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Jackson Verdict Brings Division
16 June 2005
Yesterday, in a court case which has gripped the USA and cost local taxpayers in the court's small Californian jurisdiction more than $2 million, singer Michael Jackson was found innocent of all child abuse charges brought against him.
Predictably with such a high profile case involving a major celebrity, public opinion remains divided on the outcome.
Two members of the jury panel have already shared publicly that they remain suspicious of Jackson's treatment of young boys who are allowed -- if not invited -- to sleep with him in his bed.
Yet, on the evidence put before them on the particular charges put before them, they found insufficient evidence to establish guilt beyond reasonable doubt.
The hyperbole of statements made on Jackson's official website, which liken his release to that of Nelson Mandela, was only matched by those made by some US media commentators in the lead up to the verdict.
Some, including former O.J. Simpson lawyer Robert Shapiro, predicted a definite conviction on at least some counts. Other lawyers-turned-pundits foresaw a guilt on all counts, and seemed personally hurt when the verdict went against them.
The defence team, led by celebrity lawyer Thomas Mesereau, and Jackson's family and friends, have predictably maintained his innocence throughout. He may be eccentric, they say, but that does not mean he is a child abuser.
Those who were convinced of Jackson's guilt have expressed alarm and have pledged to watch more carefully Jackson's behaviour around children.
In all the hooplah, one thing is certain. A jury of everyday people has, quietly and far from the public gaze, weighed the evidence put before them and arrived at a considered verdict.
It is a good thing, say some, that even in this media-intrusive age of Reality TV, trials like this can still be conducted outside the media forum.
Writing on this site, social commentator Mal Fletcher says: 'The whole affair – the media coverage, if not the trial itself – serves as yet another example of the hype surrounding modern celebrities and our obsession with fame.'
'In the wake of the Jackson trial-turned-media-circus,' he says, 'I think we would do well to pause and consider where this culture of celebrity may be leading us.'
'Celebrity distorts reality. How many lives has celebrity ruined?'
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