jackson lawyer says money behind claims

[dfong63]

jackson lawyer says money behind claims

``...
LOS ANGELES - Pop superstar Michael Jackson (news)'s attorney says molestation accusations levied against the entertainer are motivated by money, even as doubts about the credibility of the boy's family began to emerge.

The family of the child has already been involved in two previous cases that involved abuse allegations: a lawsuit in which the family said they were battered by mall security guards, and a divorce fight in which the father pleaded no contest to spousal abuse and child cruelty.

In November 2001, J.C. Penney Co. paid the boy's family $137,500 to settle a lawsuit alleging security guards beat the boy, his mother and his brother in a parking lot after the boy left the store carrying clothes that hadn't been paid for, court records show.

The mother also contended that she was sexually assaulted by one of the guards during the 1998 confrontation.

A month before the settlement, the boy's mother had filed for divorce, beginning a bitter fight that would include criminal charges of abuse. The father's attorney, Russell Halpern, said the mother had lied about the abuse and had a "Svengali-like" ability to make her children repeat her lies.
...

"She wrote out all their testimony. I actually saw the script," Halpern said Tuesday. "I remember my client showing me, bringing the paperwork to me."
...
...''

[dfong63]

1. normally i wouldn't post a "celebrity" story, but

there have been so many threads here trashing Michael Jackson and convicting him before the trial, i think it's important to have a little balance. it looks like the family that is accusing Jackson may be a bunch of experienced "professional victims". no matter how weird Jackson may be, he's entitled to a trial, and it's totally unfair and un-American to presume he's guilty before he gets it.

[KoKo]

2. Interesting they would raid Jackson's home based on allegations by people

who have brought such an interesting former lawsuit. (Stealing clothes and accusing Penney's security guards of assault?) Hmmmm. But, I thought it was a "rush to judgement" about Jackson, anyway, and posted about it, here. Much as I think he's a pscho case and needs intervention help, these people who have accused him have red flags waving. They raided Jackson's home while he wasn't there based on information from people like this? Give me a break. This little boy who is a cancer victim seems to have some problems of his own.

[dfong63]

4. i would bet the prosecutor didn't know the accusers' background

in all likelihood, they didn't come right out and tell him, "We have a bunch of successful lawsuits under our belt." and i think this kind of situation poses dilemma for prosecutors. you want to be sure the victims are credible, but you have to avoid the appearance of "putting the victims on trial" as sometimes happens to rape victims.

[Noordam]

3. This boy started out with "cancer" and now with all this

maybe MJ liked and helped the boy with "cancer" and then found out he did not have cancer and when he tried to back out .... Mmmmmmmmmmmmm

[dfong63]

5. in another thread (now locked), someone referred to MJ as a "pedophile"

link

it's clear that there has been a rush to judgment in this case.

[Robb]

6. Frankly

...it seems to me like another rush to judgment is going on right here. But what do I know... :eyes:

[Media_Lies_Daily]

11. Hard to "rush to judgement" when the previous lawsuit documents...

...filed by the mother have already been shown on television. And then there's the lawyer of the x-husband who stated that he saw the mother's hand-written scripts prompting the kid on what to say and do when questioned.

I have yet to see anything on which the prosecutors claims to be basing their case. In fact, when they announced their intent to arrest MJ, all they lacked during that sordid little scene were a few high-fives.

IMHO, Jackson left Sanity Station some time ago, but that doesn't make him what they're claiming him to be.

[Robb]

14. I don't disagree

...but just because the defense wants to try this in the newspapers, and the DA wants to keep it in the courts?

I agree it only lacked high-fives, and was sordid. But if you consider that this might be a pedophile that's nearly impossible to arrest, and they know, finally, after all these years that they've got something?

I dunno. The jury isn't even in on this yet. But smearing the witness in the press isn't endearing me to this guy.

[0007]

15. LOL!! Hardly Robb hardly

This suit won't fly! Let a lone get off the ground.

[skypilot]

12. As freaky a MJ is...

...I can't imagine him feeding wine and pills to a child with cancer. When I heard this allegation I was really skeptical.

[kskiska]

7. and now, the sheriff has had to apologize

for his gleeful, jocular demeanor at the press conference where they announced Jackson's arrest warrant. This case looks like it's falling apart, and there's a backlash creating sympathy for Jackson. The media so wants it to be true, the way they did with Gary Condit, but it just might not pan out.

[CatWoman]

8. did he really apologize?

well, there IS hope!!!!

I thought that press conference was disgraceful!!

:hi: Kathy

[KoKo]

9. Kick! Rush to judgment is never good even when the target is a Freak.

kick.

[Noordam]

10. I had a problem with the second case

after the money payout in the first case.

MJ has handlers. If they had to pay out millions because MJ did something 10 years ago, do you think his handlers would allow him to get in a position to get arrested and maybe pay out millions more....

No way....

[dfong63]

13. i dunno about that argument...

MJ has handlers. If they had to pay out millions because MJ did something 10 years ago, do you think his handlers would allow him to get in a position to get arrested and maybe pay out millions more....

No way....

if MJ's handlers are so much in control, then how come they didn't stop him from dangling his kid from the balcony (in front of a crowd of adoring fans), a couple months ago? can you say "incredibly STUPID"??? i'm sure he does have high-paid advisors, but that doesn't mean he always listens to them.

i think it's possible that MJ would ignore common sense and his presumably savvy advisors --- but i wish people would refrain from convicting him before the trial. let's at least see some evidence. and if the only evidence is someone's word, then let's wait until they testify under oath, and let's hear both sides of the story.

[0007]

16. Dangling and holding are TWO different terms,

obviously you never viewed the video of Michael Jackson holding the baby over the balcony. Stupid yes!

I doubt if this charge will ever go to court.

[KoKo]

17. The problem I have is when is it "harrassment" and when is it "real."

This seems very "trumped up" to me. And, the fact that it broke when Shrubby was having so many problems in GB was on the face of it, very suspicious to me.

Jackson is such a weird, pathetic creature, he makes an "easy victim."

But, it's the "vicitimization" of Jackson that got my ire up. It had shades of Condit and others who have been put out in the Media when RW Repugs get into trouble. And, as I've said, I think Jacko is really a freak, but are we so low that we are declaring people guilty before innocent just because they are really weird and need help????

[Piperay]

18. The press conference

was just plain sickening. :puke:

[RowWellandLive]

19. Just putting this out there

We have no way of knowing if these allegations are true or not. What is a possibility though is that a smart pedophile would choose victims that could easily be discredited. Especially one with a large pool of children to pick from.

[tedzbear]

20. Hmmmmm... The sordid plot thickens!

Wow. I confess I rushed to judgment, believing the police must have had credible evidence to make such slanderous charges against Mr. Jackson. But then I remember thinking the USA must have had credible evidence to go to war in Iraq, and I was wrong. I guess nowadays the authorities believe accusations based on their "official" credibility is enough to sway public opinion. I doubt this tactic will work in a court of law though.

Score one for Michael's defense team.

:bounce:

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

21. I feel sorry for the kid regardless

Either he was manipulated by Jackson or is being coached and manipulated by his mother. He's gonna need a million dollars to live this down regardless. Therapy isn't cheap.

[tedzbear]

22. Is Michael watching too many Bond movies?

"The pop icon's spokesman Stuart Backerman refused to say where the star was holed up, but a report said he had fled his Las Vegas hotel shortly after arriving there on Thursday disguised as an old lady in a flowing back dress, veil and hat."
----Aljazeera

I wonder if Michael got the idea for that disguise from Colonel Blofeld in "Diamonds Are Forever?" Bond's arch enemy snuck out of a Vegas hotel in this same exact garb.