Jacko, His Rise and Fall: The Social and Sexual History of Michael Jackson (109 page)

Psychiatrist Dr. Stan Katz

The final witness for the defense was comedian Chris Tucker, who called the Arvizos "cunning and relentless in the pursuit of money, gifts,
and free trips" from himself and other celebrities.

On May 26, prosecutors lost a bid to show
the jury photos of the pop star's allegedly spotted
penis. The bid had called for presentation of those
photos alongside Jordie Chandler's illustration of
a distinctively marked penis that was alleged at the
time to have been inspired by Michael's penis. Judge Melville said, "I'm
going to deny bringing in evidence of the blemished penis. I find the prejudicial effect would far outweigh the probative value."

In his argument for the prosecution, Ron Zonen claimed that Michael had
a discolored spot on the underside of his penis which could only have been
seen if the penis were erect.

The jury did not get to see pictures of Michael's penis, but a number of
other curious parties did-but only if willing to pay big bucks for that dubious privilege. As early as October of 1994, The Amsterdam News in New York
was reporting that photos of Michael's genitals were floating around
Hollywood. "They're either duplicate photos of those held by the D.A., or
fakes, according to our sources," claimed reporter Abiola Sinclair. One
source, who requested anonymity, said that the pictures were smuggled out
and that the negatives are on the market.

Another anonymous source, who had seen the actual photographs of the
nude Michael and also the pictures being hawked as the real thing, claimed off
the record that "They're the genuine article-that's Jackson's dick all right!
But I don't know how copies became available. Just too many people have
seen and dealt with these photos. After all, if Tom Sneddon had had his way,
not only the jurors would have seen Michael's prick, but in time the entire
world. As has been shown time and time again, it's hard to keep pictures private if a star poses nude or makes a sex video. It's going to get out. Take Paris
Hilton, whomever."

In their closing arguments on May 27, prosecutors were allowed to show
a 70-minute video of Gavin's first interview with the police on July 7, 2003.
In denim shorts and wearing a blue shirt, Gavin claimed, "He put his hands in
my pants. He started masturbating me. I told him I didn't want to do that and he kept on doing it. I told him no. He said he wanted
to show me how to masturbate. I said no. Then he said
he could do it for me. He grabbed me. My private
area. He touched me for a long time."

George Lopez

On June 3, in closing arguments, Zonen, for the
prosecution, once again dragged out Michael's porn
collection, showing the jurors the cover of a book
called A Sexual Study of Man. "It shows everything
one man could possibly do to another man," Zonen
told the panel of eight women and four men.

On June 3, during closing arguments, the defense
claimed that the Arvizos were "con artists, actors, and
liars." Prosecutors claimed that Michael had lured the
vulnerable cancer survivor "into the world of the forbidden in his bedroom
and molested him." Zonen charged, "The lion on the Serengeti doesn't go
after the strongest antelope. The predator goes after the weakest."

On the dawn of the jury's verdict, journalist John M. Broder accurately
predicted that regardless of the outcome Michael's "secrets have been laid
bare and his psyche picked apart as if by carrion birds. Even if he is acquitted,
many people will continue to believe that he harbors an unhealthy fondness
for young boys."

En route to court on June 13 to hear the verdict, Michael rode with his
family with a Bible open on his lap. He was rocking back and forth, saying,
"They tried to do this to Job. Now they are trying to do it to me. Why me?"

On 2:25 p.m. that day, the jury of the Superior Court of the State of
California determined that Michael was not guilty on all counts.

As he heard "not guilty" seemingly repeated endlessly, Michael sat
motionless for five minutes as the possibility of nearly 20 years behind bars
was finally lifted.

Judge Melville declared, "Mr. Jackson, your bail is exonerated and you
are released." Wiping tears from his eyes, Michael walked out of the courtroom after exchanging joyous hugs and handshakes with his attorneys. Tom
Mesereau said, "Justice was done. The man's innocent and always was."

Fans celebrated outside the courthouse, cheering and waving signs. Both
the investigation and trial had lasted an astonishing 574 days.

Outside the courthouse Michael, weak and frail, walked slowly with a
solemn face.

One loyal female fan released one white dove for each count on which
Michael was acquitted. Confronting his fans, Michael blew kisses to them
before disappearing into a black SUV for the trip back to his fantasyland
estate. This time there were no dances of victory atop the van.

Foiled in his second attempt to bring Michael to "justice," Sneddon was
clearly angered at the verdict. "No comment!" he snapped at reporters.

One woman juror said she was offended at Janet Arvizo "snapping her fingers at us. `Don't snap your fingers at me, lady,' I said to myself."

On the east coast, hundreds of people, both anti-Michael and pro-Michael,
gathered in Times Square, where a giant screen heralded news of the star's
acquittal.

Elizabeth Taylor issued a statement. "Thank God Michael is vindicated
for all time. Now maybe people will leave him alone."

After Michael's victory, his attorney, Mesereau, told Barbara Walters in an
ABC interview, "I may have saved Michael's life. I don't think he would have
survived prison."

In yet another statement, the attorney went on to say that Michael had
learned a valuable lesson. "He's not going to make himself vulnerable to this
kind of thing anymore."

Robert M. Sanger, another defense lawyer, reported visiting Michael at
Neverland a few hours after the verdict came in, finding him extremely grateful that the trial turned out as it did.

"There was a strong sense that the charges were preposterous and that it
would be bizarre for a jury to believe these people were telling the truth, let
alone beyond a reasonable doubt." Having represented Michael for 12 years,
Sanger claimed that the trial was a "long, long battle for Michael to clear his
name. He's finally gotten a resounding acquittal, an exoneration!"

As Michael was driven back to Neverland, loyal fans had gathered at the
gates to greet him. ALL OF US HERE AND MILLIONS AROUND THE
WORLD LOVE AND SUPPORT YOU.

The next day the number of fans had dwindled to only a few loyalists, but
an estimated 200 members of the media lined the rural road, watching as cars
came and went through the guarded gate.
Everybody wanted to see Michael leaving
Neverland but had to settle for Joe Jackson
instead. He claimed that his son was "exhausted
and resting" before his vehicle disappeared inside
the gates.

Jay Leno

This may have been Joe Jackson's last visit
to Neverland. For public relations purposes,
Michael had wanted a show of solidarity from the
Jackson family. But sources close to the pop star
claimed that once the trial ended, he didn't want
to see any of them. And in the wake of the trial,
after he'd fled the country, it was claimed that he no longer accepted their phone calls, even those from his pleading mother,
Katherine.

In a post-verdict interview, juror Raymond C. Hultman, a civil engineer,
said, "I would tell him not to sleep with boys. It's not something that's normally acceptable in this society." Hultman said that he believed Michael might
have molested boys in the early 90s, but that the "prosecution in the latest case
had failed to provide sufficient evidence. I had what I thought were some valid
reasons to believe this child had been molested, and his demeanor seemed
genuine." But Hultman felt that the "prosecution's timetable did not make
sense."

Even though he was found not guilty by a jury of his so-called peers,
Michael seemed disgusted and even furious at what he'd been put through in
America. He vowed never to set foot on American soil again. Two weeks after
his acquittal, he flew to distant Bahrain, an island nation in the Persian Gulf,
one linked to Saudi Arabia by a bridge.

If Michael thought interest in him had waned, he was mistaken. Beginning
in the summer of 2005 and lasting through the year of 2006, he made more
blaring headlines around the world than any other person in the entertainment
business, exempting the fluffy coverage of the Brad Pitt/Angelina Jolie
romance.

Almost everything Michael did-known or perceived merited a headline.

In Bahrain, Michael was the guest of the royal family, specifically
Abdullah bin Hamad Al-Khalifa, the son of Bahrain's king, Sheik Hamad. His
Majesty reportedly didn't welcome Michael and resented his son's fascination
with the superstar. Unlike the prince, the ruler reportedly didn't like the media
coverage and notoriety the disgraced pop star would bring to his tiny country.

Local news accounts reported that Michael's home in Bahrain was filled
with "personal boy servants," and that he constantly had an "entourage of several young boys wherever he went." Michael was said to have been delighted
to discover that Bahrain has a branch of Toys `R Us.

Michael's attorney, Tom Mesereau, refused to say if his client would relinquish his U.S. citizenship and seek immigrant status in Bahrain.

Rashid Bin Abdulrahman Al-Khalifa, an officer in the ministry of information, predicted that Michael would not be given citizenship. "Citizenship,"
he said, "is not easy to get here in Bahrain-even for Michael Jackson. But he
may stay indefinitely as long as he owns property here."

The local press in Bahrain claimed that Michael had invested $1.5 million
in two villas and a plot of land in the country's manmade Amwaj Islands.

The Amwaj Islands are popular with Bahrain's oil-rich set, many of whom
maintain second homes here. It's a secluded area within eyesight of mainland Bahrain. There's even a posh private school for Michael's sheltered, veilwearing kids.

In 2005, papers were publishing stories about "the curse of the Jacksons,"
as newspaper reporters who included Patricia Shipp were updating the public
on the famous and once-rich family. Much of the data had already been published and made known for the public, and the financial plight of Michael
himself had been extensively written about. Of all the family members, Janet
seemed in the best financial shape. Both Joe Jackson and Katherine Jackson
were perceived as being in "financial peril."

It was reported that Marlon, at the age of 48, was having trouble keeping
up the $9,000 monthly mortgage payment on his $2.2 million California mansion. Back in 2001, Randy, 44, admitted to bankruptcy fraud when he failed
to list his ownership of a sports utility vehicle in filing his claim. After a string
of flop solo albums, Jermaine at 51 had moved back into the Encino house but
reportedly traveled to the Middle East to meet with leaders of the Muslim
faith. Tito at 52 was appearing at small venues performing on his blues guitar.
Jackie turned 54 in 2005 but had not appeared in public since 1989, when he
released a solo album that bombed.