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Jackson jurors: Not enough proof
14/06/2005 07:25 - (SA)
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| Michael Jackson leaves the Santa Barbara County Courthouse in Santa Maria, California. (Haraz Ghanbari, AP) |
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Santa Maria - Michael Jackson was proclaimed innocent of being a child molester because prosecutors came to court without enough ammunition, jurors said on Monday after acquitting him.
"In a case like this, you are looking for a smoking gun; something you can grab onto. In this case, we had trouble finding that," explained a member of the 12-strong panel who, under court rules, was only identified as juror number one.
Another juror was equally blunt.
"We expected better evidence," a woman named as juror number eight told a packed courtroom gallery press conference. "It just wasn't there."
Mother made a bad impression
Jurors were especially critical of the mother of Jackson's accuser, saying she seemed to be testifying from a script "burned" into her head and that she offended panellists by poking her finger at them while testifying.
The members of the jury "had feelings" about whether Jackson had perverted quirks, but the verdicts were based solely on the evidence and the law instead of gut instincts, juror one said.
The jurors spoke shortly after acquitting the "King of Pop" of all 10 charges that he sexually molested a 13-year-old cancer survivor, served him alcohol in a bid to seduced him, and conspired to hold him and his family captive two years ago.
Juror number five, a 79-year-old grandmother with a registered sex offender for a grandson, merrily said she planned to go to her Monday night bridge game "and forget about this."
"It has been a very frustrating time," said alternate juror number three. "It has been a very intense four months. Charges and counter charges. Lies. It?s going to take a long time to get this out of our systems."
Jurors acknowledged it was difficult to keep their oaths not to speak of the case with friends, family or others during the course of the trial. They also said the stress had upset their lives.
"I've lost a lot of sleep over this," said juror number seven. "A lot of us have."
"The stress level was really high," added juror eight. "I just want to relax, enjoy a glass of wine and shut my mind down for a while."
The jury foreman, an engineer turned western artist, said he started using antacids during the trial and averaged four hours of sleep nightly.
"My wife tells me I don't smile any more, maybe that will come back," he quipped.
Jurors claimed the Jackson's status as the world's most famous entertainer didn't blind them in the courtroom. "Seeing him throughout the trial, he is a normal person. It made him real in my eyes."
- AFP
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