Michael Jackson found NOT GUILTY!

Jurors in the Michael Jackson child molestation trial have informed the trial judge they have reached a verdict:

Michael Jackson has been found innocent on all 10 counts in his child molestation trial.

The jury of eight women and four men delivered the verdict in California Superior Court here on their seventh day of deliberations, which began June 3.
The jury was not sequestered and took weekends off.

Shortly after word that a verdict had been reached was made public, television helicopters were hovering over Mr. Jackson's Neverland ranch. Cable news channels broadcast a nearly constant stream of images showing Mr. Jackson's small convoy of sport utility vehicles en route to the courthouse for the reading of the verdict. At the courthouse, crowds gathered outside awaiting his arrival.

Mr. Jackson, wearing tinted aviator glasses, a dark blazer, black tie and white wing-collar shirt, was accompanied by several members of his family, including his father and mother, two brothers and two sisters. He stopped briefly as he walked toward the courthouse lobby to wave to the throngs of fans calling out to him.

The jury in Santa Maria, California, found Jackson innocent on all counts of lewd conduct with a child younger than 14 years old. They also acquitted him on additional counts of serving the boy alcohol with the intent of committing a felony and of conspiring to hold the boy and his family captive.

The jury concluded that prosecutors failed to prove accusations Jackson, 46, molested the boy, a cancer survivor, while he was staying at the singer's Neverland ranch. Jackson's lawyer, Thomas Mesereau Jr. told the jury the boy and his family were motivated by money and that they had lied on prior occasions for financial gain.

The defense partly relied on testimony by talk-show host Jay Leno and actor Chris Tucker, who said they had misgivings about the boy. The men had gotten to know the child in 2000 when he was fighting cancer. Tucker called the boy ``cunning'' and said he at one point warned Jackson to watch out for the boy's mother.

Jackson faced a sentence of as many as eight years in jail for an individual count of molestation and lesser terms for any additional counts.

A California grand jury last year indicted Jackson for molesting the boy who was seen holding hands with Jackson in a February 2003 television documentary ``Living With Michael Jackson.'' The documentary stirred up controversy because in it the singer talks about sharing his bedroom with children.

The boy had said Jackson molested in the months after the documentary had aired.

Former child star Macaulay Culkin also testified for the defense, saying that the singer never behaved improperly toward him and called allegations that Jackson molested children are ``ridiculous,'' according to the Associated Press.

It is the second time Santa Barbara County District Attorney Tom Sneddon Jr. has investigated Jackson for molestation. In 1993, after accusations Jackson molested a different 13-year-old boy, Sneddon didn't file criminal charges because the boy refused to testify. Jackson, who maintained his innocence, settled a civil lawsuit brought by the child.

Jackson was born in Gary, Indiana, in 1958. He started his career singing with his four brothers as ``The Jackson 5'' in the 1960s. He starred alongside singer Diana Ross in the 1978 film ``The Wiz,'' an adaptation of ``The Wizard of Oz.''

He went solo in 1979 with ``Off The Wall'' and released the record-breaking ``Thriller'' album in 1982. Thriller sold about 45 million copies worldwide and featured songs such as ``Beat It'' and ``Billie Jean.'' The album generated seven Top 10 singles and earned eight Grammy awards.

The case is People of the State of California v. Michael Joe Jackson, 1133603.

Here on PerformYourMagic blog you can find Personal & Business Development Training, Team Building, Coaching, Consulting Services, free powerful tools, news, links and articles for Successful people...Recommended by Cristian C. Francu