When a jury nixed the criminal case against actor Robert Blake the bottom line question became: did the jury find him innocent or not guilty?
And the bottom line answer, if you read all the accounts and watched various jurors on TV, becomes this: the jury followed the guidelines set down by the law and found the prosecution failed to meet them.
In case you were on Jupiter yesterday and didn’t hear about it, here’s what happened:
LOS ANGELES — Flimsy evidence and a pair of unbelievable witnesses destroyed the criminal case against actor Robert Blake, who was acquitted of killing his wife four years ago, jurors said.“They couldn’t put the gun in his hand,” jury foreman Thomas Nicholson told reporters Wednesday. “There was nothing. Supposition, more than evidence.”
After nearly nine days of deliberations, the jury also acquitted Blake of one charge of trying to get someone to kill Bonny Lee Bakley, but deadlocked on a second solicitation charge that was then dismissed by a judge.
Outside the courthouse, Blake put out a cigarette before he thanked his defense team and said the case had left him broke.
He also attacked some friends and associates who had given interviews about him.
“They’re liars and I’m easy to find and I’m not a bit bashful and if any of them have any agenda we can certainly sort it out,” he said.
So what can you say about this case? Some already suggest Blake’s walking is a shocker, akin to the O.J. Simpson verdict — another case of a celebrity walking because his years of built up fame somehow gave an an advantage.
But if you watched and followed this case you have to draw these conclusions:
- The prosecution didn’t do it’s job. Yes, some defendents are convicted in circumstantial cases. But if you listened to accounts of the closing arguments it was not difficult to predict that Blake was going to get off. The prosecution didn’t offer the jury anything truly solid except for cirumstantial testimony.
- There are some questions about the jury. One juror on Larry King yesterday IMMEDIATELY held up a DVD he’s selling via a website on the case. HUH?? The lawyers on King’s panel were shocked. This issue about “stealth jurors” who might want to get on these famous cases to sell a product or get a book deal is one lawyers and legislators are going to have to look at carefully and put in some tough safeguaards. A juror could have a vested interest in the particular outcome of a case if he/she has a case-related product he/she plans to peddle.
- Blake had a strong attorney who exploited each considerable weak point in the prosection case. This case was NOT akin to the Scott Peterson case.
- The victim was extremely unsympathetic. You have to grieve over the death of anyone who is murdered but from all accounts this lady was not exactly Mother Teresa.
Now this case cases some other questions:
- Will the Blake verdict be accepted by Hollywood and society? This hasn’t been received as another OJ-type verdict because the consensus seems to be that the case against him was so circumstantial. In the case of OJ, it was perceived by many Americans (and Hollywood execs) as more compelling. Prediction: Blake may never regain his previous career, but even with some suspicions lingering over what really happened he may get some roles.
- What does this portend for the Michael Jackson child molestation case? If I was The King Of
PerpsPops I wouldn’t opening my champagne or getting a new facelift just yet because a jury let a fellow celebrity off. Even though Jackson’s lawyer is going after the alleged victim in an attempt to impeach his testimony the teen in that case is a lot more sympathetic (cancer survivor, his age) than Blake’s late wife. Additionally, there’s the British documentary that shows Jackson with the boy and testimony from the boy’s siblings. Even if it’s disputed Jackson’s case is not a mere circumstantial case.
FOOTNOTE: Late last year and early this year two psychics had the same prediction. They predicted Blake would be found not guilty and Jackson would be found guilty. Half of it is true…so far..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.