Santa Maria, Calif. – Superior Court Judge Rodney Melville told the jurors Wednesday in the Michael Jackson molestation case that they were the final judges of the pop star’s future.
“You must not be influenced by pity for, or prejudice against, a defendant,” Melville told the jury of eight women and four men. “You must reach a just verdict regardless of consequences.”
Melville spoke for about 70 minutes in delivering the legal instructions. Lawyers debated their content for more than a day and a half.
Closing arguments are to begin this morning. The jury is expected to get the case Friday, four months after opening statements on Feb. 28.
Melville left his judicial seat and moved to the witness box to speak directly to the jurors.
Jurors, who each had a copy of the instructions, followed his recitation.
Jackson, 46, is charged with four felony counts of molesting a 13-year-old boy in early 2003. The boy, now 15, testified that he was molested twice by the pop star. The accuser’s brother testified he witnessed two other molestations. The pop star is also charged with one count of attempted molestation stemming from the second incident described by the accuser.
Jackson faces four counts of giving his accuser alcohol to aid in the molestation – one count for each of the alleged incidents. In addition to the felony charges, the jury will be allowed to consider an alternate misdemeanor, that Jackson gave the boy alcohol without an ulterior motive.
Jackson is also accused of conspiring with aides to control the family so they would give a favorable interview to offset the bad publicity from a 2003 British documentary. Jackson, who was seen holding hands with the accuser, said on the video that he innocently slept with young children. There are 28 overt acts that are part of the conspiracy charge.
