SANTA MARIA, Calif. — Michael Jackson, one of the best-selling recording artists of all time, was acquitted Monday of all counts in his child-molestation and conspiracy trial, a sweeping repudiation of the prosecution case that alleged Jackson had sexually abused a then- 13-year-old cancer patient from Los Angeles.
Jackson, who in the public eye grew from a beloved child singer to a groundbreaking artist to an increasingly reclusive and eccentric man of 46, began dabbing his eyes with a tissue when the seventh of 10 not-guilty verdicts was read.
At 2:24 p.m. PDT, Superior Court Judge Rodney S. Melville turned to Jackson and said: “Your bail is exonerated, and you are released.”
During a post-verdict news conference, attended by all 12 jurors, many expressed a strong distaste for the mother of the accuser. They said they were offended when she snapped her fingers at them, and that they doubted the values she had taught her children, and, especially, her decision to allow her son to share Jackson’s bed.
Juror Raymond Hultman, 62, said, “I think in a case like this you’re hoping that maybe you can find a smoking gun or something you can grab onto.” Instead, although he and at least one other juror said they believed Jackson probably had molested children – “somebody somewhere along the line” – Hultman said the case in front of them created plenty of reasonable doubt.
“We all had to remind ourselves that we had a closetful of evidence that made us come back to the same thing: that it was not enough,” said Juror No. 10, a 45-year-old Solvang woman who works in a supermarket.
Their comments seemed to validate the crux of the defense – that Jackson’s accusers were con artists who could not be believed. The jurors, as a group, stressed that they had carefully examined the evidence and testimony, referring frequently to the 98 pages of jury instructions as they made their decisions.
Jackson, who did not take the stand in his own defense, arrived Monday at the courthouse a little more than an hour after the announcement came that a verdict had been reached. Known for his often elaborate costumes, he wore a dark suit and tie Monday, his collar loose. Walking into court, Jackson was surrounded by his mother, Katherine; his father, Joe; and five of his eight siblings, including sister Janet.
Forty-five minutes later, he walked out a free man, looking stunned and drained. Hundreds of fans, 10 deep in some places, whooped and cheered.
Jackson walked stiffly the short distance from the courthouse doors to a waiting SUV, with his father’s hand resting on his back in support. Sheltered from the blistering sun by an oversized umbrella held aloft by an attendant, Jackson raised his hand to his fans and then placed it over his heart. As he got into the backseat to be driven away, Jackson blew a kiss to the crowd.
Lead defense attorney Thomas Mesereau Jr., returning briefly to the courtroom to retrieve some belongings, said only: “Justice was done.” Jackson had faced more than 18 years in prison if convicted.
The verdict was reached after 32 hours of deliberations over seven days in a Santa Barbara County Superior Courthouse. It brought to a close 14 weeks of testimony and statements that featured 140 witnesses – including defense testimony from celebrities Macaulay Culkin, Chris Tucker and Jay Leno.
From the start, the case was marked by odd moments. In March, on the day his accuser testified, Jackson rushed to court wearing blue pajama bottoms after the judge issued a warrant for his arrest. Jackson had failed to show up on time after he sought emergency treatment at a hospital for what his attorneys said was back pain.
It was in sharp contrast to Jackson’s appearance at his January 2004 arraignment, when he danced on the roof of his SUV and invited fans to picnic at his Neverland Valley Ranch, the sprawling 2,700-acre compound in the Santa Ynez Valley where the abuse allegedly took place.
Outside the courthouse Monday, supporters from as far away as Europe and Asia clustered around radios and cellphones to hear the live audio feed of the verdicts. As one “not guilty” after another was read, fans tossed confetti and cheered. Some cried.
Once Jackson drove away, scores of fans began the 35-mile pilgrimage to Neverland to give thanks outside the gates.
