Thoughts on the Michael Jackson verdict

I think Michael Jackson molests children. Even if he doesn't, he has sole custody of his children and it's really hardly fair to raise children in the environment he creates. If he got struck by a bolt of lightning, I certainly wouldn't lose any sleep over it, much less shed any tears.

I find that people who both love and hate Michael misinterpret the trial. Those who are Jackson fans think that the verdict means he didn't abuse children. Those who hate him for whatever reason feel an injustice was done.

I think we need to remember that a "not guilty" verdict means that the State didn't prove it's case. It does not mean that Michael Jackson didn't molest children. It does not mean that we need to try to change our beliefs about him. It just means that the state's case didn't rise, in the minds of the jurors, to a level that met or exceeded the standard of guilt for the crime.

To those who declare that "the verdict means that Michael Jackson doesn't molest little boys," I ask, "What is your belief about O.J. Simpson? Do you also think he's innocent because the prosecution couldn't convince a particularly dense jury of his guilt? I even believe that most black people think he probably did it, but they were happy to give the shaft to the Los Angeles police and justice system.

Some believe that celebrity played a role in this trial, and Im sure it did, but exactly what role it played is hard to say. I actually think many of us would love to see a celebrity get the shaft. Robert Blake comes to mind (didn't murder his wife? come on!). What celebrities do have is money, though.

People cite the press for distorting a celebrity case. However, while hearing the case, Michael Jackson's jury was insulated from the press. And one might have the impression that the press had convicted Jackson anyway. Well, if the press was trying to do him in, they failed miserably.

This case may have been lost due to a variety of prosecution errors and misjudgments, including putting the accuser's mother on trial and attempting to prove a conspiracy charge that most legal experts say didn't even pass the snicker test.

But the main thing to come away from this piece with is the notion that a "not guilty" verdict really means "not proven." It doesn't mean you or I have to change our minds about him.