The Michael Jackson trial reached a climactic phase on Thursday as the prosecution and defence presented starkly different views of the singer to a jury expected to start its deliberations on Friday.
For the prosecution the trial was ”about the exploitation and sexual abuse of a 13-year-old cancer survivor by an international celebrity”, said the deputy district attorney Ron Zonen.
The defence lawyer Thomas Mesereau told the jury: ”The issue before you is the life, future, fortune and reputation of Michael Jackson. That’s what is about to be placed in your hands.”
While both sides concurred on the momentous nature of the decision facing the jury, that was about all they agreed on. Both teams focused much of their closing arguments on the credibility of Gavin Arvizo, the 13-year-old accuser in the case, and his family. Jackson is accused of sexually molesting Gavin Arvizo and conspiring to imprison the Arvizo family. If found guilty on all counts he faces up to 20 years in prison.
”If you don’t believe [the Arvizos],” Mesereau said, ”Michael Jackson must go free.”
Zonen told the court: ”There are two themes, that Michael Jackson inserted himself into the Arvizo family, not the other way around,” and that, ”Janet Arvizo never asked Michael Jackson for a penny.”
He then launched a withering attack on Jackson’s defence. Reminding the jury that Mesereau had made several promises in his opening statement, Mr Zonen said: ”He was inviting us to judge him. Let’s begin the judgement.”
The defence, he said, had promised evidence that the Arvizo family had tried to ”shake down” numerous celebrities for money. He said the promised parade of celebrities had failed to materialise and those who had testified had not backed up Mesereau’s assertions.
He also disputed the defence’s assertion that Jackson (46) had taken time out from his career to help the young cancer patient.
He had, Zonen admitted, made numerous calls to the boy. ”That’s what he does with all the boys who end up in his bed,” he said. ”That’s how Michael Jackson functions. That’s what he does. That has nothing to do with benevolence.”
He went on to describe Neverland as ”the world of the forbidden. Michael Jackson’s room was a veritable fortress with locks and codes which the boys were given … They learned about sexuality from someone only too willing to be their teacher.”
Pouring scorn on the prosecution’s conspiracy charge, Mesereau said: ”Does he look like the kind of person capable of masterminding a criminal conspiracy of this magnitude? It’s absurd.” He also defended Jackson’s practice of inviting children into his bedroom, arguing that Jackson was often taken advantage of by the children. ”They like you to think it was all Michael Jackson taking these innocent lambs and corrupting their lives. That’s all baloney,” he said. – Guardian Unlimited Â