MJJForum Exclusive! Interview with Attorney Robert Sanger
Mood:  a-ok
Topic: Main News
Friday, 15 July 2005

The acquittal of entertainer Michael Jackson on charges of child molestation immediately terminated the court imposed protective order that bound all parties involved in the case to unmitigated silence. The public finally got their long-awaited chance to hear from attorneys from both sides, who seemed more than anxious to address the world regarding their side of the case and also share their feelings about the jury, the media, and the former defendant. One person who remained conspicuously absent through it all was local Santa Barbara attorney and defense co-counsel Robert Sanger.

Determined to figure out why this was, this news writer requested an email interview with Mr. Sanger and hit the jackpot! The veteran lawyer was flattered by the request, but was initially hesitant to commit. However, because of the loyalty and support of Mr. Jackson's fans and MJJForum to his client and the defense team, he considered answering some questions, as long as they did not get into any specifics of the case.

This is coming to you exclusively from MJJForum.

Making it clear that he did not want to be disrespectful towards the decision of others to speak with the media, write books, or anything else of that nature, Mr. Sanger explained why it was that he had not spoken more than a few words about the case to network or print media despite numerous requests to do so.

"It is my position that lawyers generally should not promote themselves at the expense of their clients," Mr. Sanger offered. "Generally, lawyers appearing on talk shows, writing books and the like after an acquittal really prolong the client's misery and simply recast the awful allegations into the limelight."

Mr. Sanger added that he prefers to practice criminal defense not only vigorously but also discreetly.

"I have represented Mr. Jackson off and on for the last 12 years and continue to do so at the present," the attorney stated. "I have not tried to cash in on that fact so far and do not want to start now. Michael, like my other clients, should be able to go on with his life and his career and, hopefully, put lawyers and lawsuits behind him."

MJJF: What inspired you to become a criminal defense attorney?

SANGER: I saw a lot of injustice growing up as many of us did in the 1950's. When college decision-time came around in high school, I decided I wanted to be a criminal defense lawyer. It just seemed like the right thing to do.

At U.C.L.A. Law School I emphasized criminal law and legal philosophy during my studies. Once I passed the bar and opened my own practice in Santa Barbara, 31 years ago, I focused on criminal defense and civil rights cases. And, here we are!

MJJF: Have you ever considered practicing law in a big city such as Los Angeles?

SANGER: I started working in Los Angeles and was happy to have a chance to move to Santa Barbara. We have a small ranch in this area. My children have grown up here and I am quite content living and having my office where we are.

Nevertheless, I routinely handle cases in Los Angeles, both in the state courts and in the federal district court. I also have cases in other state and federal courts around [California] and, occasionally in other states and federal districts.

MJJF: If you hadn't gone into law, what would you have been doing?

SANGER: Who knows? I may have become a philosophy professor.

MJJF: Do you do any teaching of law?

SANGER: I was briefly an adjunct professor of law at the Santa Barbara College of Law, teach at criminal defense lawyer seminars and have guest lectured at colleges. I actually enjoy writing and teaching but it looks like trying cases is my calling for the immediate future.

MJJF: Would you recommend the profession to young people?

SANGER: There are too many lawyers but there are not too many good lawyers. I highly recommend the practice of law, particularly criminal defense and civil rights, for anyone who has a deep commitment to help others. If you have this commitment, it will always be a rewarding profession. I still enjoy coming into the office in the morning and getting ready for the next adventure. There are few professions, and few practice areas in this profession, where people can still say that after 31 years.

MJJF: How difficult is it to try cases in a relatively small community where you find yourself in courtrooms with the same people all the time?

SANGER: This is an insightful question - I do enjoy practicing in the local courts as well. However, I never want to feel that I am part of the "good-ole-boy’s" network. If you are going to be an effective criminal defense lawyer, you have to be prepared to stand and fight for the dignity of your client without regard to real or imagined friendships.

I do not socialize with the district attorneys or judges. We find among our best friends colleagues in the greater civil rights and criminal defense community. So, when I go to court, we see familiar faces but we are there to do the serious business of defending our clients.

MJJF: How do you maintain a professional attitude when you feel your client may not be getting a fair trial?

SANGER: Committed criminal defense lawyers have to be prepared on a daily basis to fight unfairness. This is not a part of the profession for a person who is faint of heart. You have to struggle everyday for the basic dignity of your clients. Simple things like insisting that a client in custody be allowed to sit at the counsel table with you or have handcuffs removed often involves protracted litigation.

The key is to never let the district attorney, the judge or the bailiffs get away with treating your client without respect. Sometimes pre-trial writs to the appellate courts are necessary - attempting to get the appellate court to tell the trial judge, "You can’t do that." However, if you take a vigorous approach during law and motion and pre-trial proceedings, you are much more likely to have a fairer trial.

Of course, no trial is perfect and not all of them are even close to fair. You have to do your best in the worst of them to enlist the jury on the side of fairness and the rule of law. You often have to try to pit the jury against the heavy-handed prosecution and the complicit judge, if that is the case.

Sometimes, despite all best efforts, the jury convicts. For that reason, throughout all law and motion, pre-trial proceedings and the trial itself, you have to have an eye on making a complete record for appeal. This means filing comprehensive written points and authorities and making proffers on the record of what the evidence would show if the judge would let you introduce it. Appeals are successful in a small number of criminal cases but are much more likely to succeed if good issues are carefully preserved on the written record.

MJJF: One would imagine that it would be difficult to let go of a trial at the end of the day to maintain a normal family life at home. How are you able to separate work from home? Or is there no distinction?

SANGER: I am probably a lot better at this now than when I started. However, it is important to be prepared and organized and then to be able to say, "I am off duty" - even if it is 11:00 at night. You will still occasionally wake up with what seems at the moment to be a brilliant thought. But, while actually in trial, you have to get some solid sleep and some exercise or you are not going to be sharp in court in the morning.

MJJF: How has it been working with Mr. Jackson as a client? Do you believe he has been mischaracterized as a person?

SANGER: Michael Jackson is a kind, gentle and intelligent man. In addition to being a musical genius, he is extremely well read and conversant on topics and to depths that most people would not imagine. Yes, he has been grossly mischaracterized as a person.

MJJF: How did/do you feel about the mainstream media and the manner by which they covered Mr. Jackson's case? Did you pay attention to any of them (print, broadcast, otherwise)?

SANGER: In general, the mainstream media has become much more prone to reporting things that otherwise would only have been reported in the National Enquirer. I am concerned about the lessening of professionalism in the so-called "mainstream" media.

MJJF: What do you say to those who accuse defense attorneys of being dishonest characters who represent the guilty and get their clients acquitted of crimes they "actually" committed? Are they in any way correct in their assessment?

SANGER: Our job is to stand up for the dignity of our clients and demand that they be accorded respect by the system.

The system has plenty of actors who believe the client is guilty and want to see him or her convicted and sentenced. When you walk into court, there is the prosecutor, trying to convict your client. Next to the prosecutor is the investigating officer who has a similar desire. On the bench is a judge who was a prosecutor - that is almost always how they get there. Then you have the bailiff who hurt his knee or would be out there arresting people he thinks are just like your client. Finally, you have the court reporter who goes to lunch with all the others. So, you are there, the only person who will demand that the client be treated with respect.

As a practical matter, most cases are resolved before trial. Sometimes the client is really innocent. There are dismissals of cases imprudently filed and there are motions granted. There are also trials where the innocent client is acquitted. The defense lawyer’s role is not disputed.

But, yes, there are also cases where the client is in fact guilty of the conduct for which he is arrested and charged. Sometimes there are plea bargains but, yes, sometimes there are motions granted or acquittals after a jury trial. And the role of the defense lawyer is still a noble one.

It is not up to one defense lawyer to judge the client or the case. Our system of justice is such that all those people who want to convict the client - the people in the courtroom mentioned above and all the others involved in the investigation or prosecution - still have to prove the defendant's guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. In fact, those in the system count on having a vigorous defense to provide the check on their own power, which, in turn, should prevent wrongful convictions. Our system only works, to the extent it does, if there is someone who will stand up for the dignity of the accused and demand respect.

MJJF: Since verdict day, some sources, predictably, have said that the verdict in Mr. Jackson's favor was due only to his ability to "buy" the best defense. This idea has been often raised in cases with defendants having similar resources. Could you explain to us the facts and fallacies of such accusations?

SANGER: I cannot discuss this as it pertains to this case. However, in general, the prosecution has far more resources and far more power than even the best-funded defense. Law enforcement has the power of the badge, ready access to confidential data and a network of willing fellow officers in every city, county, state and country who will gladly assist.

MJJF: The public at large basically has the idea that those who serve as district attorneys are to serve the public by seeking the truth. In Mr. Jackson's case, it appeared that the DA sought only to win, regardless of facts not fitting the given scenarios. In your experience, is this an isolated incident or is this more common than we realize, just not usually visible?

SANGER: Again, I do not wish to comment on this case. There is substantial law that establishes that a prosecutor has a duty to seek the truth and do justice, not simply to win. It is part of the constant battle of criminal defense to counter prosecutors who put winning first. Again, I do a lot of work in capital defense. It is amazing how many times prosecutors have been proven not only wrong but have been proven to have ignored or hidden evidence that exonerates the person they are prosecuting and, often, points to the real criminal. It is just an unfortunate facet of human nature that the desire to win the contest overrides objective thought.

MJJF: The idea of prosecutorial misconduct on the part of Tom Sneddon has been raised in our forums. Do you feel anything done by the DA's office in Mr. Jackson's case could be classified in that light? Is it possible that this is a pattern in this particular DA office? Do you, as a defense attorney, feel that prosecutorial immunity has been abused? If so, what could be done to remedy this?

SANGER: I do not think it would be appropriate to comment on this case.

MJJF: Many of us at MJJForum, including myself, considered your motions to be the high point of the numerous documents released by the court on their website. They were clear, concise, and logical! Was the composition of these motions all your handiwork or is credit shared with others?

SANGER: Thank you for the kind words. Steve Dunkle, an associate lawyer at Sanger & Swysen, worked tirelessly on this case. He is a great researcher, a gifted writer and has a wonderful sense of humor. He and I collaborated on all of the writing our firm did in this case. My partner, Catherine Swysen, and associate Aaron Heisler also contributed despite the press of their own case loads.

Also, early on in the case (and in other matters over the years for Mr. Jackson), we had the privilege to work with Steve Cochran of Katten Muchin in Los Angeles. He is a stellar lawyer who I have also worked with in other substantial cases not related to Mr. Jackson. It was a shame he could not continue on through the Jackson trial but he always kept in touch and continued to offer encouragement to our cause.

MJJF: Thank you, Mr. Sanger, for being so generous and candid with your responses. We appreciate you taking time out of your busy schedule to speak exclusively with us!

SANGER: I appreciate your concern for Mr. Jackson and I trust that you will use this information in his best interests.

Spoken like a true protector.

There you have it straight from Mr. Robert Sanger. His dedication to his profession, civil rights, and his clients is admirable and can only be lauded. Mr. Michael Jackson is indeed fortunate to have had such a champion in his corner for the last 12 years.

We at MJJForum would like to again extend our sincerest gratitude to Mr. Sanger for all that he has done and continues to do on behalf of Mr. Jackson.



Interview conducted by Obiechena for MJJForum (speakout@elitemail.org). Additional contributions by MJJBunny, Sapphire, and Wolf.

D.A. Sneddon: Jackson accuser doesn't understand acquittal
Mood:  don't ask
Topic: Prosecutor Press Release
By Associated Press
Wednesday, June 15, 2005 –

The boy who accused Michael Jackson of child molestation is having difficulty dealing with the pop star's acquittal, the prosecutor said.

Santa Barbara County District Attorney Tom Sneddon told several news organizations that he spoke to the accuser immediately after the singer was found not guilty on all counts Monday.

"He's very down. He's having a difficult time understanding why people didn't believe him," Sneddon said Wednesday on NBC's "Today." Jackson remained out of sight, recovering from his bruising trial. "He has to spend some time healing," said attorney Thomas Mesereau Jr., who headed the defense team.

Jackson is "at peace" as he recovers from the ordeal of his trial, his brother Jermaine said Wednesday. "Michael is recovering, but it's a time (to) rejoice for the family and we're very, very happy," Jermaine Jackson said on CNN's "Larry King Live." He would not say where his brother was spending his days since being acquitted of all charges in an indictment that alleged he molested a 13-year-old boy at his Neverland ranch in 2003. "I can't tell you that ... but he's at peace and we're very happy," Jermaine Jackson said from his home in Encino. "Look what they put him through for so long, and it's time for him to just get back into himself and just let the light come into him and the peace and that's what this moment is all about."

The entertainer hasn't been seen in public since returning home to his Neverland ranch immediately after the acquittal. He looked exhausted as he shuffled slowly out of court, giving a tentative wave to fans.

Financial company sues Michael Jackson
Mood:  surprised
Topic: Main News
Claims singer owes $48 million in fees for stake in rights to Beatles songs

The Associated Press
Updated: 8:13 p.m. ET July 11, 2005

NEW YORK - A financial company specializing in asset acquisition sued Michael Jackson on Monday, saying it is owed $48 million in fees for rescuing the singer’s stake in the publishing rights to songs by the Beatles.

Prescient Acquisition Group Inc. said in its lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Manhattan that the pop music celebrity enlisted it in November 2004 to provide financial advice and to secure refinancing of a $272 million debt to Bank of America.

On behalf of Jackson and his company MJ Publishing Trust, Prescient secured $537 million in financing from Fortress Investment Group LLC, enough for Jackson to pay off the debt and exercise an option to buy the remaining 50 percent of the Beatles library he didn’t already own, the lawsuit said.

Prescient said it was entitled to an immediate payment of $24.8 million, which is 9 percent of the financing used to pay off the Bank of America debt and a $3.3 million advance to Jackson and his company.

Prescient accused Jackson of breach of contract, saying that it had done what was expected in a written agreement and that Jackson and his company were not entitled to “retain the benefits of those services in equity and good conscience without paying to Prescient an amount to be determined at trial.”

A lawyer for Jackson did not immediately return a telephone message for comment Monday.

? 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

? 2005 MSNBC.com
URL: http://msnbc.msn.com/id/8546351/

Mesereau Considers Life After Jackson Trial
Mood:  special
Topic: Main News
Created: Saturday, 09 July 2005


DAILY JOURNAL NEWSWIRE ARTICLE
http://www.dailyjournal.com

By David Houston

July 07, 2005

LOS ANGELES - Thomas A. Mesereau Jr. walked Michael Jackson out the front door of the Santa Maria Courthouse in June and instantaneously became one of the best-known criminal defense attorneys in the nation.

Reporters from London to Osaka, Japan, wrote gushing profiles of the 55-year-old, silver-maned college boxer. Mesereau demanded - and got - Jay Leno to suspend Michael Jackson jokes for the night before the lawyer agreed to appear on "The Tonight Show."

Although Mesereau previously defended Mike Tyson and Robert Blake in criminal matters, the attorney built his legal career in Los Angeles defending local no-names, most of whom couldn't afford to pay a dime for their defense.
He helped found a legal clinic at the First AME Church in South Los Angeles and annually spends his own money to defend a capital murder case in the Deep South.

Mesereau sat down with Daily Journal City Editor David Houston and reporter Erin Park last week to reflect on Jackson's case and how it might change his life and practice. After a much-needed vacation, Mesereau plans to leave his practice, Collins, Mesereau, Reddock & Yu, to start a new practice with his sidekick in the Blake and Jackson cases, Susan Yu, that will handle a mix of criminal defense and civil work.

But first, he had scores to settle, with reporters, prosecutors and even his own pastor. He especially wanted to register disgust with other lawyers he believes feast off the carcasses of their big-name clients. Here's some of what he had to say:

Q: Do you think your newfound fame will change you?

A: I hope it doesn't change me in any substantial way. Frankly, I don't want to be known as a celebrity lawyer, and I don't want to be known as a Hollywood lawyer. I want to be known as a civil rights lawyer who fights for justice. [But] there are certainly benefits to being well-known; there are also liabilities.

Q: What are the benefits?

A: You're probably going to have a larger client base to draw from.

Q: And the liabilities?

A: Invasion of privacy. Don't get me wrong. I feel very blessed that I was in the case. I feel very blessed that we won the case. I feel very blessed to be a friend of Michael Jackson and his family.
Q: Are you recognized now at grocery stores and the mall?

A: I am.

Q: Do people approach you?

A: Some people do. Most do not. It hasn't been terrible. It's not like throngs that are rushing up to see me.

Q: It's been reported you got $10 million to do this case.

A: I'm not going to talk about legal fees and what the costs of the defense were.

Q: Well, you clearly got a big payday. Do you think your lifestyle is going to change?

A: I don't know the answer to that. It's all too new.

Q: You've haven't been shopping for houses in Beverly Hills?

A: I really haven't.

Q: Will you still go to Alabama?

A: I will still go to the Deep South every year and do a death-penalty case. In fact, at the moment, I'm talking to one of my lawyer friends in Alabama about what the next one will be.

I do intend to continue to work at the First AME free legal clinic two Sundays a month, although I will not be attending that church anymore because the current pastor [the Rev. Dr. John Joseph Hunter] did not support my efforts in the defense of Michael Jackson.

Q: Have you lost other friends because of your defense of Jackson?

A: Clearly, it has changed my life, and I'm not even aware of some of the ways it has. Clearly, people get jealous. Clearly, people when they see the perception of fame or fortune will sometimes do things that they normally wouldn't do. That just happens to be a fact of life.

Q: What's next?

A: I've been swamped with calls, obviously. I'm not returning most of them. I'm really not interested in taking any cases at the moment. I really want to just take a break and just relax a little bit. This was a pretty stressful event.

Q: Criminal defense lawyers spend so much of their careers scratching for clients, most of whom can't pay their legal fees. When, suddenly, you get a client who can pay and pay well, how can you not become addicted to that? You want to make a living?

A: Sure. I want paying clients. And if paying clients come in, I'll feel very grateful and very blessed. But I also have a great love for civil rights work.

Q: Johnnie Cochran used his O.J. fame to build a nationwide plaintiffs' practice. Is that something you might do?

A: It's all so recent and so filled with ups and downs, emotionally, that I don't know how to answer the question.

Q: What's your opinion of the media's coverage of the case?

A: It was the most inaccurate - in many ways, unprofessional - media coverage of a case I've ever seen. A lot of people ended up humiliated because they really didn't know what was going on, factually, or how to interpret what was happening in the courtroom.

Q: Was there one thing that stood out to you that you couldn't believe the media didn't pick up on or got wrong?

A: Not just one thing - so many things. When I heard there was a jury verdict, although I was certainly nervous, as you would be with any jury, I was extremely confident that they were all not guilty. I never imaged 12 people on this jury convicting him of any of these counts.

Q: Do you think the trial would have gone differently if it had been televised like the O.J. Simpson case?

A: I think you would have probably had more accurate reporting. People would have been able to see what witnesses actually said and didn't say and how they looked.

Q: You previously expressed disgust with lawyers you believe put their own interests ahead of their famous client's. Did this trial change how you feel about them?

A: I will always have a little bit of disdain for lawyers who do this. I think it demeans the profession, I think it hurts their clients, and I think it's bad for the system in general. ...
Lawyers when thrust in front of cameras have a tendency to think that they're the important person and not the client. They have a tendency to become publicity hounds and media freaks.

Q: You were the butt of jokes on late-night TV, and Vanity Fair published unkind things about your girlfriend, the actress Minnie Fox. Were you aware of those things, and did it bother you?

A: My typical schedule in trial is to go to bed around 8 o'clock and I get up at 3 in the morning. I like to do three to three and a half hours of work before I enter a courtroom. So I was very unaware of what was happening late at night on television.

I did hear that Jay Leno's jokes were very troubling and unfair to Michael Jackson and his family... The Vanity Fair article does not surprise me, because the prosecution was perhaps the most mean-spirited prosecution I've ever experienced.

The relentless attempt to degrade and dehumanize and belittle Michael Jackson was in many ways very regrettable for our legal system and for prosecutors in general.

The author of the Vanity Fair article was 100 percent in the prosecution's camp. She sat on the prosecution's side in the courtroom whenever she could, and from what I could gather, she had made a career out of saying unkind things about Mr. Jackson.

So the fact that she would try to influence the jury while they were deliberating by saying unkind things about me or my girlfriend did not surprise me in the least.

Q: Celebrities are used to getting their way. Was it hard to keep Michael Jackson in line?

A: Michael Jackson himself was the easiest, most delightful client I've ever dealt with. He's a very gentle, kindhearted person. He's very, very honest and open and down to earth. He's willing to listen. The problem was there were so many other voices around him who were trying to get their say.

Q: Were these family members?

A: I don't want to comment on who was trying to get their opinions heard and understood. But clearly, throughout the trial, various individuals were trying to make the client feel as if they were necessary, and they were trying their best to have some influence over the defense. That caused enormous complications for me.

Q: Was Jesse Jackson's arrival in Santa Maria and statements he made to reporters what prompted you to go to the courthouse during jury deliberations and hold that very odd news conference to say that nobody speaks for Michael Jackson but you?

A: I didn't hold a news conference. What I did was issue a press release. I don't want to go into detail on that issue, but I will say this: I never raised a racial issue in this defense. I never thought a racial issue was appropriate in this defense.

I truly felt that Michael Jackson is a person who has many gifts, one of which is that he brings people of all races together, that he has a personality and persona that almost transcends race.

I never did want there to be a perception that we were calling this a racist prosecution, because I never thought it was. I thought it was a mean-spirited, nasty prosecution that was very malicious and very unfair to Mr. Jackson. But I always felt it was primarily at his being a megacelebrity rather than his race.

Q: What about his being perceived as a freak? Do you think that had something to do with the prosecution's motives? And did you feel that you had to do something to overcome that with the jurors?

A: I never had any concerns about this jury understanding who Michael is. And I never had any concerns about this alleged perception that he's weird. I think the prosecutors in a very narrow-minded, shallow way thought that perceptions of Mr. Jackson's weirdness would inure to their benefit.

Q: After the trial was over, did you sit down with Michael Jackson and explain to him that he should stop sleeping with boys?

A: I'm not going to talk about conversations I've had with him. I can just tell you that Michael Jackson is extraordinary compassionate and charitable with people in need.

BET Exclusive Interview
Mood:  special
Topic: Main News
By Bruce Britt

Posted July 7, 2005 -- (Los Angeles) -- During an exclusive BET interview conducted at the Jackson family compound, singer Jermaine Jackson broke into tears as he recalled his family’s tense drive to the courthouse to hear verdicts in Michael Jackson’s recent child molestation trial.

“We’re five guys from Gary, Indiana, who worked very hard (and) haven’t forgotten where we come from,” Jermaine said. “(We) never knew that the system would work against us.”

Jermaine’s comments were among many revelations the singer shared during the exclusive interview. Sitting in the ornately furnished home where he spent the latter part of his childhood, Jermaine gave BET a behind-the-scenes peep into his brother’s recent legal battles, including…

-- THE MINUTES BEFORE THE VERDICT

Jermaine wept as he recounted the nervous moments before the King of Pop learned his fate. “I heard from my sister Rebbie that (Michael)… read a few scriptures, and he was stomping his leg into the car… saying, ‘why’?”

-- THE MINUTES FOLLOWING THE VERDICT

According to Jermaine, the King of Pop sought comic relief immediately following his exoneration. “He had a sandwich… and he put on ‘The Three Stooges,’ and he just laughed, and it just was some positive entertainment… and the family came up. We hugged, and we talked… It was very, very tough, because he had done something that I don’t think I could have done. He stood up, and he held his head up all that time.”

MICHAEL’S CHARITY PLANS

Despite the trial, Jermaine said that Michael will continue to support children and charities. “(Michael) will still give, but he will give from a distance. He will put layers before him and just make it harder… But he will still give, ‘cause he was blessed with the talent to give.”

-- BITTER LESSONS LEARNED FROM THE TRIAL

“The lesson to be learned is… that we live in a society that (is) not a democracy. (It’s) almost like the outer wrapping of a sandwich. It shows every bit of the democracy, but when you bite into it, it’s every bit of a dictatorship.”

FAMILY ADVICE

Jermaine said his family has advised Michael to keep a healthy distance from strangers. “The advice that he’s gotten from all of us is you just can’t get too close to anyone… Because everybody that pats you on your back is not your friend.”

THE DAMAGE TO MICHAEL’S LEGACY

Jermaine believes Michael is the victim of a news media that intentionally smears black celebrities. “They’re going to try to tag him with this ‘formerly child molester’ or ‘Michael charged with child molestation,’ no matter what he does. But they want to label him that, just like they did with Michael Jordan with the drink and just like what they did with the gambling, just like they did with Mike Tyson... They want to get you, so when you go… back in time in history, and a (black) youth looks up Michael Jackson or Mike Tyson, that part is written alongside of his name.”

MEDIA MANIPULATIONS

Jermaine detailed how some in the media creatively muzzled the family. “I’ve been in situations where I wanted to talk freely (about Michael), and producers of shows (said), ‘no, you can’t say this, and you can’t say that.’ And I’d say, why? ‘Because we want to ask this and that, and our viewers are going to want to know why we didn’t ask this and that,’… We’re being controlled… It’s like the media has the last say.”

MEDIA HYPOCRISY?

Jermaine feels that Michael isn’t the only Jackson to suffer at the hands of a hostile media. He feels that the controversy surrounding Janet’s 2004 Super Bowl controversy was an attack on black America. “To sort of go after (Janet) like that, it was just unheard of,” Jermaine said. “Because there are shows… that are not adequate programming for our youth, and they are on the biggest networks… showing women kissing women and… you know exactly what I’m saying. And these are some of the top rated shows. But to go after my sister, and my brother, and my family… It lets you know what their plan is. They’ve had enough of us, I feel.”

BLACK AWARENESS

Michael’s ordeal seems to have made Jermaine and the Jackson’s even more sensitive to the need for black power and unity. “We, as black Americans, have to institutionalize ourselves -- to put ourselves in a position to hire and not be hired. To put ourselves in a position to compete in the global market as far as finance, trade, world trade… Because when you (do), it’s like having the last say. We need to have more outreach… whether it’s media, public opinion, more leaders, more ways to get our word out there. Because at the same time, when you look at what was going on in the case, the media would pound Michael. They would pound the family. And then everything, what was said, was totally opposite of what was going on in the courtroom.”

-- THE END OF THE INNOCENCE

Jermaine suggests that Michael has been irreparably damaged by the trial. “He’s tired,” Jermaine said, sympathetically. “This really hurt him... I saw his hurt, his pain. I felt it… This was something unreal, and it was just to say, it’s like (blacks have) come so far. This is 2005, but yet we haven’t gone anywhere.”

My Message to You, Michael: " We will stand by and wait... we will never leave you"
Mood:  hug me
Topic: Main News


(Saturday, 02 July 2005) –

This letter so completely and beautifully represents the sum of the sentiments in the thousands of letters MJJsource receives for Michael everyday...


Thank you...My Message to You, Michaela?|a?|..You need not ever doubt that your fans love you with all their heart and soul! There was nothing stopping me from going to Santa Maria during your trial. My reason for being there was to send positive energy, love and 100% support... there was nothing that could have stopped me from being there!

I will tell you that it was the best time of my life. You have the most loving and supportive fans!! Let me give you some examples: For those who didn't have enough money, others housed them in their hotels. For those who didn't have enough food, others all fed them. For those who came alone, others made sure they joined them in groups. Ia?™l

l have you know, Michael, it was a support group like no other!I know when someone is trying to accomplish something they say, "Even if I make a difference and help just one person, I would then feel my effort was worth while.a?•

Please allow me to tell you this... Michael, you have touched, influenced and have been an inspiration for SO manypeople!! You have so many people wanting to work for you in helping you make this world a better place. I believe they all look to you, as assurance, in believing that there are still good people in this world, people whom actually still care!

You know, one of the media members asked me, a?oeWhy do you care?a?• my answer was, a?oeBecause Michael Cares.a?• You LEADER Michael and I and many others, are thankful for your guidance. There are many people who just need to know the way and they know you can show thema?|. such an honorable role.

I, we, leave you now, to heal and replenish your body and mind. We are all extremely sorry, you had to go through, what you did, it broke all of our hearts.

We will stand by and wait, we will never leave you Michael. We know you hurt, we know you need a break, we know you need to be with your children and familya?| we love you Michael.

Please forgive us for our never-ending want, of you in our presence.

All MY Love

Blanketparis!

http://mjjsource.com/main - MJJsource - The Official Source for Michael Jackson News and Information Generated: 5 July, 2005, 00:23

Michael Jackson vacationing in Bahrain
Mood:  cool
Topic: Main News
'Very, very private' visit as guest of king's son

The Associated Press
Updated: 8:11 a.m. ET June 30, 2005

MANAMA, Bahrain - Michael Jackson began a vacation at a prince’s palace in the tiny Gulf kingdom of Bahrain, his first trip overseas since being acquitted of child molestation charges, an official close to the royal circle said Thursday.

Jackson and his three children arrived on a private plane from Europe on Wednesday night for an indefinite stay, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because private visits involving the royal family are not authorized to be announced.

Jackson was found not guilty of child molestation in a California court on June 13.
He chose Bahrain because his brother, Jermaine, previously visited the kingdom, the official said.

“He’s come here to retreat and relax and enjoy the calmness of Bahrain,” the official said, adding that no other member of the Jackson family accompanied the pop star. Another official speaking on condition of anonymity said Jackson was a guest of Sheik Abdullah bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the king’s son, in one of the royal palaces. Sheik Abdullah, believed to be in his early 30s, is a friend of Jermaine Jackson.

The official described the visit as “very, very private.”

Jermaine Jackson has close links with Bahrain’s royal circle. In January, he and Sheik Abdullah announced plans to launch a charity theme song written by the royal.

? 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
? 2005 MSNBC.com
URL: http://msnbc.msn.com/id/8415726/

Statement of Michael Jackson: A Message For My Fans
Mood:  hug me
Topic: Breaking News
Without God, my children, my family and you, my fans, I could not have made it through. Your love, support and loyalty made it all possible.

You were there when I really needed you. I will never forget you. Your ever-present love held me, dried my tears, and carried me through.

I will treasure your devotion and support forever. You are my inspiration.

Love,

Michael Jackson
Original Message

Jackson a victim of media vultures
Mood:  celebratory
Topic: Main News
It is baffling to me how people judge without knowing too much of anything.

Mr. Mike Vecchio ("Jackson free, but accuser is not," June 19) is worried about Michael Jackson's future victims when he doesn't even know if there are any past ones. We are so quick to jump on the bandwagon and go with whatever the media writes. Today's world is different, and people sue if you look at them wrong. We don't know anything about what Michael has or has not done. What we do know is that there are vultures out there who prey on the weak and take advantage of kindness.

Were you at Neverland when any of these accusations supposedly took place? I don't think so. There isn't always smoke when there's a fire. If you take a hard look at Michael, you can see that he is still a child himself. Do we know how things done in a childhood could possibly effect someone? Unless you're a psychiatrist, and sometimes they have trouble, how can you make judgments like this.

Michael went to trial, he was acquitted of all charges, and you can continue to speculate all you want, but you weren't there.

There is too much hate and willingness to believe everything that is written about anyone. The media aren't always right, and they form opinions just like everyone else. Michael will do just fine, and if America doesn't want to buy his music, so what? We love to ruin people. He can go to Europe, Asia or anywhere else in the world where people still love him. I believe Michael was innocent and, although a grown man, he has the spirit and mind of a child. He is living the childhood he missed, and people are using it as something dirty and to get a free ride.

When you know for sure what happened, then you can say what you want. But you don't know and it's only your opinion, just as this is mine.

ALINDER RIDLEY

Martinsville

from the Courier News website www.c-n.com

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Interview With Michael Jackson Jurors
Mood:  happy
Topic: Main News

Michael Jackson faces a new trial
Mood:  surprised
Topic: Main News
Michael Jackson is being sued by a woman who claims she was bitten by superstar's dog. The woman, named Donna Kyman, declared she was bitten by Flash, Michael Jackson's dog, in April 2005. Kyman, 66, said she went through a "great mental, emotional and physical pain and suffering".

"The dog was possessed of vicious and dangerous propensities and was inclined to attack people and other animals without provocation."

Kyman claims the animal "viciously and without provocation attacked" her in the garage of her Encino home, near the Jackson's residence, reports Femalefirst.com, and accuses Jackson of "negligently, carelessly and wrongfully".


24th of June 2005, 08:07 GMT | Copyright (c) 2005 Softpedia

Trial turned Jackson into a 'zombie'!
Mood:  blue
Topic: Breaking News
London June 23, 2005 4:38:33 PM IST

Pop star Michael Jackson's nutritionist has revealed that the star was under so much stress during his trial that he had almost turned into a zombie.

"I got this strange call from Joe Jackson one day. He said, 'You gotta fly out here. Michael's been in his room for 30 days, drinking nothing but water,'" Dick Gregory told US TV news show EXTRA.

"He was stronger at the trial than he was when he got home in the evening. That's when he was able to collapse and deal with the pain and feel the hurt of his body. "He was a zombie... He just didn't have an appetite and he wasn't eating. There was nothing he could do to get his appetite back," he added.

Acording to Ratethemusic.com, Gregory has trained Jackson's personal cooks so they can mix vitamins and herbs into his food to help stabilise the pop star and build up his strength.

"I took about three hours training them how to cook," Gregory said. (ANI)

?2002 - 2003 Netindia123.com.
All rights reserved.

Las Vegas Jackson fan stayed loyal
President of fan club delighted with verdict, admires pop star for 'heart'

By RICHARD LAKE
REVIEW-JOURNAL

Tuesday, June 14, 2005
Copyright ? Las Vegas Review-Journal

Want to peek inside the mind of a Michael Jackson fanatic? Sit down with Farah Pajuheshfar for 15 or 20 minutes.
"Thirty-six years ago, it was his music and his dance. Later on it was his heart," Pajuheshfar said Monday, surrounded by memorabilia featuring the pop star. "He's a humanitarian. The way he cares about the world."To Pajuheshfar, a 47-year-old immigrant from Iran and the president of a local Michael Jackson fan club, there was simply no way a jury could find Jackson guilty of hurting anybody, let alone of molesting a little boy.

"They found him not guilty of all these charges," Pajuheshfar said, sitting at the dining room table of her Henderson home a couple of hours after the jury's announcement. "I'm so glad. We've been waiting for this for 12 or 13 years."
Pajuheshfar fell for Jackson as a child growing up in Iran back when it was a democratic country. As a young woman, she fled to France after the Islamic revolution of 1979.

Her devotion to Jackson grew as his efforts to help children and the poor expanded, she said. A man like that, she said, wouldn't hurt a fly.

"I taught my kids to never ever judge someone without knowing them," she said.The family moved to Las Vegas 13 years ago. Once, she and her now 13-year-old daughter even met Michael Jackson at an event on the Strip.

And though she is not a friend of Jackson's or anything, she said she feels close to him."Michael Jackson is not just a singer to us," she said. "Michael became part of my family. ... He helped us through difficult times in our lives. I don't have any brothers, but he is like my brother. He's a part of my heart." As far as the trial goes, all any skeptic would have to do is simply look at the evidence, she said. This clearly was nothing but an attempt to extort Jackson for money, she said.
"We read every transcript," said Pajuheshfar, a local hairdresser

But isn't Jackson just a little too weird for such adoration? Didn't he go off the deep end a long, long time ago?

"Not to us," Pajuheshfar said of the pop star's adoring fans. "He's not weird." Pajuheshfar said she would have been at Jackson's Neverland Ranch already if not for her son's graduation from Green Valley High School today. Because of that event, she said she'll have to wait until Wednesday to travel there.

In the end, she said, she believes most people will come to accept the verdict as truth, once they examine the evidence.
Everybody else, she said, can wallow in their ignorance.

"Some people, they really don't want to learn the truth," she said. "These people, you cannot change their minds."

Find this article at:
http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2005/Jun-14-Tue-2005/news/26718162.html

Jackson photographer speaks out
Mood:  a-ok
Topic: Main News
3.38PM, Thu Jun 23 2005
Harrison Funk


Harrison Funk, who was Michael Jackson's personal photographer for 14 years, has been speaking about the Michael Jackson trial.

The world-famous snapper has worked with a host of stars, including Mick Jagger, David Bowie, Laurence Fishburne, Lionel Ritchie, model Iman, Johnny Depp, Neil Diamond and John Travolta.

New York-born Harrison has also made music videos, including Cameo's Word Up, with the famous red codpiece.

He said: "I didn't have my doubts about Michael. But I think that when you listen to evidence, you have to look at it fully. And make your judgment from that. The jury obviously did that.

"I think Michael's been the target for a lot of people making these kind of allegations. Fortunately, only a very small number of people have ever tried to target Michael in this way.

"And I think when you get to that level of your career you do become a target and people try to bring you down."

Jackson was cleared on June 13 of all ten charges in his child sex abuse trial.

A jury of eight women and four men unanimously cleared him of ten counts of molestation, attempted molestation, plying children with alcohol and conspiracy to hold Gavin Arvizo and his family captive.

Jackson's lawyers described the Arvizo family as liars and cheats who were out to profit from Jackson's deep pockets.

Content ? ITV Network Limited. All Rights Reserved

Townshend Lauds Jackson
Mood:  celebratory
Topic: Main News
While gearing up to play his first Who concert in nearly a year at the London edition of Live 8, Pete Townshend weighed in on the verdict of Michael Jackson's child molestation trial. "I was pleased Michael was cleared," the sixty-year-old guitarist posted on his Web site Wednesday. "His feathers may be badly burned, and he may be damaged in other ways too, but he is something of an angel."

Townshend called Jackson's trial -- which concluded last week in the pop star being acquitted of the ten charges he faced --"absurd." He also relayed a story about how Jackson once funded a circus for a group of special-needs children, including a daughter of one of Townshend's friends. "This little girl believed she was Michael's future wife," Townshend wrote, "and he so kindly allowed her to sit next to him, as his future bride."

Townshend himself faced child pornography charges in 2003. He admitted accessing illicit photos while doing research for a memoir that would document his own abuse as a child. After a four-month investigation, the charges were dropped, but Townshend's name was placed on the National Sex Offenders register for five years.

"I intend to work my way back to normality," he told Rolling Stone at the time.Since then, the Rock & Roll Hall of Famer has been at work on an autobiography, a solo music project and the tentatively titled Who2, the first Who album in twenty-three years. For the July 2nd Live 8 show, the Who will perform along with U2, Paul McCartney, Madonna, Elton John, Sting, Coldplay and a reunited Pink Floyd at London's Hyde Park.


BILL CRANDALL
(Posted Jun 23, 2005)

Michael Jackson's Mother Speaks Out About Trial
Mood:  hug me
Topic: Main News
KNBC-TV

LOS ANGELES - In a "Today" show exclusive, Michael Jackson's mother, Katherine, talked to MSNBC's Rita Cosby one week after her famous son's acquittal on all charges of child molestation.

Katherine Jackson is considered to be "the rock" of the Jackson family. With nine children, including Michael Jackson, the "King of Pop." The Jackson matriarch told Cosby that the seven days she waited for the jury to come back were nail-biters. The whole trial took everything out of her son, physically and mentally, Cosby reported. "One of the reasons why it devastated him," Mrs. Jackson said, "he would tell me, 'Mother, when they say 'call your next witness,' and I look around and I'm surprised. It's people that I've helped, and they're up there trying to make money off of me by lying. I don't understand how people can do that.'"

When asked if she felt Michael has shaken the allegations of child molestation once and for all, Mrs. Jackson said, "he'd been proven not to be a child molester, and they know he's not. But some people just believe what they believe and I can't stop that. But I wish they would stop and think about it. That he is not a child molester. He is not a pedophile. He doesn't give liquor to children. These kids were bad kids." Cosby asked Jackson, "If you could see the boy and the mother, what would you say to them?"

"I could not even answer that right now," Mrs. Jackson said. "It all depends on what mood I am in when I see them. I feel sorry for them, too. From what I hear about their past, I feel sorry for their future if they don't change their way." Some of the jurors said that they believed Michael Jackson may have molested someone else before, but they didn't believe the words of this family.

"I think there was one juror, I think they said juror No. 1 said that. I can't change his mind. He believed what he wants to believe," said Mrs. Jackson. Cosby said following Jackson's acquittal, Attorney Tom Sneddon was unapologetic and said he made no mistakes and would do it again.

"Maybe he didn't make what he calls 'no mistakes,' but he made a big mistake. My son is not a pedophile," Mrs. Jackson said. "Are you angry at the way some perceived he targeted your son," Cosby asked.

"My son is a better person than he is," said Mrs. Jackson. "What he did to my son, my son would never do to anyone else." "Another thing, too," Mrs. Jackson continued, "that ranch was not built to lure little children just to molest them, as the prosecutors tried to say. When he let people come out there and enjoy the ranch, everything is free. He has always been taught to give and to share." Michael Jackson's mother said Michael told her if he had to help people from now on, he would help them from a distance. "Do you think from here on out, he will say, 'OK, no kids, no boys in the bedroom because I don't want to be accused of something,'" Cosby asked. "I am sure he won't do that now. Twice he's been accused of doing something he hasn't done," Mrs. Jackson said.

When asked how the trial affected Michael Jackson's mother personally, she said, "I had anxiety sometimes, I prayed about all of that. He was my child and I loved him, and I was going to stick by him."

? 2005 MSNBC.com
URL: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8302648/

Profile: The Arvizo family
Mood:  irritated
Topic: Main News
By Matthew Davis
BBC News, Washington

The credibility of 15-year-old cancer survivor Gavin Arvizo and his mother Janet was key to the case against Michael Jackson, who has been acquitted of child abuse and abduction charges by a California court.

The defence sought to portray the boy and his family as dishonest gold-diggers who saw Mr Jackson as a celebrity fall guy to be milked for cash.
Janet Arvizo proved to be a loose cannon and one of the most explosive witnesses in the case with her erratic courtroom outbursts.

The many faces of her son - downcast and ghostly in a police interview, or fresh-faced and confident in documentary footage - gave the jurors a compelling dilemma. But what emerged above all was a sad picture of a family fragmented, and of a teenage boy - still with serious health problems - laying himself open in a case seen all over the world.

Father assaulted mother

Gavin Arvizo comes from a troubled background. His mother remarried in 2004 - to US Army Major Jay Jackson - following an acrimonious divorce from her previous husband, 37-year-old lorry driver David Arvizo. Mr Arvizo lost custody of the teenager, his younger brother and older sister after admitting an assault on Janet Arvizo.

The trial heard how the father was persistent in begging celebrities for money after Gavin was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer in 2000, which required the boy's spleen and left kidney to be removed. It was in that year that Gavin first met Michael Jackson, introduced to the star by Jamie Masada, owner of The Laugh Factory in Hollywood.

'Jesus juice'

Gavin claimed the abuse started after his appearance with Mr Jackson in the British documentary by Martin Bashir - filmed in 2002 and aired in 2003. He said it was after the interview that Mr Jackson started serving him and his younger brother wine, which he claimed the singer called "Jesus juice", and began making sexual advances.

But defence lawyers were able to put a number of dents in Gavin's credibility as a witness. It emerged that the boy, and his younger brother and older sister, had taken acting lessons ahead of a 2001 lawsuit against US retailer JC Penney.

The boy himself said Mr Jackson broke his heart by rejecting him as a friend, and defence lawyers suggested the accusations were a case of revenge. In separate interviews with a social worker and a teacher after the airing of the Bashir documentary, Gavin denied he had been molested by Mr Jackson. Prosecutors said this was because he wanted to put an end to the teasing he was enduring in the wake of the film. The low, downcast demeanour of the boy in a powerful video shown at the very end of the case, in which he haltingly described the alleged abuse, was a powerful boost to his case.

'Are you Catwoman?'
From the outset of the trial, Janet Arvizo proved to be a mercurial character. She rarely gave a straight answer to any of the defence's questions thrown at her in court, often replying using a repetitive array of words and phrases.

Among her favourites were "It's burned inside my memory" and "Money doesn't buy happiness". At times she drew laughter from the courtroom - often directed at her - as in the time she tried to explain she was acting in the so-called rebuttal video.

"You are not going to call Halle Berry and say, 'Are you Catwoman?'," she said in response to questioning.

She was accused of exploiting her cancer-stricken son for money. Defence witnesses said she had concealed sources of income while receiving welfare cheques. It was also suggested that she spent $7,000 (#3,800) shopping and dining out at the same time as she alleged Mr Jackson kept her and her family captive. Now their claims about Mr Jackson's behaviour have been rejected by a jury, their motives for making the allegations against the singer will come under close scrutiny in the coming weeks.

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/entertainment/music/4584531.stm

Published: 2005/06/13 21:29:38 GMT

? BBC MMV

Jackson mother sorry for Arvizo
Mood:  hug me
Topic: Main News
Michael Jackson's mother has said she felt sorry for the teenager who accused him of child abuse, which resulted in her son being acquitted in court.

Katherine Jackson did not know what she would say to Gavin Arvizo and his mother Janet if she met them, she said.

"I feel sorry for them, and from what I hear about their past I feel sorry for their future if they don't change their way," she told NBC's Today show.

Last week Michael Jackson was cleared of 10 charges at his California trial. Katherine Jackson told the US TV network she believes her son's name has now been cleared beyond doubt. "He's been proven not to be a child molester and they know he's not. He's not a child molester, he's not a paedophile, and he doesn't give liquor to children. These kids were bad kids," she said. She added that Jackson would change his friendships with children, no longer allowing them to share his bed.

Radio 'boost'

"I'm sure he's not going to do that now because twice he's been accused of doing something he hadn't done," she said. In 1993 the singer paid a reported $20m (#12.7m) settlement to a boy who accused him of molesting him, although no charges were ever brought in the case. Since his acquittal, there has been a rise in the amount of times Jackson's music has been played on US radio stations, research has suggested. "There was an absolute spike in airplay subsequent to the reading of the verdict," Mediabase 24/7's president, Rich Meyer. "Only time will tell whether the increased airplay will be sustained," he added.

The top three most-played songs were Billie Jean, Beat It and Rock with You.

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/entertainment/music/4118014.stm

Published: 2005/06/22 07:58:03 GMT

? BBC MMV

Commentary: All the little voices deserve equal attention
Mood:  surprised
Topic: Breaking News
January 17, 2004

by Steve Corbett / Times Columnist

While the world watches Santa Barbara District Attorney Tom Sneddon prepare to make his case against superstar Michael Jackson on charges of child molestation, the Santa Maria parents of another alleged molestation victim wonder why Sneddon abandoned them in their search for truth.

David Bruce Danielson retired last year from the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Department, where he worked as a detective until his July 20, 2002, arrest on suspicion of child molestation.

In August 2002, Sneddon decided not to prosecute Danielson, of Orcutt, who was then 49, married and a veteran forensic investigator who had worked on some of the county's most serious criminal cases.

During a subsequent internal investigation into the molestation allegations, Danielson remained on paid administrative leave until he retired, according to sheriff's Lt. Julie McCammon.

Citing confidentiality, Sheriff's Department officials declined to release specifics about how long Danielson collected his paycheck while on administrative leave or how much money he received when he retired June 17, 2003.

Danielson received full pay during the time he did not work and applied that time to his pension, McCammon said. Danielson did not return to partial duty because of the seriousness of the child molestation allegations, she said.

The completed internal investigation did not exonerate Danielson, Sheriff Jim Anderson said Monday.

"He retired in lieu of termination," Anderson said.

Danielson could not be reached for comment.

Sneddon did not respond to a request to discuss the difference between freeing Danielson and prosecuting Jackson. But the district attorney has previously said that Danielson's lack of provable criminal intent figured prominently into the decision to release the detective.

Although Sneddon has offered few details about the charges against Jackson, the veteran prosecutor obviously believes Jackson acted willfully.

But Danielson admitted only to accidentally fondling the then 14-year-old child in a one-time occurrence, according to Sneddon, who said in an August 2002 interview that the deputy admitted touching the girl "in areas people would consider inappropriate."

Sneddon said Danielson came home after a night of drinking and crawled into his wife's bed where the child, who was a guest in the home, was sleeping.

"He touched (the child) a few places (and) by what he was touching realized it wasn't his wife," Sneddon said. "He said, 'Oh my gosh,' and jumped out of bed."

Sneddon said the subsequent investigation into the girl's claims did not provide the required evidence necessary to file a formal charge and prepare for court.

The child's parents, whose names are not being used to protect the identity of the alleged victim, believe that a provable case existed against Danielson.

The girl's mother and father also wonder why the Sheriff's Department - and not an outside police agency - conducted the investigation. One of the detectives even identified himself as a friend of Danielson, the child's mother said shortly after Sneddon declined to prosecute.

The child's father said last week that the Jackson case seems to depend on the word of a child who, like his daughter, cooperated with Santa Barbara County law enforcement officials.

But Sneddon didn't take his daughter's statements seriously enough to go to court.

Jackson's alleged victim, however, is expected to testify as Sneddon's star witness.

Shortly after Sneddon decided not to prosecute Danielson, the child wrote about her feelings, her father said.

"When I came clean I expected to be set free from the burden I had been carrying for so long, however, the only person set free was David Danielson," the child wrote.

"I am astounded at the stupidity the DA showed by allowing this man to be released of all charges. David Danielson may be free, but I am still emotionally trapped. There is not one day that I don't wish I wouldn't have come clean..."

"This happened to me when I was 14," she wrote. "I am now 16. I am a junior in high school, and I feel alone in this. I am asking the community to please help me to bring this man to justice. I don't want this to happen to other young girls. Santa Barbara County, please HELP..."

The child signed her letter "The "IGNORED' Teen.

The girl's father describes the now 17-year-old high school senior as bright, busy and sensitive. Yet, he worries that she will feel even more alone now that Sneddon has taken the word of another alleged child molestation victim more seriously than hers.

"Maybe it's because it is high profile, higher profile, but still, in her mind it's the same situation," he said. "She's still angry."

Although the child is "over what actually happened," the child's father said "her anger stems toward Sneddon." Although the girl's family dealt with an assistant district attorney in Santa Maria, "it all boils down to Sneddon's hands" in Santa Barbara, he said.

Despite Danielson's shocking admission to several people, Sneddon judged the evidence to be weak.

Maybe so.

But, in this uncelebrated case, even the best legal judgment does little to convince a still-vulnerable child that trust and truth matter.

Steve Corbett's column appears Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday. He can be reached at 739-2215 or e-mailed at scorbett@p... Read Corbett online at www.santamariatimes.com.

Janet Jackson Thankful, Somber At Humanitarian Awards Acceptance
Mood:  special
Topic: Main News
LAUNCH Radio NetworksMon Jun 20, 3:00 AM ET

Grammy-winning performer Janet Jackson struck a somber note as she expressed her gratitude at an awards ceremony Saturday night honoring her humanitarian work for several AIDS-related charities. It was her first public appearance since older brother Michael Jackson was acquitted of child molestation charges on June 13. After a joking introduction by actor Alan Cumming, Jackson apologized for her own lack of humor, according to AP reports. She said, "My family and I have just gone through the least humorous chapter of our lives. I'm going to leave the jokes to the late-night (comics), if that's OK."

No stranger to controversy herself after the 2004 "Nipplegate" controversy at the Super Bowl, Janet added: "What I've learned in these recent months is that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. And it's real, it's a beautiful light that both comforts our minds and strengthens our souls. Tonight my heart is filled with gratitude for that light. I'm so grateful that prayers are answered, that faith is rewarded and tolerance is celebrated as a virtue. I'm grateful that God is of unconditional love."

Jackson received a standing ovation at the fundraiser, held June 18 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles. She was honored for the millions of dollars she has both raised and donated for humanitarian causes, including the American Foundation for AIDS Research, the Elton John AIDS Foundation and the Children Affected by AIDS Foundation.

For more news at Yahoo! Music, click here.
Copyright ? 2005 LAUNCH.