| Bad_Rich_Chic |
06-15-2005 12:28 PM |
Guilty,Guilty, Guilty
Quote:
Originally posted by Sidd Finch
I have avoided following this trial, as I avoid following every "celebrity" trial. That said, some things manage to leak their way through. From what's gotten through, I have no problem with this verdict -- it seemed permeated with "reasonable doubt," occasionally even overwhelming doubt.
I would not be shocked to learn that Michael Jackson had molested boys. I am shocked, however, that the prosecution chose to hang their hats on this alleged victim and his mother. They were a parody of the gold-digging plaintiffs.
Given that this was, apparently, the best the prosecution could do, I would also not be shocked to learn that Michael Jackson had, in fact, never molested boys.
The whole "this would be different if he weren't a celebrity" strikes me as, bluntly, a crock of shit. People have a gut feel about the guy because of his persona as a celebrity. No one should go to prison on gut feel. But, I think the prosecution was banking on that, and felt that they could get away with a weak case and weaker star witnesses because of the gut feel.
If he weren't a celebrity, I doubt that the case would have been brought on this evidence. I do not doubt that another wealthy defendant, one who was not a celebrity but who, like Jackson, had the means to mount a full defense, would have gotten the same result on the same evidence. In fact, I think it would've been easier for someone who did not bring Jocko's creepiness into the courtroom.
As for OJ, that's a different story. The case was stronger (infinitely), and the prosecution just grossly bungled it. The jury lost sight of the important things, but who can blame them? If the prosecution hadn't spent eight months on bullshit (including, if I remember the Bugliosi book correctly, a full day explaining that an indentation on Nicole's back was caused by the clasp of her dress), then they maybe they could have focused the jury's attention on the important stuff -- the DNA evidence. Also, one has to wonder who got the brilliant idea of asking a professional actor (OJ) to do an uncontrolled demonstration (the glove). Stupid, stupid, stupid.
OTOH, we got a great Chris Rock bit out of it, so that's something. ("You can't tell me that white people wouldn't wonder, if Jerry Seinfeld was being prosecuted for murder and the one cop who found the glove just happened to be in the Nation of Islam.")
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2. On every last everlovin' point.
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