson either not ask where they were sleeping or not do anything about it? Mesereau repeated that line of questions several times in order to ensure that the jury understood the lack of logic. It's not an issue that breaks the case wide open against Jackson but it surely doesn't help prosecutors, either. Jackson's attorney also focused during the day on portraying the young man as a poor student with a long history of discipline problems; a mercenary punk who was renown for talking back to his teachers and defying authority. The alleged victim told jurors that he lost respect for one of his teachers because that teacher had brought himself "down to my level." One teacher wrote about the alleged victim's "good acting skills" and the young man himself told the jury that he "wasn't that good of a kid then." Now, as the parent of most young teenagers might tell you, some of this behavior is typical. But Mesereau listed at least nine teachers who all complained in one way or another about the young man. This jury has a few teachers on it and you can bet that this testimony in particular resonates with them. But Mesereau wasn't trying to get jurors to "tut-tut" the witness for his bad school behavior. He was trying to get them to buy into the notion that the accuser in this case is capable of deceit, of defiance in the face of authority, of not suffering fools gladly even at a tender age. In a case where the young man ought to be appear wholly as a victim, Jackson's attorney Monday may him seek more like a punk, like a tough street kid who would be more likely to torment Jackson than vice versa. None of this means that the alleged molestation didn't take place, of course, but in a case about perceptions, about who was more likely to be victimizing who, it's a big deal. Simply put, it is harder tonight for me to believe that the young man would have allowed Jackson to molest him. Anticipating a question that surely has gone through the minds of jurors, Mesereau also focused Monday upon the idea that the young man and his family had a motive to ruin Jackson's life. Why would a young man do this? Because, Mesereau suggested with his questions, the young man and his family were chronic complainers, career gold diggers, freeloaders and grifters who turned against Jackson when he and his entourage began to withdraw their significant perks and services from them. The accuser apparently complained when the vehicle Jackson gave his family took it back to repair it. And he apparently complained that the expensive watch that Jackson had given him wasn't worth what Jackson had told him it was worth. If that is gratitude, if that is appreciation, then this right now is a close case. It also bodes ill for prosecutors that they twice seemed surprised by defense questions. First, they apparently were taken aback by the discovery that the dean would testify that the accuser had told him that no molestation occurred. Apparently, prosecutors only questioned this dean on Saturday, two days ago, and then had to meet with the alleged victim Sunday evening to discuss the development. In a case like this, that's unacceptable footwork on the part of law enforcement officials and the District Attorneys' Office, who long ago should have talked to every single faculty member at every single school the young man has attended. Also, the alleged victim told jurors that he had not been asked by prosecutors about Jay Leno until after the trial started, implying that prosecutors did not know that Jay Leno would play a role in this case until the defense said he would during opening statements. Leno, it now appears, will be a defense witness, called to testify that he, too, was approached by the young man and his family as part of a solicitation effort. In these circumstances, it is inexcusable that Sneddon did not know about that before trial or, if he did, that he did not discuss it with his witness. Inexcusable, but not necessarily inconsistent with some of the other dubious decisions and developments so far in the case that left Thomas Sneddon, the District Attorney, shaking his head inside court late Monday morning. Dressed in a royal blue dress shirt with a white t-shirt underneath, the young man is short-haired and good looking with a voice that is deeper than his age suggests. But when he testifies, he talks as though he is recalling a story that he has read and not as though he is retelling his own experiences. In that sense, he seems as over-coached and scripted as he seems under-coached in other areas of his testimony. Have jurors picked up on this? I don't know. Recognizing the core of the case when they see it, many of them were furiously scribbling notes Monday. And they were as attentive as you would hope they would be, focusing in upon the young man as he answered, or didn't, the questions posed to him. Surely, in the end, they will cut the accuser some slack on some of what he says. Being the fulcrum of a case like this surely would not be easy for a mature adult, much less a young person just beginning to understand the real world. And surely there is a lot of detail for him to remember over a long period that marks the beginning and end of his relationship with the defendant. The problem for prosecutors, however, is that there is only so much of a break the jury is likely to cut the accuser, especially when Jackson is entitled to "breaks" of his own, constitutionally-mandated breaks like the presumption of innocence and the reasonable doubt standard. If I were a member of the jury tonight, I would more likely be wondering why this case was brought in the first place than I would whether or not Jackson is guilty of the charges against him. And that is a horrible calculus for prosecutors now, smack dab in the middle of their case-in-chief. Why? Because with the most dramatic parts of his presentation nearly over, and with a deck stacked with defense witnesses, if Sneddon doesn't have the jury now he likely never will. | |
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In an exclusive sneak-peek, Michael gives Entertainment Tonight a preview of his pre-court morning rituals. [Edited 3/15/05 14:04pm] | |
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VoicesCarry said: http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v426/jcpiercy/Stuff%20For%20Sale/wear.jpg
In an exclusive sneak-peek, Michael gives Entertainment Tonight a preview of his pre-court morning rituals. [Edited 3/15/05 14:04pm] Thats pretty good photoshopping, Did you do it Voices? if you did, your talented... but got way too much time on your hands | |
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Luv4oneanotha said: VoicesCarry said: http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v426/jcpiercy/Stuff%20For%20Sale/wear.jpg
In an exclusive sneak-peek, Michael gives Entertainment Tonight a preview of his pre-court morning rituals. [Edited 3/15/05 14:04pm] Thats pretty good photoshopping, Did you do it Voices? if you did, your talented... but got way too much time on your hands Nope, it's not mine! | |
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Stop reposting pics. You all stupid? read the top of the thread!
Be considerate to those losers on a dial up connection. | |
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I gotta say that the rebuttal tape was a stroke of genius. Christian Zombie Vampires | |
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And BTW...the part of the thread about MJ needing therapy after this whole mess.
AGREED. He needs something. He's all messed up sexualy...and needs to work out those issues. Christian Zombie Vampires | |
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Continuing from the last MJ court thread..
I think MJ needs therapy. Any 46 year old man who is this enchanted with childhood NEEDS HELP! I dont think that he will be found guilty but he still needs help. He'll be better off for having gotten help. | |
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superspaceboy said: And BTW...the part of the thread about MJ needing therapy after this whole mess.
AGREED. He needs something. He's all messed up sexualy...and needs to work out those issues. Get off it already please only discuss the case not the mental stability crap | |
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Luv4oneanotha said: superspaceboy said: And BTW...the part of the thread about MJ needing therapy after this whole mess.
AGREED. He needs something. He's all messed up sexualy...and needs to work out those issues. Get off it already please only discuss the case not the mental stability crap That's it, Luvvie. Put superspaceboy in his PLACE! | |
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Luv4oneanotha said: superspaceboy said: And BTW...the part of the thread about MJ needing therapy after this whole mess.
AGREED. He needs something. He's all messed up sexualy...and needs to work out those issues. Get off it already please only discuss the case not the mental stability crap Soorrry. Didn't know there were RULES. Why because that's an open and shut case that he needs therapy? Sheesh Christian Zombie Vampires | |
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And if I did strat THAT topic, it'd be locked and we'd be told to discuss it here. Christian Zombie Vampires | |
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dreamfactory313 said: Continuing from the last MJ court thread..
I think MJ needs therapy. Any 46 year old man who is this enchanted with childhood NEEDS HELP! I dont think that he will be found guilty but he still needs help. He'll be better off for having gotten help. That or maybe befriend that guy in Tampa who thinks he's peter pan. | |
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VoicesCarry said: Luv4oneanotha said: Get off it already please only discuss the case not the mental stability crap That's it, Luvvie. Put superspaceboy in his PLACE! | |
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I think MJ might need therapy. Or something.
| |
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Voices Carry - You need a life. | |
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amit1234 said: Voices Carry - You need a life.
....says the person whining about another post on an internet message board. Ah, irony at its best. | |
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superspaceboy said: And if I did strat THAT topic, it'd be locked and we'd be told to discuss it here.
The reason it would be locked is because it is a STUPID topic... Its F*cking Obvious that the man needs help, i've been saying this for years... the reason i disagree to it is because I wan't the topic to stay on the CASE! i don't give a rats ass if you think he needs therapy... Hell i don't give a rats ass if you wanted him to feed you milk and cookies! All i care about is the case at hand... And since this is a MICHAEL JACKSON IN COURT THREAD i strongly believe we should only discuss the case this isn't "Lets examine Michael Jacksons Mental Stability" We all know what this argument leads too Mj fans stand by their guy, and the skeptics will go on f*cking with them... so im trying to spare myself and the others who don't give a rats ass the time... Its bad enough you contaminated one thread, not this one 2 So when it comes to the MJ therapy stuff... Please I beg you JUST LAY OFF! if you have nothing interesting to comment about the case... Don't Post! Simple enough... [Edited 3/15/05 17:16pm] | |
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Luv4oneanotha said: superspaceboy said: And if I did strat THAT topic, it'd be locked and we'd be told to discuss it here.
The reason it would be locked is because it is a STUPID topic... Its F*cking Obvious that the man needs help, i've been saying this for years... the reason i disagree to it is because I wan't the topic to stay on the CASE! i don't give a rats ass if you think he needs therapy... Hell i don't give a rats ass if you wanted him to feed you milk and cookies! All i care about is the case at hand... And since this is a MICHAEL JACKSON IN COURT THREAD i strongly believe we should only discuss the case this isn't "Lets examine Michael Jacksons Mental Stability" We all know what this argument leads too Mj fans stand by their guy, and the skeptics will go on f*cking with them... so im trying to spare myself and the others who don't give a rats ass the time... Its bad enough you contaminated one thread, not this one 2 So when it comes to the MJ therapy stuff... Please I beg you JUST LAY OFF! if you have nothing interesting to comment about the case... Don't Post! Simple enough... [Edited 3/15/05 17:16pm] Breathe deeply and slowly. Calm yourself. | |
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amit1234 said: Voices Carry - You need a life.
Amit, when's the last time you spoke with michael or randy? How is he doing? When is the Bad DVD coming out? | |
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lilgish said: amit1234 said: Voices Carry - You need a life.
Amit, when's the last time you spoke with michael or randy? How is he doing? When is the Bad DVD coming out? I like that hottie in your avatar | |
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mmmm Somebody is buckling under the pressure....
15/03/2005 23:34:22 Prosecution Suggest Jackson Has A Fetish For... The prosecutor in Michael Jackson's child molestation trial strongly hinted Tuesday that the faded "King of Pop" has a fetish for children's underwear. District Attorney Tom Sneddon told the star's child molestation trial jury that his then 13-year-old accuser found that some of his underwear and other items of clothing were missing from his luggage following a stay at Jackson's Neverland Ranch. Before allowing the youth to leave the witness stand after four days of explosive testimony, Sneddon asked him if there had been an occasion on which Jackson had talked to him about undergarments. The boy answered that on one occasion, when the youth was about to take a shower at Neverland, Jackson told him to "leave your stinking underwear in the hamper." The boy told investigators that he wore white briefs made by the Hanes company, size "small." Website Thesmokinggun.com, which has leaked numerous documents linked to the case, claimed that detectives seized a pair of white Hanes boys underwear, size small during a search of Neverland Ranch. Source: AFP Now i'll give anyone the benifit of the doubt? But C'mon? this is pure speculation... Unless you have The boys underwear with jacksons finger prints all on it This is nothing but to disgust a Jury.. heres some more stuff Dr.Katz Interview Reveals Evaluation Of Jackson Michael Jackson "doesn't really qualify as a pedophile. He's really just this regressed 10-year-old." That was the surprising evaluation offered to police by Dr. Stanley Katz, the Los Angeles child psychologist who interviewed the singer's teenage accuser and the boy's brother--and who is expected to soon testify as a government witness at Jackson's molestation trial. In a taped June 2003 telephone interview, Katz, 55, gave a Santa Barbara sheriff's investigator his "off the record" opinion of the 46-year-old entertainer. Jackson, Katz told Det. Paul Zelis, "is a guy that's like a 10-year-old child. And, you know, he's doing what a 10-year-old would do with his little buddies. You know, they're gonna jack off, watch movies, drink wine, you know. And, you know, he doesn't even really qualify as a pedophile. He's really just this regressed 10-year-old." "Yeah, yeah, I agree," replied Zelis. Now this even surprised me! this means Katz is not in on it... He's just a pawn, a man doing his job... [Edited 3/15/05 18:20pm] | |
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lilgish said: VoicesCarry said: http://www.imageshack.us http://img95.exs.cx/img95...r041lj.jpg Oh, I love you to Julie Jean was hotter. And more eccentric. | |
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superspaceboy said: Luv4oneanotha said: Get off it already please only discuss the case not the mental stability crap Soorrry. Didn't know there were RULES. Why because that's an open and shut case that he needs therapy? Sheesh [just to clarify, there are no rules regarding these mj threads...feel free to pontificate on mj's mental status all you want- sos] Space for sale... | |
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VoicesCarry said: well you should, look how much time I spent on my hair. | |
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VoicesCarry said: Luv4oneanotha said: The reason it would be locked is because it is a STUPID topic... Its F*cking Obvious that the man needs help, i've been saying this for years... the reason i disagree to it is because I wan't the topic to stay on the CASE! i don't give a rats ass if you think he needs therapy... Hell i don't give a rats ass if you wanted him to feed you milk and cookies! All i care about is the case at hand... And since this is a MICHAEL JACKSON IN COURT THREAD i strongly believe we should only discuss the case this isn't "Lets examine Michael Jacksons Mental Stability" We all know what this argument leads too Mj fans stand by their guy, and the skeptics will go on f*cking with them... so im trying to spare myself and the others who don't give a rats ass the time... Its bad enough you contaminated one thread, not this one 2 So when it comes to the MJ therapy stuff... Please I beg you JUST LAY OFF! if you have nothing interesting to comment about the case... Don't Post! Simple enough... [Edited 3/15/05 17:16pm] http://www.screenpictures...llpill.jpg Breathe deeply and slowly. Calm yourself. thank you. | |
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