Michael Jackson outside the Santa Barbara County Superior Court yesterday after he was acquitted. - REUTERS
SANTA MARIA, California (AP):
A JURY acquitted Michael Jackson yesterday of molesting a 13-year-old cancer survivor at his Neverland ranch, exonerating the pop star who insisted he was the victim of a conspiracy plot.
Jurors also acquitted Jackson of getting the boy drunk and of conspiring to imprison his accuser and the boy's family at the storybook estate a total legal victory but one that may do little to improve his bizarre image. Jackson had faced nearly 20 years in prison.
The courtroom was deathly still as the verdicts were read. Jackson, as motionless as he had been throughout the trial, dabbed at his eyes with a tissue. One of his lawyers burst into tears as the first verdicts were announced, and Jackson later stood and was embraced by his chief lawyer, Thomas Mesereau Jr. Some of the women in the jury also wept and passed around a box of tissues.
Screams of joy rang out among a throng of fans outside the courthouse. Fans jumped up and down, hugged each other and threw confetti in celebration of the news. A woman in the crowed released one white dove as each acquittal was announced.
Santa Barbara County district attorney Tom Sneddon sat with his head in his hands.
"Obviously, we're disappointed in the verdict ... but we believe in the system of justice," Sneddon told reporters. He said he had not yet spoken to the accuser's family about the outcome.
