Pundits generally agree that that actor Robert Blake was acquitted of killing his wife because the prosecution relied on a largely cirumstantial case — and that clearly is not the case in the trial of Michael Jackson on child molestation charges.
No one can predict how this will end, of course, but this trial will hinge on specific accusations made by his 14-year-old accuser and others. This could end in a hung jury, but the outcome is going to hinge on specifics that the defense must refute. Just look at the latest:
SANTA MARIA, Calif. Mar 17, 2005 — A former housekeeper at Michael Jackson’s Neverland ranch testified Thursday in the singer’s child molestation trial that the pop star had close friendships with several boys between the ages of 10 and 14 and that she saw children she believed to be intoxicated at the estate.
Kiki Fournier also said children who remained at Neverland anywhere from a few days to months at a time would sometimes stay in Jackson’s room, and she described kids running willing there without parental supervision and little discipline from Jackson, being permitted to stay up late, eat candy, watch movies and play games. …
Asked by prosecutor Gordon Auchincloss if she had ever seen children who appeared to be intoxicated, Fournier said, “I can’t say for sure how many times but I’ve seen it a couple of times.” The witness later clarified that it was about three or four times.
She said she once served dinner to Jackson and about four children, three of whom appeared to be intoxicated.
Of course, the defense will try to poke holes in this testimony. But, again, unlike the Blake case this one will hinge on the credibility of witnesses, the accuser and the accuser’s family. Don’t bet your money yet that the Jackson case will be a clearcut acquittal as in the case of Blake, who’s even likely to get some acting jobs again now that he has been cleared by the legal system.
Joe Gandelman is a former fulltime journalist who freelanced in India, Spain, Bangladesh and Cypress writing for publications such as the Christian Science Monitor and Newsweek. He also did radio reports from Madrid for NPR’s All Things Considered. He has worked on two U.S. newspapers and quit the news biz in 1990 to go into entertainment. He also has written for The Week and several online publications, did a column for Cagle Cartoons Syndicate and has appeared on CNN.