SANTA MARIA, Calif., June 13 - Michael Jackson was acquitted on Monday of all charges against him by a jury that absorbed three months of often lurid testimony about his life and relationships with young boys but rejected a teenager's claim that Mr. Jackson plied him with liquor and sexually molested him.
Monica Almeida/The New York Times
Michael Jackson leaving the courthouse on Monday after learning that he had been acquitted of all charges. Mr. Jackson then paused to blow kisses to his many fans outside before returning to his estate.
A Pop Star Over the Decades
Roars and Tears of Joy, But Not All Favor Verdict (June 14, 2005)
14 Strikes and the Big Case of a 37-Year Career Is Out (June 14, 2005)
Michael Jackson Faces Daunting Road Back to Pop Glory (June 14, 2005)
A Collection of Reader Views on Michael Jackson (June 14, 2005)
Mr. Jackson walked free after a Santa Maria jury found him not guilty of four charges of child molesting, one charge of attempted child molesting, one conspiracy charge and eight possible counts of providing alcohol to minors.
Together, the charges could have brought 20 years in prison. Instead, Mr. Jackson is free to try to reclaim a career that has been in decline for a decade as he seemed to retreat more into his own private world with each passing year.
The eight women and four men of the jury deliberated for about 30 hours over seven days before saying shortly after noon that they had reached a decision.
The courtroom was silent and tense as the court clerk began to read the verdicts at 2:13 p.m. When it became clear that the jury had found that prosecutors had not proved their case against him, Mr. Jackson dabbed at his eyes with a tissue, and one of his lawyers, Susan C. Yu, began sobbing quietly.
Mr. Jackson's parents, Katherine and Joe, who had sat through almost every day of the 14-week trial, showed no emotion. Nor did his brothers Randy and Jermaine and his sisters LaToya and Rebbie, who were seated directly behind him. Another sister, Janet, waited outside because there were only six seats for family inside.
The family left the courtroom without speaking to the hundreds of reporters from around the world who had converged on this small Central Coast city to cover the latest of California's celebrity trials.
When word of the verdict spread, several hundred Jackson fans who were gathered outside the courthouse screamed in approval, embraced one another and threw confetti. A woman released one white dove for each count on which Mr. Jackson was acquitted. When Mr. Jackson emerged a half hour later, he quietly blew kisses to the fans and then disappeared into a black S.U.V. for the trip to his storybook Neverland estate.
Across the country, people paused to hear the outcome of the trial. Hundreds gathered in Times Square, where a giant screen heralded Mr. Jackson's acquittal, and a pilot broke in on a New York-to-California flight shortly before landing to relay the news to passengers.
The courtroom drama had profound implications for Mr. Jackson's life and career but did not rise to the level of legal spectacle offered by the O. J. Simpson double-murder trial a decade ago. The nature of the crime was different, Mr. Jackson's career was already in decline and the judge in this case, Rodney S. Melville, barred cameras from the courtroom and imposed a gag order on all participants.
The verdict was a devastating disappointment for Thomas W. Sneddon Jr., the Santa Barbara County district attorney, who has pursued Mr. Jackson for 12 years, since the time another boy made similar accusation.
Mr. Sneddon tried to bring a criminal case involving that boy, but was thwarted when the witness and his family reached a $20 million civil settlement with Mr. Jackson and refused to cooperate in a criminal investigation.
When Mr. Sneddon brought the new charges in late 2003, Mr. Jackson and his supporters accused him of pursuing a vendetta and a trophy case to cap his long career. Mr. Sneddon adamantly denied that at a news conference Monday afternoon.
"My past history with Mr. Jackson absolutely, unequivocally has nothing to do with this case," he said. "I thought we had a good case this time."
Asked if he thought a child molester had gone free, Mr. Sneddon snapped, "No comment."
The 12 members of the jury and 8 alternates appeared at a news conference after the verdict and said they had tried to weigh the evidence as if Mr. Jackson were not a global superstar. None of the jurors gave their names, and Judge Melville ordered their files sealed indefinitely
Monica Almeida/The New York Times
Michael Jackson leaving the courthouse on Monday after learning that he had been acquitted of all charges. Mr. Jackson then paused to blow kisses to his many fans outside before returning to his estate.
A Pop Star Over the Decades
Roars and Tears of Joy, But Not All Favor Verdict (June 14, 2005)
14 Strikes and the Big Case of a 37-Year Career Is Out (June 14, 2005)
Michael Jackson Faces Daunting Road Back to Pop Glory (June 14, 2005)
A Collection of Reader Views on Michael Jackson (June 14, 2005)
Mr. Jackson walked free after a Santa Maria jury found him not guilty of four charges of child molesting, one charge of attempted child molesting, one conspiracy charge and eight possible counts of providing alcohol to minors.
Together, the charges could have brought 20 years in prison. Instead, Mr. Jackson is free to try to reclaim a career that has been in decline for a decade as he seemed to retreat more into his own private world with each passing year.
The eight women and four men of the jury deliberated for about 30 hours over seven days before saying shortly after noon that they had reached a decision.
The courtroom was silent and tense as the court clerk began to read the verdicts at 2:13 p.m. When it became clear that the jury had found that prosecutors had not proved their case against him, Mr. Jackson dabbed at his eyes with a tissue, and one of his lawyers, Susan C. Yu, began sobbing quietly.
Mr. Jackson's parents, Katherine and Joe, who had sat through almost every day of the 14-week trial, showed no emotion. Nor did his brothers Randy and Jermaine and his sisters LaToya and Rebbie, who were seated directly behind him. Another sister, Janet, waited outside because there were only six seats for family inside.
The family left the courtroom without speaking to the hundreds of reporters from around the world who had converged on this small Central Coast city to cover the latest of California's celebrity trials.
When word of the verdict spread, several hundred Jackson fans who were gathered outside the courthouse screamed in approval, embraced one another and threw confetti. A woman released one white dove for each count on which Mr. Jackson was acquitted. When Mr. Jackson emerged a half hour later, he quietly blew kisses to the fans and then disappeared into a black S.U.V. for the trip to his storybook Neverland estate.
Across the country, people paused to hear the outcome of the trial. Hundreds gathered in Times Square, where a giant screen heralded Mr. Jackson's acquittal, and a pilot broke in on a New York-to-California flight shortly before landing to relay the news to passengers.
The courtroom drama had profound implications for Mr. Jackson's life and career but did not rise to the level of legal spectacle offered by the O. J. Simpson double-murder trial a decade ago. The nature of the crime was different, Mr. Jackson's career was already in decline and the judge in this case, Rodney S. Melville, barred cameras from the courtroom and imposed a gag order on all participants.
The verdict was a devastating disappointment for Thomas W. Sneddon Jr., the Santa Barbara County district attorney, who has pursued Mr. Jackson for 12 years, since the time another boy made similar accusation.
Mr. Sneddon tried to bring a criminal case involving that boy, but was thwarted when the witness and his family reached a $20 million civil settlement with Mr. Jackson and refused to cooperate in a criminal investigation.
When Mr. Sneddon brought the new charges in late 2003, Mr. Jackson and his supporters accused him of pursuing a vendetta and a trophy case to cap his long career. Mr. Sneddon adamantly denied that at a news conference Monday afternoon.
"My past history with Mr. Jackson absolutely, unequivocally has nothing to do with this case," he said. "I thought we had a good case this time."
Asked if he thought a child molester had gone free, Mr. Sneddon snapped, "No comment."
The 12 members of the jury and 8 alternates appeared at a news conference after the verdict and said they had tried to weigh the evidence as if Mr. Jackson were not a global superstar. None of the jurors gave their names, and Judge Melville ordered their files sealed indefinitely
No hay comentarios:
Publicar un comentario