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MICHAEL JACKSON
CONSPIRACY
APHRODITE JONES
FOREWORD BY TOM MESEREAU
aphroditejonesbooks
MICHAEL JACKSON CONSPIRACY
Copyright © 2007 by Aphrodite Jones
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by
any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying,
recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system
without the written permission of the publisher except in the case of
brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
Published by Aphrodite Jones Books,
an imprint of iUniverse,
2021 Pine Lake Road, Suite 100,
Lincoln NE 68512 (800) 288-4677.
The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author.
ISBN: 978-0-9795498-0-9 (cloth)
Printed in the United States of America
- ix -
Author’s Note
The day Michael Jackson was exonerated, I was asked what I really thought about
the verdicts by FOX star Bill O’Reilly. For months, I had been commenting
about the trial for FOX News, saying many things against Jackson, leading viewers
to believe the pop star was guilty. When O’Reilly pressed me for an answer on
the “not guilty” verdicts, I was stammering. O’Reilly wanted a straight answer,
and I finally said I thought the jury did the right thing.
But part of me was still in shock.
As I made one of my last public comments on the case, I realized that I had
become one of the media folks who had predetermined the outcome of the trial,
wrongly. Many people around me were so sure of Jackson’s guilt. Certain reporters
had slanted TV and radio coverage to suit the prosecution, and I was one of
the people who followed that dangerous trend.
Somehow, I had missed the truth.
When I read the accounts of the NOT GUILTY verdicts in all the newspapers, I
felt ashamed to have been part of the media machine that seemed hell-bent on
destroying Jackson. After I thought about it for a few hours, I contacted the jury
foreman, Paul Rodriguez, who talked to me about Jackson, who asserted that
Jackson had been a target. The jury foreman said Michael Jackson was truly not
guilty of the charges. He felt Jackson had been victimized by the media.
Writing a book about Jackson’s innocence never crossed my mind, not during
the trial in Santa Maria. I respected Tom Mesereau as an attorney, and I came to
see why the jury voted not guilty on every charge, but I had no intention of
revealing my own slanted news coverage. Beyond that, I certainly didn’t want to
expose any of my media “friends” as being one-sided and unfair.
To make it clear: there were twenty-two hundred credentialed media people at
the trial, and less than a handful of people admitted their deliberate attempts to
x MICHAEL JACKSON CONSPIRACY
portray Michael Jackson as guilty. Some of those media folks were a part of my
inner circle. I have not named names of any media person in this book, other
than Mr. Martin Bashir, because it would be in bad taste to point fingers. Viewers
who followed the trial know who the culprits are.
I must admit that there was a point during the trial, toward the end, when I
came to feel sad about Jackson, when I felt the whole media world was against
him. I wanted the fans to know that I wasn’t happy about the media coverage and
decided to go down to the gates of Neverland to make peace with his fans. I went
to tell people that I wasn’t trying to be unfair to Michael, that I was just reporting
the facts. I tried to convince them that I didn’t have an agenda.
But the fans didn’t believe me. They’d seen my newscasts, and many thought
I was lying. I stayed for quite a while, trying to tell people that I wasn’t out to
smear Jackson, but they weren’t interested.
As I listened to his fans, who had flown in from places like Spain, Ireland, and
even Iran, they told me their side of the story. I heard them insist that the American
media was tainted, that Americans hated Jackson for all the wrong reasons.
Some people brought up the race card. Others talked about Michael’s friendships
with children as being acceptable in any part of the world—other than America.
His fans impressed me. Yes, there were a few overzealous people—one woman
called me a whore in Spanish—but at the same time, many of his supporters were
good-hearted. Some wanted to give me the benefit of the doubt.
I appreciated that.
I took pictures with a few fans at the front gates of Neverland, which was covered
in hearts by those who loved Michael. After a while, a small group of us
began to laugh about the Arvizo clan and their crazy rebuttal tape. We were mimicking
Janet Arvizo, who, on tape, supported Michael Jackson as her only “family.”
On the rebuttal tape, Janet wondered why, after the airing of the Bashir
interview, there were so many people suddenly showing care and concern for her,
when really, only Michael was supportive of her family.
In unison, we repeated Janet’s lines:
“Where were they, when I couldn’t feed my children, even a box of cereal?”
“Where were they, when my children and I would weep?”
“Where were they, when my children and I were lonely?”
“Where were they, when I didn’t have enough money to pay for bus fare?”
“Where were they?” we asked over and over, and we laughed about Janet’s
melodramatic rantings.
Because of this visit to Neverland, my reportage took a slight turn. I became
more open to the idea that Michael Jackson was not guilty, and I tried to stay
Author’s Note xi
away from the negative commentary that filled much of my earlier newscasts.
Not only had I been one-sided on TV, I had contributed to Michael Reagan’s
radio show (the adopted son of President Ronald Reagan) and had spent weeks
on Reagan’s national program—bashing Michael Jackson.
If there was a media conspiracy, I was guilty.
Some weeks later, as every last TV truck pulled out of Santa Maria, I found
myself alone there, lost without the presence of Michael, lost without the comfort
of having my media “buddies” to help me through another day. I felt upset.
Santa Maria was a nice place, but it became an empty shell for me. The Jackson
“event” was over, and I became a stranger in a small town. I thought about
my media friends and realized that many of them weren’t my friends at all. They
had made use of my input and had already gone off to the next hot story. Some
were reporting live from Aruba, in search of a missing teenage girl.
Luckily, I wasn’t worried about the next news tidbit. I had a bigger picture in
mind and had compiled all kinds of data. I still wanted to write a book about
Jackson, because after all, I wasn’t at the trial simply to report the news. I was
there, primarily, as an author.
Since I was at the trial as a freelance TV reporter, I was left on my own to get
myself shipped out, to get everything shipped back home. Sitting in Santa Maria
with my thoughts, trying to determine what to do with all the documentation
and stacks of notes I’d written about the trial, I decided to ship every last thing,
just in case the book materialized.
As I made my journey back to the East Coast, I thought about the financial
waste that so many people, especially California taxpayers, had been subjected to.
It was impossible to calculate the exact amount of dollars wasted, but the numbers
had to be in the millions. The Jackson trial was one of the largest events in
U.S. history. The amount of money spent on security alone, was simply outrageous.
I considered the expensive “impact fee” I was asked to pay to Santa Maria,
something I never encountered in any trial I attended in the history of my
crime-writing career. I wondered why I was asked to pay so much money to be
seated at a public proceeding that was supposed to be open to any U.S. taxpayer.
And finally, I wondered why some folks in the mainstream media seemed to
think of me as “less than” a reporter, especially when there were people like Marcia
Clark, who unsuccessfully prosecuted the O. J. Simpson trial, standing outside
the Santa Maria courthouse as a reporter for Entertainment Tonight. It was
amazing to me that certain network talent saw me as incapable of doing a TV
reporting job. Even though I’d been a TV reporter and TV commentator for
xii MICHAEL JACKSON CONSPIRACY
years, all throughout the Jackson trial, I knew I was being trashed behind my
back. Sometimes I was attacked verbally by reporters, even to my face.
I wondered why I had been put through so much drama and expense and
agony—all for nothing. When I traveled to New York, I discovered that no
American publisher wanted to touch any Michael Jackson book at all—especially
one that would be an account of Jackson’s side of the story.
I was devastated.
But then I thought about Michael.
I wondered how he felt, and realized that he was the one who’d been through
hell. He was the one who was subjected to a mainstream media machine that
wanted him destroyed. He was the one people trashed behind his back.
Less than a month after his acquittal, I learned that Jackson, his three children,
and their nanny, had moved to the Persian Gulf Kingdom of Bahrain, and
I understood why. At least as a guest of the royal family’s Sheik Abdullah, Jackson
would have his privacy back, and he could find a way to recuperate, to unwind,
and to think about a comeback. Reportedly, the star was being asked to open a
vineyard or an amusement park, but Jackson wasn’t interested. Michael Jackson
had bigger plans, but for the moment, he just wanted the nightmare behind him.
Months later, I contacted Judge Rodney Melville, who wrote a court order
allowing me to review and photograph all the evidence from the criminal trial. I
spent time making numerous trips to Santa Maria, pouring over documents, taking
pictures of Michael’s private Neverland, recording all the evidence that I’d
seen during the trial, requesting copies of transcripts. Readers should note that all
of the quoted testimony in this book comes directly from the trial transcripts.
I had an epiphany when I sat in the Santa Maria Superior Court Complex
basement, reviewing hours of never-released footage. With a court clerk monitoring
my notes, I paused at that moment when the accuser told police that he
“wasn’t sure” about certain things. I rewound the tape of the police interview
with the accuser, and asked the court clerk what she thought about it. I wanted to
know if she had sons, if boys age thirteen already know about their sexuality. The
court clerk looked at me and shook her head.
“Of course boys know about that,” she said, “certainly by age thirteen.”
With that, I had my answer. I decided to contact a Jackson advocate, Pearl Jr.,
who also covered the Jackson trial, and we had lunch together in Los Angeles.
Pearl Jr. encouraged me to write the book about the Jackson trial, however, I
still felt I would be fighting an uphill battle.
A few weeks later, I happened to run into Tom Mesereau, not once, but twice.
And I took it as a sign.
Author’s Note xiii
I felt that, no matter what the media, the skeptics, and even my friends and
family had to say, I needed to stand up for Michael Jackson. As I began to write,
I noticed that people everywhere were making fun of me. A pro-Jackson book?
Impossible.
The more people poked and prodded me, the more I became infuriated. As I
struggled through thousands of pages of trial transcripts, with people discouraging
me from the start, I began to think the book would never get done. It became
my most arduous work, ever, and at times it felt like I had the whole world on my
shoulders.
I wondered if Michael lived his life this way.
To keep my spirits up, I kept thinking about the time that Michael said hello
to me during the trial. It was in the hallway during a break, and I was staring at
him like he was a wax figure. Suddenly Michael looked at me and said, “Hi!”
When he spoke, it startled me.
He was being funny, and I loved it.
People always ask me if I’ve ever met Michael Jackson, and I tell them yes. But
really, I never introduced myself, and he certainly doesn’t know me.
Only once did I ask him a question from the media pen. It was early on, when
Jackson was still responding to media questions, and I asked him if he was talking
to his fans at the gates of Neverland. Michael was already past the media throng,
but he turned, and looked back at me and said, “I love my fans, I love my fans!”
It was as if they were the only people who mattered.
I hope this book reaches beyond Jackson supporters, and gets to the millions
of folks who’ve been trusting the tabloid media, way too much. If the truth prevails,
then one way or another, people will open their hearts.
Aphrodite Jones
March 1, 2007
- xv -
Foreword
When I first observed journalist Aphrodite Jones at the Santa Maria, California,
Courthouse in the Michael Jackson case, I turned the other direction. I wanted
nothing to do with Ms. Jones. The first time my eyes met those of Ms. Jones, I
threw her a deep, cold stare. If looks could kill, she was buried.
I associated Aphrodite Jones with an international media juggernaut that was
heavily invested in seeing Michael Jackson convicted and destroyed. Never in my
life or career had I found myself in the middle of such a crazed, dishonest, and
manipulative feeding frenzy. Despite the presence of many honorable journalists,
the ghost of profit seemed to overshadow much that was truthful, accurate, and
careful.
Approximately one year after Michael Jackson was acquitted, I unexpectedly
met Ms. Jones at an art gallery in Beverly Hills to celebrate the publication of a
series of sketches of high-profile trials. For the first time, I had a candid discussion
with Ms. Jones. I told her that I had watched television during the Scott
Peterson trial and observed her aggressively place her head on Defense Counsel
Mark Geragos’ shoulder. This appeared on all of the evening newscasts about the
Peterson trial and, in my opinion, looked terrible for the defense. Nothing like
this was going to happen to me.
Ms. Jones told me she understood completely and greatly respected my style
and approach in the Michael Jackson defense. She claimed she was having second
thoughts about the way the media treated and reported on the Michael Jackson
trial. She even indicated she felt some guilt for the way she had been caught up in
the media frenzy to portray Michael Jackson in the worst light possible. Ms.
Jones said she was considering writing a truthful book about the reality of the
Michael Jackson trial and the distortion of much of the media reporting.
xvi MICHAEL JACKSON CONSPIRACY
When Aphrodite Jones asked if she could interview me for this effort, I was
skeptical. My law partner and cocounsel in the Jackson defense, Susan Yu, was
adamant that I have no part of Ms. Jones’ literary efforts. Nevertheless, something
told me that Ms. Jones was being truthful, courageous, and professional in
her desire to set the record straight about the Michael Jackson defense.
I interviewed with Ms. Jones and reviewed some of the initial drafts of her
proposed book. Surprised by her candor and effort to go against the media flow
surrounding Michael Jackson and to tell the truth, I agreed to assist, as long the
effort came from an honest place. I refused to tell her what to write or how to
write it and have no financial or profit interest in this book or foreword. As someone
who strongly believes in the power and values of ideas and disagreement, I
appreciate views different from my own, as long as they come from a place of
integrity, intelligence, and accurate information. In the Michael Jackson case,
most media conclusions were shallow, misinformed, and self-serving. I know in
my heart of hearts that Michael Jackson was not guilty of any of these grisly
charges.
My purpose in writing this foreword is to underscore how important it is to
truthfully report the workings of our justice system. For the last fifteen years,
American society has been riveted by media treatment of high-profile trials. Television
coverage, documentaries, reenactments, television series, movies, and
books (both fiction and nonfiction) have found a massive audience when the subject
is our justice system. The amount of revenue—literally billions of dollars—
that has been generated around the world is staggering. It is critical that professional
journalists maintain their values and ethics in the middle of this gargantuan
explosion. I believe this did not happen, for the most part, in the trial
coverage of Michael Jackson.
When over seventy Santa Barbara sheriffs raided Michael Jackson’s home at
Neverland Ranch in November of 2003, I was returning to Los Angeles from a
much-needed vacation. I was in the final stages of preparation for the defense of
actor Robert Blake, who was charged with murdering his wife. Within minutes of
activating my cell phone after a nine-day hiatus, it started ringing off the hook
with calls from associates of Michael Jackson. They wanted me to immediately fly
to Las Vegas and be his attorney.
I declined the offer because I did not feel I could ethically cover both the Blake
and Jackson cases at once. The Blake murder trial was set for February of 2004
and would consume all of my time. I had managed to free Robert Blake from jail
in a preliminary hearing, during which every American legal expert said obtaining
bail would be impossible. I succeeded in having the conspiracy charge against
Foreword xvii
him dismissed in a subsequent hearing and was able to shift public opinion in his
favor after cross-examining the prosecution’s witnesses at the televised hearing. I
was positive he would be acquitted.
Three months after being asked to be Michael Jackson’s lawyer, on the eve of
the Blake trial, Robert and I had a serious falling out, which the trial judge could
not resolve. I removed myself from his defense. Approximately five weeks later,
Randy Jackson, Michael’s brother, called me and asked if I would reconsider. I
had known Randy for many years, and we had gotten together socially from time
to time. I told Randy that I was free and willing to meet Michael Jackson. Randy
arranged for me to fly to Florida for this purpose and the rest is history. All of our
lives were radically changed by Randy’s request.
Prior to my entrance into the Michael Jackson case, I was appalled by the theatrics
surrounding the Jackson defense. His lawyers were traveling to Santa Maria
by private jet and appeared to be having too good of a time. Michael was late for
his first appearance, marched on top of an SUV for his fans, and hosted a party
for the media at Neverland later that day. A meeting of Jackson’s legal and financial
advisors, whom local newscasters referred to as Michael’s “Dream Team,”
was held at the posh Beverly Hills Hotel. Michael Jackson and his counsel
appeared on 60 Minutes with disastrous results, and Jackson’s Nation of Islam
security detail was receiving dramatic publicity in the conservative Santa Maria
community. I didn’t like any of this.
I chose to tone down everything. I opposed courtroom cameras and supported
the trial judge’s gag order and sealing of salacious pleadings. I removed provocative
individuals from the defense, either immediately or gradually. Certain people
I did not trust were frozen out of key meetings or denied access to important
information. My focus was on thirteen people—the judge and twelve jurors. I
liked the Santa Maria community, who my instincts told me would be fair to
Michael.
The Michael Jackson defense had to cope with three primary challenges: the
prosecution, the media, and the legion of mediocre advisors surrounding the vulnerable,
innocent Michael Jackson. I am happy to say that we successfully coped
with all three hurdles.
The prosecution spent more money and time trying to convict Michael Jackson
than any prosecution in history. In the early 1990s, District Attorney Tom
Sneddon initiated the convening of two grand juries, Santa Barbara and Los
Angeles, to investigate and indict Michael Jackson. Both refused to charge
Michael with any crime. In the mid-1990s, Mr. Sneddon traveled personally to at
least two countries looking for alleged victims of Michael. He couldn’t find any.
xviii MICHAEL JACKSON CONSPIRACY
Mr. Sneddon arranged for a Web site at the Santa Barbara sheriff’s department
for information on Michael Jackson and hired a PR firm. This was absurd.
In 2004, a third grand jury was assembled in this case, and Michael Jackson
was indicted. The prosecution had nine fingerprint experts in this case—more
than I have seen in any death penalty case. The fingerprint evidence went
nowhere. They recklessly hired every conceivable expert in areas such as accident
reconstruction, computer graphics, DNA, forensic accounting, finance, criminalistics,
telephones, acoustics, security systems, child molestation, psychology,
pathology, and jury consulting. They pulled out all the stops in an effort to bombard
the jury with any conceivable fact that might help convict Michael. This
included hiring a jury consultant who had successfully helped the prosecutors
convict Timothy McVeigh, Martha Stewart, and Scott Peterson.
One will never really know how much money and how many employee hours
were spent by the district attorney’s office. Numerous mock trials were conducted
and law enforcement agencies around the world were contacted. Of course, all of
this was at the expense of the taxpayers of Santa Barbara, California.
More accredited media from around the globe covered this trial than the total
number of reporters who covered the O. J. Simpson and Scott Peterson trials
combined. There has never been a trial covered to this extent, and there probably
never will be again. Unfortunately, it was believed that enormous sums of money
would be made in films, shows, reenactments, and books about the rise and fall of
Michael Jackson. However, a conviction was necessary to successfully complete
any of these projects. If Michael Jackson had been sent to prison, it would have
generated more media coverage than any event in history. Billions of dollars hung
in the balance.
Because he is the world’s best-known celebrity, Michael Jackson attracts an
endless array of starstruck “wannabes.” These include lawyers and non-lawyers
alike. He was constantly subjected to mediocre and shortsighted advice from
self-anointed experts about how to defend himself. People were willing to say
anything they thought would propel them into the event, and dealing with this
sea of fools was distracting and dangerous.
As an illustration, consider the role of the accuser’s mother in the trial. I
decided very early that she was going to be a main target of our attack. During
my opening statement, I informed the jury that I would prove that the mother
had orchestrated these false allegations. Having examined her for three hours in a
pretrial hearing, I knew she would be a disaster for the prosecution on
cross-examination. I informed everyone associated with the Jackson defense that
no efforts were to be taken that might discourage her from testifying for the prosForeword
xix
ecution. I specifically forbade anyone from reporting her to the Los Angeles district
attorney when I learned she had committed welfare fraud. Under California
law, she could have refused to testify.
Despite my clear admonitions, certain lawyers, none of whom were going to
examine a single witness in the trial, reported her to Los Angeles authorities. As I
expected, she then refused to testify, and it took the prosecutors weeks to convince
her to take the stand in their case. Had she hung firm, she could have
refused any testimony under the United States and California constitutions. This
would have dealt a serious blow to our defense.
I do not believe that the lawyers who reported her intended to hurt Michael
Jackson. In my opinion, they simply lacked vision and insight. They wanted to
be part of the event and tried to appear strong to a vulnerable client. In reality,
they didn’t belong anywhere near this case.
Fortunately, I had two exceptional lawyers on my team: Susan Yu and Robert
Sanger. Although we all had different backgrounds, styles, and perspectives, we
made a good team. Ms. Yu and Mr. Sanger were always focused and driven to see
Michael Jackson acquitted. They knew that a team effort was required. No matter
what differences we ever had, we always resolved them in a manner which
focused on victory. I also regularly consulted with my dear friend Jennifer Keller,
a brilliant criminal defense lawyer in Southern California. These are the lawyers
who won the case with me.
We also had very professional staffers and assistants. Investigators Jesus Castillo
and Scott Ross were outstanding. We kept away from the media and never allowed
the lure of stardom to interrupt our focused defense. This was a case where the
potential for distraction was everywhere. I had watched lawyers in other cases get
carried away with the camera and, in my opinion, they hurt their clients’ interests.
Fortunately, that never happened with Ms. Yu, Mr. Sanger, or me.
I have reviewed Ms. Jones’ book and commend her for her efforts. To anyone who
wants to learn what happened in the Michael Jackson courtroom, this is the book to
read. It explains in clear and moving detail why an innocent, kindhearted musical
genius was acquitted by a conservative jury in Santa Maria, California. Justice was
done, and I am very proud to have been Michael Jackson’s lead counsel.
Thomas A. Mesereau, Jr.
Los Angeles, California
- 1 -
“ABC … It’s Easy”
It was the final judgment day, one of the biggest verdicts in world history, and
thousands of people were flooding the streets around the courthouse. The arrival
of Michael Jackson was imminent, and sheriff’s deputies treated the crowd like
they were in a Nazi boot camp, demanding everyone stand behind strict lines,
demanding order out of the chaos. As some of the media stood outside under the
main “commander” tent, waiting to see who would be given a seat, people felt
exhausted and emotional.
After five months of covering the case for every network under the sun, media
folks couldn’t agree about what kind of justice was being served in the case of The
People of the State of California v. Michael Joe Jackson. Throughout the week that
the jury deliberated, cable networks were fueling public fire, flashing images of
Jackson’s potential jail cells. Some people expected the superstar to fail to show
up for court, expected that Jackson would try to elude his fate.
It was midday on Monday, June 13, 2005, when final notice was given that
the jury reached its verdict. Media from around the world were pumped up, and
additional TV people and filmmakers had arrived with new demands and new
camera angles to decipher. A mass of Jackson fans had set up various camps surrounding
the courthouse: fans with camcorders, fans with cell phone cameras,
fans with every conceivable high-tech digital device. People were competing for
the best view of Michael, the best photo of Michael, the best T-shirt of Michael,
the best poster of Michael. It was madness.
People who camped out in Santa Maria were of every race, size, shape, color,
and age. Waiting for breaking news, there was a frenzy among fans, complete
with a half dozen Jackson impersonators and a handful of women who wished
2 MICHAEL JACKSON CONSPIRACY
they were “Billie Jean.” Representatives were there from perhaps half of the countries
around the world, and they were adamant about Jackson’s innocence.
For the Jackson fans who stood outside every day, the trial provided a rare
opportunity to put aside differences. People from every corner of the planet
became united in their fight for justice. They believed that Michael was a media
pawn, and had shown up in droves to support him. People loved Michael as a
brother, as an entertainer, as an icon—but to the media, Jackson’s fans seemed
excessive and eccentric. They were easily dismissed.
As everyone waited for the verdicts to come in, each passing hour seemed like
an eternity. Fans were growing antsy. When the gates of the courthouse opened
to the public, the crowd came closer to the fences, pressing toward the row of
deputies, and a few chosen lottery winners were allowed through the gates. They
filed in quietly, the thirty-five members of the public, and were wanded, patted
down, and given warnings about outbursts. The lottery winners were escorted
inside by armed deputies. They took their seats in the public seating area, barely
making a sound.
For each person there, the anticipation of the verdict had grown to mass proportions.
Of the twenty-two hundred credentialed media people who covered the
trial, only about three dozen would have insider seats. A few dozen producers
would watch the verdicts on closed-circuit TV, housed in an overflow room, isolated
from fans, but the bulk of the media opted to stay just outside the courtroom
doors, guarding their individual tents, with their on-air talent ready to
report the “Jackson” news.
The media throng kept looking for any juicy tidbit, anything that might titillate
their audience, but all was quiet. And as the world’s anticipation for the verdicts
kept getting more intense, news producers were suddenly bombarded with a
growing number of fans who began to shout, “Michael’s innocent!”
And just then, like clockwork, the Jackson family arrived, complete with
Katherine and Joe, Janet, La Toya, Rebbie, and Michael’s very famous brothers.
As his handlers, his bodyguards, and his glamorous family were being greeted by
Michael’s defense team, one thing stood out clearly: all of these people put
together were completely outshined by Michael.
It was Michael, hiding behind mirrored sunglasses and his trademark
umbrella, who emerged as the superstar of all superstars. As Michael approached
the court, stepping out of his black sport utility vehicle, the wails of screaming
and tears of emotion from everyone around him—made it seem like the whole
earth stood still.
“ABC … It’s Easy” 3
Whatever his health condition was at the time, whatever toll the trial had taken
on him—Michael didn’t show it. He waltzed up to his lead attorney, Thomas
Mesereau, and, just before he walked behind the closed doors of the court, Michael
stood up tall as he waved to his fans, happy to see them out in full force. For the
people behind the gates and cyclone fences who were screaming and cheering, there
seemed to be a communion. Something about Michael made hearts pound. Everyone
in his presence could feel the music. They could feel the dance.
As it happened, just as the last media person was allowed into the tiny courtroom,
being wanded and scrutinized by deputies at the metal detector, Michael
appeared around the corner, and, for the first time in the proceedings, the superstar
looked nervous. His face looked strained. He no longer had a smile. He no longer
seemed invincible. In that moment of vulnerability, people could see that the trial
had taken its toll on Michael after all. It was obvious that he wanted it to be over.
Michael’s attorney later confided that their team felt confident Jackson would be
acquitted on all counts, insisting that the subject of prison had not come up very often.
Tom Mesereau was unshakable in his belief that Jackson was being prosecuted for
crimes he did not commit, and Michael’s friends and family certainly believed in him.
Still, when Michael was standing at the threshold of the courtroom for those few seconds,
being wanded all alone behind the metal detector—the superstar looked scared.
Inside the court, there was an eight-woman, four-man jury who had been presented
with six hundred exhibits, who had witnessed what seemed to be a smear
campaign launched by the Martin Bashir documentary, who had listened to
twelve years of Jackson’s private history, all laid bare for them by the Santa Barbara
District Attorney Tom Sneddon. In all, Sneddon and his team had presented
eighty witnesses in an attempt to portray Jackson as a serial criminal, and
had been permitted to delve way back into Jackson’s life in an attempt to show
the jury a pattern of criminal behavior.
As people inside the courtroom awaited the jury’s verdicts, the world seemed
incredibly small. Every face was strained, every eye was focused. The Jackson
family was only given six seats in the courtroom, and Janet, being gracious, opted
to wait outside during the proceeding, allowing brothers Randy and Tito and sisters
La Toya and Rebbie, to sit directly behind Michael.
Eleven armed deputies spread out around the room, ready to take care of any
outbursts, and at 2:10 PM, Judge Rodney Melville finally began to open up the
verdict envelopes. As each envelope slid open, the judge’s face remained still. Not
a word was spoken in the court, but a few female jurors had tears in their eyes.
Time stood still. It seemed like forever. And then, suddenly, the Superior Court
Clerk Lorna Ray actually read the words:
4 MICHAEL JACKSON CONSPIRACY
“Count One—conspiracy—not guilty.”
“Count Two—lewd act upon a child—not guilty”
“Count Three—not guilty.”
“Not guilty” were the words being read over and over, fourteen times in all. As
the verdicts came down, Katherine, who had never missed a day of the trial, had
tears in her eyes. Tito reached over and kissed his mom. The rest of the family
hugged and squeezed each other. As the news began sinking in, Michael’s fans
sobbed quietly in the back rows. And the media crowd, for the most part, sat
dumbfounded. They seemed really quite surprised that Jackson hadn’t been convicted
of anything at all. From the looks on their faces, clearly some media members
had been banking on seeing the superstar put behind bars.
Judge Rodney Melville, who had handled the case with such dignity and clarity,
who had kept everyone safe and sound, who had not tolerated any disruptions
whatsoever, now read a statement to the court:
“We the jury, feeling the weight of the world’s eyes upon us, all thoroughly
and meticulously studied the testimony, evidence, and rules of procedure presented
in this court since January 31, 2005. Following the jury instructions, we
confidently came to our verdicts. It is our hope that this case is a testament to the
belief in our justice system’s integrity and truth.”
With those words, Michael, from behind the defense table, resumed his vast
composure. In some strange way, Michael seemed to have the appearance of an
ancient king. There was something imperial about him. So absolutely commanding
with his presence, Michael listened with quiet intent as the statement from
the judge was being read. With his head held high, the superstar remained
motionless. Only those who could see him close up, could detect a slight tear
running down Michael’s face.
“Mr. Jackson, your bail is exonerated and you are released,” Judge Melville said.
And with that, Michael realized the jury of twelve had rejected the criminal
allegations against him on all counts. The King of Pop dabbed his face with a tissue,
hugged and thanked his defense attorneys, and slowly proceeded to leave the
room. As he walked out of the court, passing Katherine, Joe, and his siblings, he
showed little emotion. Michael floated out of the courtroom, as if he were on air,
and would soon be gone, like a puff of smoke.
Outside, Michael’s fans, who’d heard the verdicts over the live television feed
that surrounded every inch of the courthouse, were on the street, dancing and
screaming, and going wild. One woman released white doves, others released balloons,
some threw confetti, and hundreds of people screamed and cried tears of
joy. The Jackson family, now in unity, walked past the thousands of reporters
“ABC … It’s Easy” 5
from around the world who were hoping for an interview. With one hand
clasped to his heart, Michael Jackson blew a kiss to his fans, then disappeared
into a black Yukon SUV—a free man.
As people dispersed, certain folks in the media agreed that after all was said
and done, the trial had become yet another hurdle for the pop star—one that
might continue to hurt his career. Media folks gossiped about the allegations
against Jackson, focusing on hateful rumors—the rumors and innuendos that
had millions of people talking trash about the icon.
To his fans, the ugly trial against Jackson just didn’t seem fair. But for the
majority of the media, the Michael Jackson trial had provided great sound bites.
His image was manipulated with a new twist every day, and news reports had
gone on ad nauseam about Jackson’s “special relationships” with children.
The court of public opinion shared the same attitude of many journalists. People
were certain that Jackson violated children. It occurred to some media observers
that—even after he’d been exonerated—the superstar would forever be
defending his private life.
Most people thought Jackson’s image had been sacrificed beyond repair.
As the media prepared themselves for their last broadcasts on the case, many
wondered if Jackson would recover from this witch hunt. Beyond all else, some
folks had to admit that they had unwittingly taken part in the DA’s scheme to
reduce Jackson’s life to a public circus. But rather than feel sorry that they’d been
part of a group that was so anxious to ruin the pop star, most reporters seemed to
bask in Michael’s downward spiral.
People loved to hate him, and, as long as the media could perpetuate the
image of Jackson as “weird,” their ratings stayed high. It wasn’t until after the
trial was all over that a few media insiders admitted that Jackson’s fans had the
last laugh. Throughout the trial, his fans yelled at the media, screaming, “You
don’t ever report the truth!”
Perhaps they were right.
As select media people began to rethink the five-month trial, re-examining
some of the details divulged about Michael’s personal life in the courtroom, folks
agreed that Jackson was able to withstand a scrutiny that most people could never
have survived. Jackson had been through hell, and everything about his life, with
the exception of the photos of his private parts, had been sprawled out before
God, the courtroom, and all the media in the world.
All along, Jackson fans had insisted that the pop star had fallen prey to a
greedy family and an angry prosecutor, but their comments were completely
ignored. Instead, the media seemed happy to report allegations from prosecutors,
6 MICHAEL JACKSON CONSPIRACY
anxious to drag Michael’s image through the mud. In the end, a hungry media
was unable to see what twelve ordinary citizens had seen all along: there was no
proof that Michael Jackson had committed any crimes at all.
Throughout the criminal trial, the media had been called upon to recount the
most sordid details, to report the dirty accusations being made against Michael
Jackson, many of which had been sold to the tabloids long before they were
revealed in court. But it wasn’t until the “not guilty” verdicts were being read
aloud in the courtroom, that people realized that the icon who stood before
them—was a person being charged with criminal acts, without any real proof.
Suddenly, it seemed that the case against Jackson was all smoke and mirrors. It
occurred to savvy media folks that the case against Michael Jackson amounted to
nothing more than a tax-paid scandal. But of course, that was never mentioned in
news reports.
Looking at Michael on that last day of court was like looking at two people.
There was Michael the man, in real life, and then all around him was this media
image that people were creating, a distorted version of Michael, like a twisted
reflection in a “fun house” mirror. The media was selling one thing, and they
used specific camera angles and lighting to accentuate his nose, his cheeks, his
skin tone. And then there was the real Michael, who was a well-dressed, highly
poised man, who seemed to be a humble spirit. In person, he was a shy and quiet
guy who had no relation to that tabloid character, whatsoever.
On the day of the verdicts, looking at his face, his body language, and his aura,
it was clear that the man known as the King of Pop—was a kindhearted soul who
had become a victim of his own fame. There was nothing arrogant about him.
There was nothing weird about his facial features, nothing so crazy about his
clothing, armbands and all. What was crazy was the mentality of the media who
were looking to slice and dice Jackson in every way possible. People were taking
shots at Michael. People had no problem ripping Jackson to shreds.
Michael Jackson had become an illusion set by a media machine. It was a
machine that made millions by perpetuating the notion that Jackson was a freak.
It was a dangerous machine that ultimately tried to bring the icon down, and
after all, it was a media effort, the Bashir documentary, that landed Jackson in the
Santa Maria court in the first place. Martin Bashir had made a name for himself
based on Jackson’s goodwill, and somehow Michael Jackson had been brought to
face criminal charges because of it.
For people like Martin Bashir, with the bashing of Michael Jackson, a career
with ABC News was launched. Bashir had promised to tell the truth about Jackson.
Bashir played on his candid reportage, and his one-on-one interview with
“ABC … It’s Easy” 7
Princess Diana—in order to get Michael’s complete cooperation. Yet Bashir’s
documentary, which was presented in full at the start of the criminal trial—later
appeared to be the cruel and manipulative effort of a self-aggrandizing British
journalist who had been officially reprimanded in England for “unfair” journalistic
practices.
Nonetheless, once Bashir’s “Jackson” documentary had aired around the
world, irreversible damage had been done. The exoneration of Jackson didn’t
seem to matter, certainly not to the mainstream media. For over a decade, the
media had built an industry around “the freaky life” of Michael Jackson, and
because the Bashir documentary affirmed everyone’s suspicions, there was little
effort to question the objectivity of the Bashir piece. It seemed most of the media
had a vested interest in reporting trash about the pop icon. Trash earned them
dollars and won them ratings.
With Jackson walking away triumphant, the media had been trumped.
After the verdicts were reported, the media pulled up their tents and wires,
their satellite dishes and campers, and their hair and makeup teams. The town of
Santa Maria seemed ghostly. Tabloid media looked for dirt. Some tried to follow
Jackson to the hospital to get photos of him looking run down and sickly, but
they had no luck.
There was some cursory reportage from the gates of Neverland to show the
jubilation of the fans, but in the final analysis, the media was all about the grit.
The media was all about the nasty. With nothing more salacious to report, the
media had moved on. For everyone who had access to a microphone, the news
about the trial was reduced to a mini-sound bite.
The days of stomping on the King of Pop had come to a grinding halt.
As for the people in the DA’s office, they seemed disappointed that the court
of public opinion didn’t translate into a conviction. In his own press conference,
Tom Sneddon blamed Jackson’s exoneration on his “star power” and insisted
that his fervent pursuit of Jackson in the Santa Maria trial—had nothing to do
with his past history regarding Michael Jackson.
Tom Sneddon’s innuendo—that Michael Jackson had been cleared because
he was a superstar—was coming from sour grapes. The idea that the criminal case
had no merit, was something that the DA and his team would never accept.
When it came to Michael Jackson, Tom Sneddon had a specific agenda. The
prosecutor mistakenly believed that slanted media coverage would further his
cause, would help put Jackson behind bars.
But it didn’t.
- 8 -
“Music and Me”
Long before there was a trial in Santa Maria, the media seemed to have taken
sides, having convicted Jackson for unspeakable acts based on accusations that
were floating around the world, all over the Internet, all over the tabloids. Most
media reports seemed to revel in the negative cloak which shrouded the pop star,
and there was little Jackson could do about it.
In order to sell papers and get ratings, news reports dehumanized him in every
way possible, and journalists took every opportunity to report the newest “dirt”
about Michael without bothering to corroborate the details. During the trial,
even when people took the stand to testify about Michael’s good deeds, that side
of Michael Jackson was never reported by mainstream media.
Without realizing it, many people in the media had become part of the conspiracy
to tear Michael down. People covering the trial seemed to be focusing on
the prosecution, telling a one-sided story. And news producers encouraged that.
The news machine was interested in ratings, and it seemed TV producers wanted
reporters to talk about anything that was anti-Jackson. The more negative the
commentary, the more attention the story got. It was a vicious cycle that almost
everyone in the media got caught up in.
But seeing Michael interact with fans, his family, his attorneys, the law officials,
and even the media—one thing was undeniable—the aura of Michael Jackson.
The pop star seemed to have a white light around him that transcended all
the hoopla. Michael didn’t seem the least bit concerned by the lurid allegations
being set forth in the courtroom. In fact, his facial expressions inside the court
made the prosecutors look like a team of desperate people. The DA seemed to be
“Music and Me” 9
grasping at straws, and Michael’s reaction to their “evidence” seemed to let jurors
know that.
As for Michael’s fans, who held vigils and camped out around Neverland and
at the courthouse, they were irate about the charges and felt Jackson had become
the object of an angry mob mentality. Outside the gates of Neverland, some
described Michael by making a parallel to Princess Diana, another icon whose
every move had been turned against her in an effort to make sensational headlines.
Fans felt that the media wanted to use Michael Jackson like a science experiment.
To the fans, Jackson had become like an insect caught in a glass jar who
could be poked and provoked—never allowed to live freely. Unlike Diana, whose
life ended tragically when the media swarmed her, with Michael, the media
wanted to keep him alive, to keep their ratings going up forever.
His fans insisted that Michael had become a victim of a media machine that
refused to see the truth—even when it was presented in a California Superior
Court. Fans talked about the worldwide media appetite that had somehow
decided Michael Jackson was “free game” for every rumor and innuendo, for all
the mudslinging in the world.
As it turned out, virtually everything that Sneddon and his team had presented
in court had been discredited by Thomas Mesereau and his defense team.
An imposing figure who was not out for media attention, not a self-promoter in
any way, Tom Mesereau had become known as the white-haired defense attorney
who meant business. He himself did not want to be the focus of media trial coverage.
Unlike other high-profile defense attorneys, Tom Mesereau wasn’t interested
in the cameras and the bright lights. Mesereau was interested in justice and
he believed in Jackson’s innocence wholeheartedly.
On the day that Jackson was exonerated, Tom Sneddon became the “Emperor
Who Had No Clothes.” It was Tom Mesereau who exited the courtroom with
humility and grace.
As the truth started to sink in, fans close to Jackson wondered why the public-
at-large knew nothing about the actual facts of the case. They wondered why
the most significant witnesses had been ignored and passed over by the media.
The tabloids were hell-bent on wrapping Jackson in a cloak of vulgarity. They
made him out to be almost demonic, accusing him of the worst crime known to
man, but no one had proven anything like that in court. Rather than report the
details that exonerated Jackson, rather than highlight the specifics from the boys
who came forward to say that nothing sexual ever happened in their times spent
with Jackson, the media was fixated on trivia. There were major headlines about
Jackson coming to court in his pajamas. There were quips about Jackson having a
10 MICHAEL JACKSON CONSPIRACY
close relationship to his pet chimp, Bubbles. There were endless clips shown of
Jackson holding his infant son over a Berlin hotel balcony.
Fans were angry because the media never fully examined the testimony by
over a hundred people in the courtroom, testimony which showed that there was
no proof about anything sinister in Jackson’s personal life. Fans felt that the testimony
and photo evidence presented in court—proved that Michael Jackson was
more down-to-earth, childlike, and caring—than anyone could have imagined.
But the media wanted to ignore that.
After the trial was over, Tom Mesereau confided that he was informed that
Jackson’s exoneration actually cost the worldwide media billions of dollars.
Apparently, had Michael Jackson been sent to prison, the tabloid business would
have started a cottage industry of reports about Jackson’s safety in jail, about
Jackson’s life behind bars, about Jackson’s suicide watches, about Jackson’s
prison inmates, and the feeding frenzy would have continued. Mesereau was told
that certain media people had made arrangements to follow Michael’s everyday
schedule behind bars. Whoever was visiting Michael Jackson—would have created
a story a day. Wild rumors would have abounded, selling people on the idea
that Jackson was crazier than ever before—fueling supermarket tabloids in perpetuity.
As it was, days after the verdict, Star magazine falsely reported that Jackson
had plans to throw a party at the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas, making it seem like
Jackson intended to have a victory celebration with his fans. It was ludicrous. The
media reports were based on thin air.
Another tabloid, London’s Daily Mail, splashed headlines that Jackson was
“hiding in the Middle East desert,” reporting that “he now faces yet more sex
claims.” As it turned out, the allegations were made by an unsavory man in New
Orleans—and they were completely discredited. The man claimed he had been
physically assaulted by Jackson with a razor blade, that Jackson had drugged him,
among other things. The court in Louisiana wanted Michael Jackson, or a representative,
to show up at a public hearing on August 17, 2005, even though the
accuser had a criminal record for harassment and was an admitted bigamist.
Some time later, the case was dismissed completely.
It was an example of yet another frivolous case against Michael Jackson, one
that would mean more humiliation, more damage to his public image, and more
problems in U.S. courts for the King of Pop. Because of his unusual conduct, his
tremendous wealth, and the nature of his business, Michael Jackson had become
the world’s greatest target, and the pop star would find himself in court more and
more.
“Music and Me” 11
As for the criminal trial, what had come before the court was a case that was
actually a result of Michael Jackson trying to help heal a ten-year-old boy with
cancer. Jackson became involved with the boy, Gavin Arvizo, after he had been
diagnosed with stage-four cancer, and had been given a death sentence by a team
of doctors in Los Angeles. Since it was Gavin’s dying wish to speak to Michael
Jackson, Michael had been calling Gavin’s hospital bed from all over the world,
holding hours-long conversations with Gavin about video games, toys, and the
beauty of Neverland.
It was Jackson who had given the boy a reason to live. It was Jackson who
helped the boy find the strength to hang in there, even though the cancer had
eaten up a number of the kid’s organs, including his spleen and one of his kidneys.
At that point, the sickly boy and the rest of his family had visited Neverland
while he was still undergoing chemotherapy treatment. On that first visit, Gavin
Arvizo was in a wheelchair, suffering with hair and weight loss. Among other
things, Gavin suffered from a lack of self-esteem as well, but it was Michael Jackson
who would help transform all that.
In Gavin’s own handwriting, this was the note in the guest book after his first
visit to Neverland Valley Ranch:
“Dear Michael: Thank You for giving me the courage to take my hat off in
front of people. I love you Michael. Love, Gavin.”
It was Michael who gave Gavin and his family the sense of hope they needed.
It was Michael who encouraged Gavin to find the strength to leave the sick bed.
It was Michael who offered Gavin and his family the thrill of having a stretch
limo bring them from an East LA barrio to the splendor of Neverland Valley
Ranch. Yet all of Michael’s good deeds had been twisted around by the media,
had been used against him by a money-hungry family.
Tom Mesereau was miffed that the media spent hours broadcasting damning
accusations, never once reporting anything about all of Michael’s charity efforts
devoted to children. Throughout the trial, Mesereau continually pointed out that
Michael was a humanitarian who had helped hundreds of thousands of children
around the world, who had never done a concert without visiting a children’s
hospital first, but no one in the media picked up on that. When the trial was
over, Mesereau became vocal about the unfairness of the trial media coverage. To
Mesereau, the slanted trial coverage was yet another aspect of the harsh and
unusual ways that Jackson had been misrepresented.
Once the criminal trial was over, Tom Mesereau spoke about the approximate
$20 million settlement made to Jordie Chandler and his family, and the effect
12 MICHAEL JACKSON CONSPIRACY
that settlement had on others who were looking for easy money from Jackson. In
the case of the Chandlers, Mesereau believed Michael Jackson had been the victim
of bad advisors. Mesereau was convinced that Jackson was listening to business
associates who were only interested in Jackson making more money. Back in
1993, his business advisors weren’t writing the checks, Michael Jackson was, and
in comparison to the earning capacity Jackson had at the time, the dollar amount
of a settlement didn’t seem to matter to those who stood to earn big bucks on
future deals.
Back then, as always, everyone around Jackson had a scheme to produce new
Jackson products, new Jackson music, new Jackson videos—and they wanted
him to go on with business as usual. Jackson’s advisors seemed to have had no
concern about what kind of effect a settlement of that size would create in the
court of public opinion.
On the flip side, many of Jackson’s fans had long been convinced that there
was a corporate conspiracy to destroy Michael. Fans were certain that powerful
people at Sony had helped spread rumors in order to ruin Jackson’s career. Some
fans believed that Sony executives wanted to force Jackson into the sale of his
stake in the SONY/ATV catalogue. Many fans stood outside the courtroom each
day, holding up signs about Sony, screaming, “Fight, Michael, fight!”
Fans believed that the campaign to destroy Michael’s public image stemmed
from corporate greed—which not only fueled the Santa Maria trial—but had
been behind the accusations by other young boys and their families as well.
For the record, transcripts of secretly recorded tapes—some of which date
back to 1987—hint at dubious conduct by many of the people who’d made lurid
allegations against Michael Jackson in the past. Many of these tapes and their corresponding
transcripts are now being held by the U.S. federal government for an
existing federal case against Anthony Pellicano, the private investigator to the
stars, whom Michael Jackson’s team once hired to discover the truth about the
Chandler family.
As for Michael, the superstar has long been public in his claims that conspirators
have been trying to ruin him as part of an attempt to regain control of his
large stake in the SONY/ATV music catalogue, which includes songs by Elvis
Presley and the Beatles. Jackson made reference to a conspiracy which appeared
in a nasty Vanity Fair article that hit newsstands just days before the verdicts in
Santa Maria. The Vanity Fair piece mocked Michael Jackson’s alleged belief
that the accuser and his family were being paid by “enemies” who wanted to
take over the SONY/ATV music catalogue. The vicious article poked fun at
Jackson, who believed that former Sony Records president, Tommy Mottola,
“Music and Me” 13
and the “powers-that-be” at Sony Records—along with DA Tom Sneddon—
were the “main conspirators” against him.
About all this, Michael Jackson’s defense attorney, Tom Mesereau, has
remained somewhat neutral. Though Mesereau had no actual evidence to prove
Jackson’s theory that he’d been the victim of a corporate conspiracy, the defense
attorney agreed that it was perfectly possible that a “subconscious conspiracy”
between Sony and the Santa Barbara DA might have existed.
“What Michael said about a conspiracy makes logical sense, but I have no evidence
of it,” Mesereau confided. “If Michael were in jail or in prison, how would
he defend his ownership in the catalogue? How would he defend all these frivolous
lawsuits? Sony had so much to gain if there was a conviction, and Sneddon
would have gained celebrity status. These people didn’t have to actually sit down
to conspire together. They might have helped each other on an unplanned
level—because they had a common interest.”
Ironically, if a conspiracy did exist against Jackson, perhaps it was being led by
former employees with personal agendas, fueled by unusual houseguests who
wanted to cash in, and fortified by certain members of law enforcement who had
their own egotistical reasons for wanting to tear Jackson down.
With Michael Jackson being, perhaps, the most famous person ever to face felony
charges, authorities wanted to open up Jackson’s eccentric life for public
inspection. The Santa Barbara DA took pleasure in trying to shame him.
For obvious reasons, the King of Pop made very few statements and gave very
few interviews regarding his criminal trial. Early on, Michael broadcast a statement
about his innocence on the Internet. Jackson invited Geraldo Rivera to
Neverland for a brief audience, and later an interview with Jackson appeared on
FOX News, though Geraldo’s contention that Jackson was being set up by the
Santa Barbara DA—was not well received by the press. During the trial, Jackson
spoke to his fans via the radio on a few occasions, but for the most part, the pop
star stopped saying much to the media at all, making a single exception for his
friend and spiritual advisor, the Reverend Jesse Jackson.
In a one-time radio broadcast, which aired on Easter Sunday, 2005, Michael
told Reverend Jackson, “I’m totally innocent, and it’s just very painful.”
Over the radio, Michael hinted that he was a victim of racism, stating that he
was one of many “black luminaries” who had become a victim. Jackson said he
found strength in the examples of Nelson Mandela and Muhammad Ali. Jackson
said he felt he was being discriminated against as a person of color. When Jesse
Jackson asked about a possible Sony conspiracy that might have been behind the
allegations in the criminal trial, Michael had very little to say. Reverend Jackson
14 MICHAEL JACKSON CONSPIRACY
asked Michael to detail exactly what was in the SONY/ATV catalogue, but
Michael didn’t want to go down that road.
As Jesse Jackson tried to get information about problems surrounding Sony
and the pop icon, Michael was clearly afraid to discuss the subject. When asked
about the tug-of-war over the Sony catalogue, Michael was cagey. There was only
one thing Michael would say about the SONY/ATV catalogue: “It’s very valuable.
It’s worth a lot of money. And there’s a big fight going on as we speak about
that. I can’t comment on it. There’s a lot of conspiracy. I’ll say that much.”
But whether or not anyone at Sony conspired to ruin Michael Jackson (and
there is no evidence to that effect) really was not the concern for Tom Mesereau
in the criminal case. What Mesereau was sure about—throughout the course of
the trial—was that he was dealing with a whole set of people who acted in a joint
plan, a conspiracy, to destroy Michael Jackson’s image.
These were people, Mesereau would prove, who were out to gain any kind of
fame and fortune for themselves—and Michael Jackson was their vehicle. Having
made the decision to fight Tom Sneddon and the DA’s office once and for all,
Mesereau was the first person to see the games being played behind the scenes.
He came to consider the entire case against Michael Jackson, in itself, a conspiracy.
According to Mesereau, it was the accuser’s family, acting in accordance with
DA Tom Sneddon and prodded by certain members of the media, who engaged
in a highly thought-out plan to try to bring Michael Jackson to his knees. Attorney
Mesereau, who has long been a champion for civil rights in the African
American community, confided that when he first looked at the evidence, when
he sat down and studied the thousands of pages of discovery, he was able to draw
his own conclusions.
“The media was basically saying, ‘You can’t win this case. There’s no hope,’
and I didn’t really care what they said, to be honest,” Mesereau confided. “I just
looked at the evidence, as I always do, and I got to know the client. I decided that
this was a winnable case, and also decided that we could get a fair trial in Santa
Maria.”
The public officials never considered the possibility that many people in Santa
Maria would have a positive view of Michael Jackson. As it happened, certain residents
confided to Mesereau that they felt Tom Sneddon had a serious vendetta
against the pop star, though Sneddon consistently denies this. Santa Maria residents
felt that Jackson was a great asset to their community, and they expressed a
positive sensibility about Jackson. Still, without cameras being allowed into the
“Music and Me” 15
courtroom, with biased reporting being the only way the public at large could
grasp a sense about the trial—the smear factor was inevitable.
At his sensational trial, one hundred thirty-five witnesses testified in all. They
ranged from child friends to film stars—from CSI experts to forensic accountants.
The amount of experts and staff who testified was enough to boggle the
mind. So much money was spent on the effort to place everything about
Michael’s life under a microscope. Everything he owned was questioned—every
book, every piece of art, every item in his laundry. It was all subject to public
scrutiny.
By the time all the evidence had been presented, people had proof that Jackson
was different—that he led his life in a way that no one would have dreamed
possible. More than ever, people saw that Jackson lived in a self-created dream
world, in a world where being a child was a part of who Michael was. The jury
learned that Michael trusted people too much. Among the details the jury was
shocked to discover: Michael had signed over his power of attorney to German
advisors apparently without understanding the possible consequences of his
childlike actions.
To the outside world, news reports would have people believe that Jackson’s
Neverland was filled with dark undercurrents, with sinister games to lure children
into a trap. However, inside the courtroom, where it really counted, it turned out
that the pop icon, through his own privately recorded statements, had convinced
the jury that he was an innocent pawn.
