Do I dare bring up this topic?

I may have heard that comment once or twice before!

Katya,

I don't think you are going to be chosen for the jury. Don't worry though, I wouldn't make it either.

katya - I suspect that if the case were based solely on a t.v. special, the DA would not have been able to convince a judge to have the ranch be searched.

I don't know that Michael Jackson is a paedophile, or anything other than a troubled man with extremely poor personal judgment, but I think that it's best left to judge and jury to attempt to make a reasonable decision about the merits of the case.

The journalist probably did have an agenda - it remains to be seen if a guilty verdict is brought in whether that agenda was fair or not. If he is guilty then trying to hunt down a paedophile is a very just action - if not, then it is a despicable one.

no the piece about him sleeping on the floor was in the documentary - i saw and registered the remark

I watched that documentary, at first giving him the benefit of the doubt - the way the child in question cuddled up to him made me very very uncomfortable and gave me more grave doubts than i had at the beginning - this was not something Martin Bashir said but something that MJ did,

A grown man trying to be Peter Pan is very disturbing and his grasp on reality seemed extremely tenous.

I will wait for the evidence and the trial before deciding on his guilt but all the recent interviews have done more harm than good to belief in his innocence here.

However, the parents of the children allowed to sleep over have a lot to answer for.[/color]

In fact, sadly, those parents likely have nothing to answer for legally. Morally, no one can make them responsible, for what appears to me to be a grab at a sad man's money.

The documentary, I'm sure, has nearly nada to do with the case. The case is built (like every other case in the United States) on an indictment, as decided by a Grand Jury or a Prosecutor's Information (depends on what state you're in). That means there's enough to start the wheels of justice in motion. It doesn't mean he's guilty. It doesn't mean the DA is out to get him. It doesn't mean anything happened, actually. All it means is that there's enough there to get the wheels moving. Period.

Today's NY Times reports that Jackson has asked the Nation of Islam to get involved in managing his money, PR and protection. Hard to know what to make of it, but if the info is accurate, they're now calling the shots.

Curiouser and curiouser...

Strange actions of a strange guy. Not so surprising.

At 5'11 120lbs I imagine he bruises easily.

It seems it's boiled down to he said, the police said. Anybody trust the police yet?

You know, It pisses me off when people say "Poor little MJ, didn't have a childhood". Give me a break.
Neither did Manson.
MJ had a childhood, he didn't go from feotus to freak. Granted his childhood was different from the kids in the suburbs but for gods sake, a lot of people didn't live the Ozzie and Harriet existance either.
How many children live in abject poverty, in war zones or in slums. You don't hear the same whoas me...

I think the police handled him with kid gloves <pardon the pun>. He was in jail for less than an hour. He smiledd and waived at the press as he walked out, not on a stretcher. His security detail probably roughs up hangers on, more frequently with more ferocity than the police would ever dare.
If his allegations are proven false, I hope they throw the book at him. How dare he play the system. He has, I'm sure fiddled with enough laws and should be stopped.

Ceili, There's a police internal investigation in progress, and as for his innocence or guilt, that'll be determined by a judge and jury. I'm waiting for this process to complete before coming to any conclusion.

CI- I trust the police. Just because a few bad apples that have made National press is no reason to consider all cops bad guys. That is on par with hating black people because a minority of them are crack selling, violent animals. Certainly they are prone to making mistakes but that is to be expected. They do not, nor are they qualified to, decide who is guilty. If they believe they have probable cause they make an arrest.

Next, as pointed out by jespah, a grand jury or prosecutor has to agree that there is probable cause. Many cases are dismissed at this stage for lack of evidence. In this case they obviously believe there is sufficient evidence to go to trial. Jackson's attorney's now have an opportunity show cause for dismissal, and apparently can not do so as of yet. Do not underestimate this burden of proof. The Judge has the authority to dismiss as well if he sees no reasonable case against Jackson. Obviously; a reasonable case exists.

Setanta; do you really believe the parents are innocent? In my book, they have already been proven guilty, by way of confession. Sending your child over night with a man, who's already paid off a molestation accuser, for purpose of profit is equally damnable. If Jackson is found guilty, they should consider charging them with "party to the crime".

I will withhold any judgment until the jury decides, though the evidence certainly looks damning. He certainly has credibility issues. Waving the peace sign after taking a beating and spending 45 minutes in a **** covered room would be out of character for anyone. I'll concede that it is possible for adults to sleep with children innocently, but not after you've already paid your way out a molestation accusation. That is insane.

I'm sure his defense team will be as qualified as OJs. If, despite the best representation money can buy, he is found guilty; I hope they put him in general population so true justice can find him. If it turns out there is insufficient evidence to convict; he still has no one to blame but himself. It is his own questionable behavior, at the very least, that makes the accusation possible.

Occum, There's more than a few bad apples in the police departments of this country. When I stop seeing unequal treatment against minorities in this country for two decades, I might change my mind, but until then, I'm stil sceptical.

Well, if the minorities would stop misbehaving, the police would let them be...

Right. It's only people who commit crimes who need to fear the police, so we should welcome them in our homes, even when they have no search warrants. After all, what do we have to hide?

McGent, I'm sure all whites are lilly white and commit no crime. ha....

Minorities kill people. Whites kill them then butcher wrap freeze and eat them.

Hey...maybe that's just multitasking...