| Michael Jackson cleared on all charges |
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| Written by Richard Powell | |
| Monday, 13 June 2005 | |
  Entertainer Michel Jackson has been told all charges against him, alleging he had abused a child and given alcohol to minors, have been dropped…The singer superstar returned to his home at his Neverland ranch in California without speaking to fans or the media who had assembled outside. Jackson had strenuously denied molesting 13-year-old Gavin Arvizo. He was also cleared of giving the boy, now 15, alcohol and conspiring to kidnap him and his family. Michael Jackson's lawyer Thomas Mesereau said: "Justice was served. Michael Jackson is innocent." Judge Rodney Melville read a statement from the jury saying: "We the jury feel the weight of the world's eyes upon us." They asked to be allowed to return to "our private lives as anonymously as we came", he added. But just an hour later, during a joint press conference given by jurors, at least one juror hinted they needed more time than they had bee granted to deliver a considered verdict. The juror told the assembled press she was "left in the dark about information [the jury] requested, but they had to make do with the information they were given [in order to make a judgment]". A correspondent had asked her whether she agreed with a claim district attorney Tom Sneddon had made during his own press conference that alleged "the trial had proceeded too quickly". The verdicts on the 10 charges were reached after about 30 hours of deliberations over the last week. Mr Jackson's trial began in February and the jury retired on 3 June. More than 100 witnesses took the stand, including Gavin Arvizo and his mother Janet. The trial was sparked after British journalist Martin Bashir made a documentary in which Jackson admitted sharing his bed with children. Gavin told the court the singer had put his hands down his trousers and fondled him at Neverland. The star could have been jailed for more than 18 years if convicted on all charges. Related Items:
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