Evidence just not enough, says Jackson jury
There were almost 700 pieces of evidence and more than 140 witnesses but it was just not enough, the Michael Jackson jury said today.
After unanimously clearing the pop star of all 10 charges relating to the alleged molestation of 13-year-old Gavin Arvizo, jurors said something just did not add up.
“We expected some better evidence, something more convincing but it just wasn’t there,” said one.
“You hope that maybe you will find a smoking gun, something you can grab on to one way or another and we had difficulty in finding that.”
The jury of eight women and four men announced their verdict after more than 32 hours over seven days.
They all agreed there was no one specific piece of evidence which helped make up their minds, nor one witness whose testimony they found more reliable than others.
Several jurors however, expressed frustration and disbelief at the theatrical testimony of Gavin’s mother, Janet Arvizo, considered by many to have been behind an attempt to frame the pop star.
More than one juror who has their own children said they had trouble dealing with the testimony concerning Jackson sharing his bed with young boys.
“What kind of mother in her right mind would allow that to happen, to freely volunteer your child to sleep with anyone, not just Michael Jackson, but anyone?” said one.
Juror number five drew a laugh as she admitted how much she had disliked it when Mrs Arvizo had snapped her fingers at the jury. “I thought, ’don’t you snap your fingers at me’,” she said indignantly.
Asked whether they thought Jackson had been the victim of an elaborate sting, one said: "The thought was there. You could not help but wonder and things just did not add up when you looked at the timeline."
Juror number eight said she felt that as a mother, the values Mrs Arvizo had taught her children were hard to comprehend.
The jurors said they had agreed from the outset that they would not treat Jackson as a celebrity, but think of him as any other defendant.
A few admitted they had not expected to return a verdict today, but had felt refreshed and clear-headed after a weekend away.
“There was tons of evidence but it always came back to the same thing,” one juror said. “It was just not enough.”
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