A Walk Off the Moon

It’s finally over and not a moment too soon. Was the verdict a surprise? Was the world shocked by the acquittal of pop star Jackson? After all we haven’t convicted a celebrity since that Friday 2000 some years ago when Pilate dropped the gavel on a defendant named Christ.

The outcome was all too predictable. Drama, yes, but like so many Hollywood thrillers, anticlimactic. A he said/he said scenario. The criminal trial doctrine concerning reasonable doubt often places an unreasonable burden on the accuser and anything, no matter how trivial, can place a doubt in the mid of a juror. In this case, the Accuser was convicted for the sins of the mother. The jury was loathe of the woman. They held her in contempt for permitting Jackson to share a bed with her son. They despised her for snapping her fingers at them. Reminds me of a rape victim being scolded for wearing alluring clothing. Rationalize your actions by accentuating the perceived faults of others. So the jury let Mr. Jackson moonwalk right out of the place.

But we must place our faith in the system. It works for the most part. Especially when the most part is fame and fortune. A lesser man would at this moment be housed in Cell Block G clothed in a bright orange jumpsuit without a thought of bright fresh jammies and a master bedroom. Reasonable doubt be damned; no doubt, the folly. Bookstore clerks scurry to make space for upcoming best sellers. Talk show producers realign the schedules. Pundits and legal analysts prepare their take on the subject at hand.

Maybe a small glass of Jesus juice to relieve the anxiety and then off to bed. Goodnight, jurors.