he isn't going to jail

rdhull said:

what do you mean by that?

do you mean to say that he's innocent and therefor will be freed of any charge?

or do you mean to say that he's guilty, but he'll never get the deserved punishment, because of him being mike?

I dunno, supposedly this judge is supposed to be a tough, no-nonsense type of judge, and Mike is already starting off on a bad foot. This trial may be different from all of the other celebrity trials because supposedly they have proof. They wouldn't put formal charges against him without it.

I really hope he didn't do it. I don't know, he's got issues.

theVelvetRoper said:

Well, O.J Simpson got acquitted, and they basically had an extremely solid case against him. I don't know how strong their evidence against MJ is, but it will have to be dazzling for any real action to be taken against him.

VoicesCarry said:

O.J. was acquitted because Mark Furman was proved to be a racist, so they threw out all of the evidence he brought up. I don't know, it's all shady when it comes to this stuff.

theVelvetRoper said:

It's all bought . I don't know, public opinion is severely anti-Michael here (perhaps killing your wife is "OK" to the average person, while homosexual affairs with underage children are a worse offence), so that might be worth something. The judge certainly seems better than Ito, who fell asleep in court quite often.

I really really WANT to believe that MJ is innocent,but it gets harder and harder to do that.This case is so tragic and unfortunate.Even if he is innocent and gets acquitted,so much damage has been done.There would be no point in making a new CD after all this.He should just sell his Beatles catalog and go retire somewhere.

Michael's public image has been fucked for a long time already. And if he is innocent then there's no reason why he shouldn't make more music. Hell, his Number One's album has sold 1.5m in the UK already so the interest in his work is still there.

I'm sure he'd have to renegotiate his contract, though. There's no way in hell Sony will keep paying him astronomical fees on top of the astronomical production pricetags his records hold.

DavidEye said:

Getting acquitted does not mean you're innocent and it will NOT help Michael's public image. People have their minds made up one way or another, and that's that. Like with OJ, people will say "he got off because of his money" (who knows?), but he'll be reviled from here on in if the evidence is damning, even with an acquittal. Just as getting convicted does not mean you're guilty (as the skyrocketing numbers of wrongly convicted would tell you).

The average person (non-fan) sees him as some psychotic batshit-looney pederast with a penchant for flashy clothes, plastic surgery and little boys. Fans will flippantly write this off to "eccentricity", and tend to reinforce the negative stereotype the public has of Michael because their acts (including denial of some of his weirder behaviours) are almost as "insane" as his are (ex: carting your children over from England to support Michael at a court appearance).

What Michael needs to do is tone down the eccentricity. That will help.
[This message was edited Sat Jan 17 14:13:33 PST 2004 by VoicesCarry]

Tone down the eccentricity! Be normal for once!

VoicesCarry said:

I've heard that he owes Sony a box set and then his contract is done with.

Hiring him now would be like hiring Marilyn Monroe to shoot a movie in 1962. Not exactly the wisest business decision.

VoicesCarry said:

Ouch!

Cloudbuster said:

Hey! No cheap shots at Marilyn! I love her!

theVelvetRoper said:

It wasn't meant like that. I love Marilyn as well, but you know how it ended and how volatile she was in that final year (the Something's Got To Give fiasco, etc.). I just meant it as an analogy to Mike's current situation. I just have a bad feeling that he might be reaching his end, you know? I sympathize with him because I don't think it's his fault. I don't think he's a monster, but he may be suffering from some sort of mental illness.
[This message was edited Sat Jan 17 14:39:12 PST 2004 by VoicesCarry]

I really really WANT to believe that MJ is innocent,but it gets harder and harder to do that.This case is so tragic and unfortunate.Even if he is innocent and gets acquitted,so much damage has been done.There would be no point in making a new CD after all this.He should just sell his Beatles catalog and go retire somewhere.

i've only heard of these supposed video tapes from tabloid sources and the evidence is still sealed to the public so i think its a little presumptuous to assume it is true or legit. if the videos exist then, yes, he will be punished severely. they will give him the maximum simply because he's famous and the allegations existed in the past. i know that is not supposed to factor into the decision but it will, nonetheless. i still think he's innocent and until valid proof is brought forth, i will continue to think that. people are judging him on his public persona and eccentricities rather than on the merits of the case. the reason? because while the DA's office has been quick to make public statements, they've been lacking any details on evidence. the way this case has been handled so far (pr firms hired, unprofessional press statements, delivering the mug shot website to the publi, etc.) has me questioning the quality of evidence. i'm thinking they are relying on a lot of circumstantial evidence and the boy's statement. and it is really hurting them that no other kids have come forward to corroberate any accusations.
[This message was edited Sat Jan 17 16:15:52 PST 2004 by SassyBritches]

First of all, no matter what happens he's not going to jail.

SassyBritches said:

1. It is NOT standard practice in criminal cases for the prosecution to vomit all its evidence out for public consumption. The fact that they have not done this does NOT signify that they have no evidence (conversely, it doesn't tell us that hard evidence exists, either), it is merely procedure. No one at this point knows what evidence they have, and that isn't unusual, so we shouldn't speculate.

2. Mug shots are public documents, and aren't sealed. The media and public would have dug it up without their help.

3. I really don't think you can call their press statements "unprofessional". I am much more flabbergasted at Michael's completely unprofessional conduct thus far (accusing the cops of brutality and torture, playing the race card, dancing on top of an SUV at his arraignment, showing up 20 minutes late to his own arraignment, among other things).
[This message was edited Sat Jan 17 16:51:31 PST 2004 by VoicesCarry]

VoicesCarry said:

michael did not dance on top of his suv...he jumped up and waved to his supporters and blew them kisses ...as for the mugshot, yes it is public domain but find me any other high profile case (there've been many lately) where they have announce what webiste contained the mugshot. it is completely unprofessional behaviour and any attorney will tell you that. the initial press conference was so unprofessional that EVEN tom sneddon eventually apologized for his behaviour. they were laughing and telling jokes...pretty unprofessional to me. the evidence for criminal cases is always kept sealed until trial, i am aware. my point was that the DA's office was quick enough to alert the press BEFORE they even showed up to neverland ranch yet are "unable" by law to present any evidence...it is a very convenient situation for them.

i know it sounds crazy but i really believe they have very little evidence an are simply trying to poison the 'jury well' so they can present a case based on circumstantial evidence and hopefully get a conviction.