Goddamn, this whole Michael Jackson thing depresses me. There is no upside to any of it: either he really is a flat-out depraved pervert Skeletor pederast of the most manipulative motherfucking kind, or he is a misunderstood childlike freak who is being railroaded by opportunistic hangers-on and politicians bent on permanently destroying him, his name and career. It all sucks dysentery through an infected straw.
The latest maneuvering:
- Prosecutors in Michael Jackson's child molestation case want to introduce evidence that the singer has committed other sex crimes over the years that went uncharged.
Prosecutors argue in a motion released Tuesday that the evidence should be admitted under a 1995 California law that lets relevant previous acts, whether prosecuted or not, be considered in sex crime cases.
The motion from the district attorney's office, as well as a defense request for a six-week delay of the scheduled Jan. 31 trial, were released by the court with key sections blacked out and are scheduled for argument in hearings to begin Monday.
Prosecutors say in their filing that the evidence will demonstrate Jackson's "propensity" for such crimes, his motive and intent, and show how he "created the opportunities to achieve his goal."
They said the evidence would be used to prove the credibility of the alleged victim and his family, rebutting the contention by Jackson's attorneys that the allegations were made up in an effort to get money from the 46-year-old entertainer.
"The best way to prove that a man is a sex offender is to prove that he has sexually offended again and again," Senior Deputy District Attorney Gerald Franklin said in the motion.
The alleged previous acts apparently took place at Jackson's Neverland Ranch, which is described by prosecutors as "a veritable paradise" for children.
....Loyola University law professor Laurie Levenson, who has monitored the case, called the prosecutors' motion "standard operating procedure."
"If you have prior incidents, and the law allows you to use it, then you go for it," she said. "It shows a pattern, a propensity for Michael Jackson to commit these types of crimes." [AP]
Article comments
1 - bhw
I feel all creepy about lots of things: Michael himself, whether he's a sexual predator or not, the families that hang on to him for his fame/money and who throw parenting common sense out the window, and even the idea that past allegations that were not only never proven beyond reasonable doubt but that weren't even indictable could be used against him in court. After the first allegation was made, it made it easier for a) other possible real victims to come forward and/or b) other money-grubbing assholes to make false accusations.
Just a mess, but I won't repeat the icky imagery Eric started out with.