'He Was EXONERATED!' Michael Jackson Documentary Questioned By His Defense Attorney
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Summary
Takeaways
- ❖Michael Jackson's defense attorney, Thomas Mesereau, maintains Jackson was 'totally exonerated' in the 2005 trial on all 14 counts.
- ❖Former Jackson lawyer Mark Geragos, who initially defended him in the Arvizo case, now represents the Cascio family, who allege abuse, noting their 'extremely compelling' testimony.
- ❖Geraldo Rivera, a journalist who covered the trial, believes Jackson was innocent and that accusers were 'grifters' whose greed contributed to his premature death.
Insights
1Michael Jackson's Total Exoneration in 2005 Trial
Thomas Mesereau, Michael Jackson's lead defense attorney, asserts that Jackson was 'completely exonerated' in his 2005 child molestation trial. The jury deliberated for eight days after five months of testimony, returning 'not guilty' verdicts on all 14 felony and misdemeanor counts. Mesereau highlights the diverse and unbiased composition of the jury, including a white civil engineer, a retired school principal, a mathematics teacher, and two women who had experienced molestation in their own families, with no African-American members, to counter claims of racial bias.
Jury deliberated for eight days after five months of testimony, returning 'not guilty' on all 14 counts. Jury composition included conservative white civil engineer, retired school principal, mathematics teacher, head of social services, journalist, military personnel, and two women with personal molestation experience.
2Defense Witnesses and Allegations of Accuser Credibility Issues
Mesereau argues that new documentaries fail to present the defense's case, which included testimony from prominent figures and local witnesses that cast doubt on the accusers' credibility. Chris Tucker described the accuser as 'cunning,' Jay Leno testified the accuser sounded 'scripted' and seemed to be 'after money,' and George Lopez recounted an accusation of theft within the accuser's family. A local newspaper owner also testified to being 'duped' by the accuser's mother regarding health care funding, revealing the family used Teamsters Union insurance despite claiming to be out of funds.
Chris Tucker testified the accuser was 'cunning' (). Jay Leno testified the accuser sounded 'scripted' and he thought they were 'after money' (). George Lopez testified the accuser's family accused him of stealing (). A local newspaper owner was 'duped' by the mother regarding health care funds ().
3Shifting Perspectives of Jackson's Former Legal Team
Mark Geragos, who served as Michael Jackson's lawyer for two years, initially defended him in the Arvizo case, testifying twice in support of Jackson and moving the accusers out of Neverland due to concerns about their credibility. However, Geragos later represented the Cascio family, who now allege Michael Jackson groomed and abused four of their children, describing them as 'extremely compelling witnesses.' This highlights a significant shift in perspective based on different sets of allegations and evidence.
Geragos testified twice in support of Michael Jackson regarding the Arvizo accusers (). He moved the accusers out of Neverland (). He later represented the Cascio family, who allege abuse, calling them 'extremely compelling witnesses' ().
4Personal Observations of Incriminating Material
Vincent Amen, Michael Jackson's crisis publicist, initially trusted denials of abuse but changed his view after discovering 'naked children videos' with Michael's circles indicating which ones to order in 2004. He confronted Frank, who allegedly stated it was a 'phase' Michael and he went through, with Michael circling videos and Frank obtaining them. Amen attempted to provide this information to prosecutors in 2004 and the FBI in 2007 but was not used as a witness, believing he 'didn't fit their narrative.'
Amen found 'naked children videos' with Michael's circles for ordering in 2004 (). He confronted Frank, who said it was a 'phase' Michael and he went through (). Amen met with Tom Snedden and Santa Barbara prosecutors in 2004 and the FBI in 2007 to provide information (, ). He was not used as a witness because he 'didn't fit their narrative' ().
5Michael Jackson's Decline and the 'Grifter' Accusation
Mark Geragos and Geraldo Rivera both describe Michael Jackson's severe decline in the years leading up to his death. Geragos recalls finding Jackson after an overdose, noting he was a 'shell of his former self' and in no shape for trial. Rivera strongly believes that the accusers were 'grifters' whose greed and persistent allegations 'killed Michael Jackson,' destroying his reputation and contributing to his reliance on drugs. He points to the mother of the 2005 accuser being convicted of welfare fraud as evidence of their manipulative nature.
Geragos found Michael Jackson after an overdose () and describes him as a 'shell of his former self' by 2002 (). Rivera states the accusers were 'grifters' () and that their greed 'killed Michael Jackson' (). The mother of the 2005 accuser was convicted of welfare fraud ().
Bottom Line
The commercial success of Michael Jackson's biopic and estate (growing from $450 million to $2-5 billion) appears to correlate with a resurgence of old and new allegations, suggesting a potential financial motive behind some 'revisionist claims.'
This dynamic complicates the pursuit of truth, as financial incentives can influence the timing and nature of accusations, making it harder to distinguish genuine victim accounts from opportunistic claims.
Analyzing the timing of high-profile allegations relative to the commercial value of a celebrity's estate could reveal patterns of opportunistic behavior, informing legal strategies for posthumous reputation management.
The prosecution's decision not to use a witness like Vincent Amen, despite his claims of direct observation of incriminating material and attempts to report it, suggests a strategic selection of witnesses to fit a specific 'narrative' rather than a comprehensive presentation of all available information.
This raises questions about the integrity of the prosecution's case and whether all relevant evidence was considered, potentially leaving gaps in the public's understanding of the trial's full context.
Investigating how prosecutorial 'narrative' construction impacts witness selection in high-profile cases could lead to reforms ensuring more comprehensive evidence presentation and reducing the risk of miscarriages of justice.
Notable Moments
Piers Morgan plays a clip of Michael Jackson in a 1999 interview, tearfully stating he would 'slip my wrist' before hurting a child, expressing how media portrayal hurt him.
This clip humanizes Jackson and shows his deep emotional distress over the allegations years before his trial, highlighting the long-term psychological toll of public scrutiny.
Mark Geragos describes finding Michael Jackson after an overdose, stating that by 2002, Jackson was 'a shell of his former self' and in no condition for a trial.
This personal account from a former lawyer reveals the severe mental and physical decline Jackson experienced, suggesting his vulnerability and the immense pressure he was under, which may have impacted his ability to navigate legal challenges.
Quotes
"The jury deliberated for eight days. They had seen almost five months of testimony. They had been in trial five days a week. During those five months, they deliberated eight days and they came back with not guilty on every felony count and every misdemeanor count. 14 times they said not guilty. He was totally exonerated."
"I concluded there is no way this man ever molested a child, abused a child, hurt a child. No way possible. And I still feel that way today."
"I never seen a magazine like that or any person looking at uh naked children videos um with circles to be ordered of the videos. I then went up to Frank and I confronted him and basically I said, you know, uh why do you have this and possess this? He says this was a phase that Michael and him went through watching these videos and uh Michael was the one that circled the videos to be ordered and Frank was the one that obtained the videos for Michael."
"I absolutely believe th those those people in their greed killed Michael Jackson. They went after him to they ate pieces of him. They destroyed him and and spit out the spit out the pieces."
"I remember one night being called to the house and picking him up on the floor after he had oded. And that unfortunately is kind of seared into my memory. I mean, by the time I got there, the lights were on. Nobody was home, so to speak."
Q&A
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