Rest in peace MJ. Always remembered Billy Jean and Thriller as a child. Thank you for your music and your art of entertaining us.

People are saying there's still hope:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TA4WR9PEoYA

Amen

All Hail Justin Timberlake, the new King of Pop!!!!

I'm predicting the most popular Halloween costume this year:

http://tiny.cc/OpkrN

MJ in 1983 was the Beatles in 1969. Simply the best ever for the genre. RIP.

Farah Fawcett, Michael Jackson, David Carradine, Ed McMahon - the past few weeks have been tough for eighties lovers.

First to say Michael Jackson is not really dead; he's just Tupac dead. Enjoy island living, The Best There Ever Was.

RIP MICHAEL!!!!
I will always remember man in the mirror

TMZ is now reporting that doctors are unclear if cause of death was, in fact, cardiac arrest or choking on an 8-year-old weiner.

I heard it from a reliable source that Michael Jackson had been comatose for the past 6 months. He woke up today and was told Barack Obama was president which then precipitated Michael's cardiac infarction. May he rest in peace and be able to moonwalk on flames.

Love the hoopla and sadness over the death of a child molester.

I literally can't even express how sad I am. I knew this was going to happen. But I figured I'd have kids and I'd be using this event as a teaching moment about good pop music as opposed to whatever crap they are listing to in 2030.
--Elie

I predict major litigation over the treatment of his remains. Latoya will want to freeze his head and store it in some chamber some place. Janet will want Michael burried with his pet chimp, Bubbles. Randy will want him mummified so the two can do perpetual shows together in Vegas. Tito will want Michael's frozen sperm, just because.

He died 20 years after his career did.

This is our generation's JFK moment.

"Where were you when Michael Jackson died?"

15. According to CNN, as of 2008, Bubbles still lives!

13 - Um, he was ACQUITTED.

Have you taken Crim Law yet? Or is that not until 2L year?

I love checking Wikipedia when stuff like this happens. It's already updated with his death.

17 - Isn't 9/11 a bit more of a lingering memory than hearing this pedo died?

21 - see 19.

14 "listing to" you don't even bother trying in your comments. Can I PLEASE punch you and see if I live to tell? You can name time and place.

13, the hoopla and mourning is over the fact that the world has lost the greatest pop entertainer that ever existed, or will exist. He will be missed.

19 - apparently you've never heard of term "burden of proof." Acquitted doesn't mean innocent. He paid $20 million to shut the kid up in the civil trial. Sounds innocent, eh?

He should have died 20 years ago. It would have been better for everyone.

22 - OJ got off, you're telling me he didn't kill Nicole? Acquittal or not, this guy liked kids.

19 - OJ was ACQUITTED too what are your thoughts on that?

I guess everyone who has been acquitted is 100% innocent right? Moron.

EPIC FAIL.

His kids' chances at relative normalcy just shot up 1500%.

I live a block away from the hospital he was brought to and the first thing that tipped us off today was the fleet of news helicopters flying around. Kinda surreal to then see that MJ died like a block away. I wonder if it's going to be like Princess Di with like millions of flowers and crap....great....

They never found Hitler guilty of anything either. Idiot.

When I heard the paramedics took him to a hospital, my first thought was: "Oh God, I hope it wasn't a children's hospital."

Because I'm dead, I'm dead-Come on you know I'm dead - MJ

Headline should have been Michael Jackson Just Beat It

Because he's bad, he's bad. You know it.

If the headline was "Micheal Jackson Just Beat It" there would have been lots of justifiable confusion.

Cuz this is thriller! Thriller night!

Born a poor black kid ...died a rich white male.....american dream realized

19, you are a moron. Bet you think OJ is innocent, too?

"On January 1, 1994, Jackson settled with the Chandler family and their legal team out of court, in a civil lawsuit for $22 million."

Jeez, who cares. I mean, I was born in 1977. I grew up on classic 80s MJ. He descended into self-parody and mediocrity about four years after "Thriller". I stopped caring.

Just because Lat is as odd an individual as Wacko Jacko and secretly wishes he were Perez Hilton doesn't mean this post makes any sense on a supposed "legal" blog. But yeah, he had some lawsuits, so whatever, I guess.

Going to need a bit more ennui and malaise from you, 40.

Don't worry about me, guys. I'm in a better place now . . . with my forty virgins!

The Barbri material seem to indicate that all the people who bought tickets may have a reliance claim against his estate, in that they purchased the tickets in reliance on him being alive at the time of the concerts.
The amount of damages will be the difference in value between a ticket to a concert performed by a live Jacko and one performed by Jacko's dead body.

What happened to the Hogan and Hartson post above this one?!

Sad

even after more than 25 years, thriller is still the world's all-time best selling album... granted - people don't buy as many albums as they used to... even then, I think that's a BIG F$%&ING DEAL....

Real cause of death - choking on Blanket

Michael Jackson is dead because he turned white.

SotomayoR

Hanging around with chimps and kids while trying to look like a 60 year old white woman does take a lot out of a person. Will Sir Paul get first crack at buying his music back?

Too bad it wasn't Madonna.

This is sad. But what does it have to do with the practice or business of law???

Michael Jackson died.

43 = fail.

Good riddance. He was a piece of shit. Who cares that he had a few decent songs 25 years ago?

54, "few decent songs"? Few decent songs?!? Are you nuts? That's like saying, I'm not impressed with this Sir Isaac Newton character. Who cares if he had a couple of semi thought-provoking ideas a few years back.

I wonder what insightful contributions Legal Peon could add to this discussion?

Yeah, 55. It's exactly like that.

He made Thriller, man, Thriller.

Lat links to Marin's "thoughts" about MJ. She reasons that MJ couldn't have been a child molester because:

"Would Liza Minelli, Elizabeth Taylor and Macaulay Culkin really be friends with a sexual predator? Let's get real here."

I'm sure this logical reasoning will be very persuasive among the lawyers here.

I weep for 55's taste in music.

that was weird. Did anyone else see a post about Hogan and Hartson?

Its too bad that we're not reading about BIll O'Reilly dropping dead today. Assholes like him hounded this poor guy to his grave.

Its too bad that we're not reading about BIll O'Reilly dropping dead today. Assholes like him hounded this poor guy to his grave.

Its too bad that we're not reading about BIll O'Reilly dropping dead today. Assholes like him hounded this poor guy to his grave.

Is Lat a gay?

I wonder how many kids' futures his death might save.

MAY HE MOLEST IN PEACE.

67 here. First to think of that.

67, post of the day. I can't believe I just laughed at that.

jeff goldblum dead?

I was just watching the "just bill it" parody on youtube the other day. His music will live on, as will a new Elton John Candle in the Wind remake.

How about getting your f'ing interns to do some moderating here? For example: PE's post at 12. Get it the hell off of here.

Goldblum dead. Fell 60 feet on a set in NZ.

What's the difference between Michael Jackson and Neil Armstrong?

49 - didn't he will them to sir paul?

I am sad about MJ's death, but @16 & @38 = good work, you cracked me up.

Well...Neil Armstrong "walked on the moon," whereas Michael Jackson....fucked little boys in the ass.

MAY HE MOLEST IN PEACE.

Back in high school, we used to get molested my Michael Jackson all the time. It was seriously no big deal.

Right on 58... Thriller.

-Dave

Only in America can a poor black man grow up to be a rich white woman.

78 - I was in tears on the floor. That's the best joke I've heard since the days of making fun of FDR's polio.

Sudden cardiac arrest? Did he OD on Jesus Juice?

Yeah, the families of the children that accused MJ of molestation seemed like real standup characters. And I know that the second case was a criminal case, but don't you think after the criticism of the first kid that never filed criminal charges, maybe they did it to gain credibility for a subsequent civil case? MJ said he made a mistake settling the first case and was putting his foot down here to stop subsequent accusers trying to extort money from him in the future. I'm sure it wasn't about the money at all. Never mind everything that MJ did to help thousands of disabled children.

Yet again, ATL suffers from keeping comments open on a thread about death. Good call, guys, really, good call.

Shut up 84. You will achieve nothing in your life.

13 Grammys, 13 number one singles as a solo artist, and 750 million albums sold worldwide = "a few decent songs"? You set the bar pretty damn high, my friend.

10 - Hi KRISTIN!!!!!!!!

This is truly awful. Whether you were a fan of his music or not, or thought he was truly guilty of molesting those children...the fact is that a human being is dead and it would not kill the assholes who comment on this board to show a little respect. What a great reflection on humanity (and the profession) you are...

while i realize MJ was an alleged pedo (see what I did there??) but if your parents whored you out from age 3, you'd be a screwed up bastard too.

RIP you wacky sonofabiatch

Any other pedaphile and you'd all be cheering.

[Anti-Jacko comment removed by a fat donut-eating retard]

Breaking news from TMZ...the family of Michael Jackson is confirming that he choked to death on a piece of ass lobster shell during lunch.

Breaking news from the real world: If this is such a big event in his life, Elie is a fat toad who should be editing copy at Rolling Stone, not ranting about race and pop culture on what was supposed to be a legal blog.

[Another Anti-Jacko comment removed by a fat donut-eating retard]

[Still another Anti-Jacko comment removed by a fat donut-eating retard]

[Anti-Elie comment removed by an obese ogre]

I hope Kash is ok.

If they say why, why - Tell em that is human nature

MysTTTal: please release your LSAT score

[Anti-wacko-jacko comment eaten by an obese, illiterate AA-recipient who is apparently a tough guy as well]

88- What about respecting the children he molested?

Sad news, but not exactly in the same league as where you were when you first heard about JFK or 9/11. Stupid celebrity culture.

100 - it was never proven he molested children. People inferred it because he was an unusual person with some sort of Peter Pan disorder. Kind of like people inferred that the Duke lacrosse team raped that stripper because they played a masculine sport and had a stripper at their party. Michael was an unusual dude, but if he really was molesting children, considering the number of children he was around, I would have expected more than two children whose families appeared to have had questionable motives to have come forward. Unfortunately, it is human nature to jump to conclusions and believe horrible allegations against people, just as the majority of the public did in the Duke lacrosse case.

If he had been a wise Latina instead of a Wacko Jacko he would be alive today! So sad.....

I swear to God, if the MSM covers this non-stop and ignores Iran and all the other meaningful and important news stories going on in the world today, I am going to hunt down and murder Wolf Blitzer

I will tell you where I was when I heard the news.....I was coming to the end of a 10 mile run...and I really needed to take a shit. I finally got home...turned on the TV and ran to the bathroom...as I took a great crap I heard the news....

I'll never forget where I was when I heard the news. Volonteering at the local Boys Club teaching a 6th grade boy to grip a golf club.

I'll never forget where I was when I heard the news. Volonteering at the local Boys Club teaching a 6th grade boy to grip a golf club.

I was filling up a Maccauley Caulkin donut mold with lard and batter.

-Elie Mystal

@44 & 61 -- I saw it too. Is Elie finally afraid of a defamation suit?

Back to Argentinian harlots . . . .

Children around the world will be able to sleep better knowing that the threat of being tag teamed by MJ and Bubbles the chimp has been nullified. The lord works in mysterious yet devine ways.

102: people inferred that the Duke kids were being set up by a bunch of cock gobbling PC professors and an unethical hack of a prosecutor--which they were. Only liberal, straight white male hating trash (such as yourself, SotomayOR, and Michelle Obama) were dumb enough to believe that half-assed story.

And nobody inferred that MJ was a child raping pedo--that was clear as (smooth boy ass) fucking day.

RIP Michael Jackson. Perhaps only one other person in history, Elvis, was famous enough to know the lonely hell you knew.

The Song "Vincent," comes to mind when I think of Michael Jackson. So original and gifted, and like so many true artists, so alone. Those who knew him well said he was an innocent. Settled law suits, aside. I believe that. He was a beautiful soul. And, this world proved too harsh for one as beautiful as he.

104 - nothing really interesting's happening in Iran. Just a bunch of mullahs and unemployed fashion-plates blowing off a bit of steam. Like if Jesse Jackson and Supreme Leader Wright had a falling out and Leighton Meester and Paris Hilton came out to support their particular brand of insanity

Is it possible to both (a) be aware of the existence of something as grotesque as Elie and (b) believe in God?

84 - Clearly you knew what you were getting into. Why read the comments if they are only going to disturb you? Spare yourself the aggravation.

44 / 61 - It probably got pulled so as not to interfere with the Michael Jackson news.

I bet it will appear tomorrow.

51 - Scroll through the ATL archives:

http://abovethelaw.com/michael_jackson/

His trial on child molestation charges was one of the biggest legal events of the past decade.

He sold a lot of records. But I think you have to be honest and say that the music, much like a corporate associate, has not aged well. Classic rock stations play Springsteen, Beatles, Stones, etc etc. When was the last time you heard an 80s station play one of his songs? Is anyone out there who goes jogging with MJ blasting on their IPod? Quite rare. Disco sold a lot too, and while it was going on was winning grammy awards.
Music is judged best in hindsight, and his sucked.

Im just glad the ubiquitous coverage of his death didnt disrupt Nacho Libre on TBS.

Now there is genius.

Jeff Goldblum not dead. Wikipedia said so.

Really 102? Because I inferred it from his $23 million settlement to a kid who offered detailed evidence of being molested by Jacko but subsequently wouldn't testify for a criminal trial after having been paid to keep his mouth shut, followed by a documentary where Jacko espoused the virtues of sharing his bed with little boys to whom he was not related.

Yeah...that's just like the Duke Lacrosse players. Asshat.

Corey Feldman said Jackson was his idol.

That's not a joke.

Billy Joel is dead, liver failure.

East Hampton

#115 Do you not have a life? Or if you do, how do you reconcile your foul mouth with a good life? Or perhaps your foul mouth is a cry for help?

Shit like this makes us lawyers look so bad. Sure, I'll enjoy a MJ molestation joke any day of the week, but the man just died. Have some respect for human life.

Word.

once again, this lawblog is a f*cking smut peddler. Three lines about a great great icon, and one of those lines talks about "child molestation?" F*ck you, law blog. you guys are seriously some trashy sensationalists.

Peter North is the only true king of pop.

Why does my dick still smell like MJ's breath after all these years?

This is a Lat post. Why so much slamming of Elie?

(92 - I like Elie's blogging. But copy editing is not his forte.)

125----

Nice point and good use of 'word.' Would you people be proud to have your families, clients, and colleagues read your posts? It's disgusting. These are not the types of lawyers I would want to surround myself with, and you're not respresenting our profession well. And you wonder why the public has such a horrible opinion of lawyers.....

131 - I have a horrible opinion of you. Go watch Sponge Bob or something and get the hell out of here, mouth breather.

122 - so you don't consider it strange that the first thing that the family did was not to go to the police, but to tell Michael Jackson that he could make everything go away by paying them off? Or that the dad gave his son a "truth serum" that is known to make people susceptible to false memories and suggestions, and only then discussed possible molestation with his son? If Jackson was guilty, why didn't he initially take the family's offer to pay the hush money before they went to the police or made the allegations public? Michael was obviously a strange dude stuck in his childhood, but I have to believe that more children would have come forward at the time if he was a child molester. Instead, the opposite happened. Children, including Macaulay Culkin and Corey Feldman came forward to say what a great guy Michael was. They both had plenty of money of their own. Why would they lie to protect the guy?

127 - I think you're misreading the reference. Referring to Jackson's child molestation trial is what makes him relevant to a legal audience.

Jackson's trial was a major legal event. If not for that, this would be just another random celebrity death - no legal angle (and this is a law blog).

133, because they got fucked in the ass one too many times.

If you want to make the world a better place Take a look at yourself and make that change.

Seriously people. Have some respect. I do have to admit, some of the comments made me chuckle a little (I am looking at you # 38), but if you are a certain age, this is your Lennon moment. No he wasn't killed, but he died before his time, and you will forever remember where you were when you found out. Respect.

Thriller people, THRILLER!!

136, two things. First, MJ died several decades *after* his time; he's sucked, personally and professionally, ever since Bad.

Second, your "Lennon moment" analogy is correct, but not for the reason you think: you're right because Lennon, too, was an overhyped, no talent ass clown hippy that everyone with a shred of sense and soul was glad to see dead.

i think MJ was great and all (greatest performer of my lifetime by far) but comparing him to newton? the man who invented calculus? come on now

also, i like his later stuff. dangerous was pretty good, scream is a great song. even his newest one in the 2000s was pretty good

Justin Timberlake is the Yale of Pop

137, does the headgear you wear to bed make you grumpy? Or is the fact you're alone because no one can stand you?

Lennon was not a no talent ass clown. You're a fool.

GULC is the Michael Jackson of whatever it is they do over there.

140,

Like Dylan, Lennon was a hack 'poet' of the '60s masquerading as a musician. The pathetic flower power fools who buoyed the Beetles to such popularity were no different from the unwashed swine oinking for Brittney or Gaga.

Being on the West coast, it's not bed time for me yet. When it is, I'll leave you to stew about poor, rotten (in more ways than one) Lennon's recent disparagement while I go home and fuck my gf silly. True, she's only an objective 7, but I'll take it.

119, what the hell are you talking about? Michael Jackson isn't played on stations that play the Stones, or Clapton, or the Beatles because those stations are usually CLASSIC ROCK stations.

Black oldies stations play MJ all the time, along with Stevie Wonder and Curtis Mayfield and Marvin Gaye--pretty respectable musical company. Probably a lot more respectable than the Steve Miller Band.

"When was the last time you heard an 80s station play one of his songs?"

80s is not classic rock.

Learn to read shithead.

Way to ignore the main issue, which is that MJ is played frequently on formats that you ignore, shithead.

The fact that MJs death has generated close to 150 comments on a LEGAL blog should speak volumes. I for one was slaving away at the firm when I heard the news so it didn't quite hit me, but now I am watching all of the news, and frankly, it is making me quite sad. If you are older than 25, you understand, if not, read up (Example: Seinfeld fans, don't forget that 'Dont Stop till You Get Enough' will forever be linked to that show).
119, maybe people don't skip to MJ on their iPod, but it is definitely on their top rated lists, and nobody would ever skip Thriller or a slew of other MJ songs.

For former non-MJ fans like me: watch some live performances on youtube ("michael jackson motown 25," "michael jackson best dance moves") -- the guy is incredible, even if it's not your favorite music.

Anyone notice how the court says you can't strip search a kid and a couple of hours later MJ drops dead? Coincidence?

Another child molester dead. How tragic.

I think 102 has a point. Besides, if he was really addicted to Demerol all these years, sex with anyone would have been the last thing on his mind. I think the people who handled him isolated him from his family (besides the fact he was a loco artist) and essentially made decisions for him.

People fear what they don't understand and cannot relate to.

Anyway- His music was often imitated, never replicated. I will miss his music. It was original and if you like "pop", the shit that asshats like Justin Timberlake churn out today, will never compare to Michael Jackson's music.

119- Getting drunk with my girls on a rare night not working and away from my husband, MJ comes out on the IPOD after several bottles of wine and we dance our buns off.

Luckiest guy in the media cycle today has to be Governor Sandford who has gone from page 1 scandal to page 4 at best. The Jacko death hysteria will block all light from the sunshine that should have fallen on Argentina. Consider the parallel to September 11, 2001 where Osama Bin Laden brought a swift halt to the media frenzy about Congressman Gary Condit's unusual relationship with intern Chandra Levy. Enjoy the solitude Governor - you'll be back on page one in about three weeks - and Miss Malbec 2009 will by then have appeared in very photos in magazines you don't want to leave around your beach house.

WTF - How is this related to law firm news?

Jermaine Jackson is the Fordham of the Jackson 5

Comment removed by moderator.

83 - Roxane's Aunt Rosie

I've yet to meet a straight man who could stand to listen to any of his music in public.

Just saying.

Also, did you hear that his last will and testament requires that his ashes be put in ech-a-sketches, so that children will be able to play with him for generations to come.

SCREW HIM...HE WAS A CHILD MOLESTING PEDOPHILE WHO GOT WHAT HE DESERVED...we can only hope that the mortgage brokers go next....FTW

that is why michael jackson is so popular with the folks at haynes and boone - lots of gay and lesbian partners at that firm

152 - Try reading the first three paragraphs of the post. There is a sufficient legal nexus here.

43: Moot. There IS no difference!!!!

Did everyone forget that he molested little boys? Stop marking out, Dying at 50 is what you get for being an evil twisted monster touching kids. Stop being a bunch of marks for molestation

THis is Karma folks, he was child molesting piece of garbage who paid large sums of money to be acquitted. And to all the folks who say he is innocent by the shear fact he was acquitted, so was OJ, and NO ONE with a brain in the head can actually think OJ was innocent of murdering two people. Michael Jackson's soul is rotting in hell, where it should be.

He was an entertainer, and quite a good one. In the end, it was hard to look at his face. Difficult to discern if that was because of the surgery addiction or the scandals. Clearly he had mental issues. The reference to Van Gogh is a good one. The world will always be curious to know what he would have delivered in August had he lived.

You people humiliate yourselves and the legal profession with your comments.

LOVE to know who 126 and 131 are - It's clear they have some integrity. Congratulations!

Last visit for me. RIP ATL.

This news hit me harder than my visit to Graceland. RIP, MJ.

163 you should be ashamed. This guy, little boys, no lube. But he was an entertainer. So we should forget he was exceptionally evil? Being a good entertainer is no excuse for committing heinous crimes against children.

So when did ATL become an entertainment blog?

I know everyone loves to show their wit in the comments, or lack thereof... but this man just died. Who knows if he every did anything "inappropriate" with children? MJ had a difficult family situation that manifested in serious psychological problems. The probability of him being taken advantage of by some money-hungry people is just as great as the chances he did anything wrong. To all the idiots [I am not going to make the effort to put your numbers here] who are talking about him settling a civil suit, you are clearly TTT at best. Innocent people settle lawsuits all the time to attempt to avoid a media PR nightmare (or the continuance of one). This man is dead... period. He was a great entertainer and beyond that we will never know. You could give the slightest bit of decency and maybe once, in his death, give him the benefit of the doubt that he was taken advantage of because of who he was and the problems he had.

RIP MJ

Suicide in disguise? He was rapidly losing money, and this new world tour was supposed to revamp his career (and bring in cash). But his frail, medicated, anorexic body would not have lasted through the whole tour. Then the [presumably] fatal Demerol injection, with his personal doctor by his side. Really tragic.

Enuf with the lube comments already. Both accusers said Jackson fondled them. I'm not making any excuses for the man but he was never accused of anal rape.

Jackson was a pedophile. Period. Everything he has accomplished shoud be erased. He is persona non grata. Society has to draw a line somewhere. I draw it at diddling kids.

What a morally inverted collection of unprincipled idiots this site attracts. It's okay to giggle and carry on like school children when a marriage hits the rocks and four innocent children are publicly humiliated by immature 20 year olds, but if you point out that a rock star was also a pedophile and should not be lionized because of it, that's crossing some imaginary line.

Too funny. Most of you are not serious people with serious opinions.

Don't forget he also dangled his baby over the balcony in Berlin in 2002. Such a great father! That, my friends, is pure f---ing insanity.

michael jackson's legacy: http://mrchevyceleb.files.wordpress.com/2008/08/mc.jpg

I'm making no apologies for MJ, but at the end of his life, he was one of the world's greatest musical artists/entertainers ever. I'll bet his music has reached more than half the people on the planet. The guy was a pioneer and did things no one had ever seen before in dance, song, and music videos. He gave more (in money, time and effort) to charities (e.g., he co-wrote "we are the world") than most of you will make in your lives. He was a total freak, and lived in some respects a sad and lonely life. And yes, he was suspected and charged, but not convicted, (but still suspected, even by me) of child abuse.

Why is that last thing the only thing you people screaming about shild molestation can see? You should be judged at the end of your life by the worst thing you have ever done or been accused of doing, and your death should be rejoiced by people who judge you on that one thing.

It's like this site is populated by mouth-breating, single-issue fox news watchers.

half echo 174, just to say that in 1983 in that Grammy show and the MTV videos for one brief shining moment he was the Greatest Entertainer. Maybe the greatest ever, barring Elvis -- and the medium was perfect for him. This was after a brilliant career during a massively warped childhood.

The man was also the Tragic Figure of our time.

RIP and may his sins be forgiven.

may all of our sins be forgiven for representing some of the greatest crooks of the 21st century at all of our firms...

give me a break 175

I don't know if he buggered little boys. But if he did...then stop this nonsense about how the man, at his death, shouldn't *just* be judged by his bad acts and how we should temper our judgment by also appreciating how he was such a groundbreaking pop artist. If you have lured little boys into your bed and violated them, I don't care if you're a really swell singer, seamstress, cook or sports legend.

And PS-who said he wanted his sins "forgiven". IF he did bugger little boys, he denied and certainly didn't ask for forgiveness. And IF he molested the boys, then added salt to their anal wounds by claiming they were little lying opportunists.

174 - child molesting is the worst crime one can commit as far as I am concerned. Liberals like you, who give molesters a slap on the wrist, deserve to burn in hell alongside michael. He may have died young, but he will live an eternity burning in hell. GOD BLESS....

179-thank you, I could not have said it better myself.

RIH (Rot In Hell) MJ

this is my last visit to ATL. no longer helpful and embarassing to the legal profession.

what a lot you all are...innocent until proven guilty by a jury of your peers must have escaped you in crim law

182, so OJ didn't do it, right? Why aren't you helping him find the real killer?

177 - 179

I understand your point of view -- and actually I am far from liberal. You are truly fortunate in not needing forgiveness in your own life.

Jackson presents a different case to me than the Catholic priests (or even Woody Allen, whose movies I no longer watch) Or even the parents and guardians of the kids who went to visit Jackson.

Jackson was obviously a troubled soul back when he was 8 years old (he and I are roughly the same age) and like with James Brown, or many of the posters on this blog. I don't think there were any secrets as to who and what he was.

175

Waitaminnit 184-- you read this site, and you're 50 years old? That's the most messed up thing I've read on this comment section all day.

184 = Pederass

184: pederass

I love all the people on here saying "oh he wasn't convicted so he was innocent" or "innocent until proven guilty must have escaped you in crim law." Are you morons really so naive and stupid to think the jury system is perfect? Do you really think juries never make mistakes and send innocent people to prison or let guilty people go free? Jesus Christ, if you believe he is innocent, fine everyone is entitled to their opinion, But dont say that he is innocent SOLELY because he was not convicted, that is just assinine. Get a clue and use your brains. Finally, 182 and those like you, I think you need to think back to crim law and remember the standard for conviction is beyond a reasonable doubt, which means that even if a person is guilty, they wont be convicted if there any reasonable doubt. If anyone really thinks Aquittal automatically means a person is innocent, not only are you likely a shitty attorney, but you are very, very dumb.

I don't think an acquittal means he didn't do it. But I do think that the fact that the father of the first accuser went to the Michael first, before going to the police, and offered to not go to the police and not go public in exchange for money makes the allegations highly suspect. If your child was molested, would your first instinct be to try to hit the molester up for money in exchange for not going to the police or the public, thereby allowing him to keep molesting? And remember, Michael didn't pay the father, but told him no way. He only settled after months and months of media exposure for a man who, while being a very public figure, kept his private life out of the spotlight. Why, if he was guilty, didn't he settle when the father first approached him with the opportunity to take hush money and make everything go away? This doesn’t seem a little strange to anyone?

"...The fact that the father of the first accuser went to the Michael first, before going to the police... in exchange for money makes the allegations highly suspect"

How does it make the allegations suspect? If I'm 8, a rich person rapes me and my Dad decides to make some cash out of it, that means my allegations are suspect? No. It means my Dad is an opportunist, which is probably why he dropped me off to hang out with MJ at age 8.

And MJ knew enough to lay off Culkin, who had his own voice which would've been heard. Instead, he probably buggered the no-name kids that: (1) nobody would believe; and (2) he could dismiss as being "opportunists" since the no-name kids probably had bloodsucker parents.

190, you really think MJ had the mental wherewithal to plot things out in such a calculated manner? Have you even SEEN any of his interviews??? The man was insane. Deeply, deeply damaged and troubled and hardly in sufficient possession of his faculties to pull off some complicated, thought-out molestation scheme. It is AT LEAST as plausible that he was taken advantage of by these opportunist parents just as much as the children he was accused of molesting were.

I just need to say to all the people who have convicted MJ of being a child molester even though a jury did not, no pedophile has so much self-control that he or she would not have touched Corey Feldman and Macaulay Culkin when they were hanging out and had lots of privacy. Although Jackson's interactions with those kids was inappropriate in terms of playing with them as if he himself was a child, he did not do what opportunists who knew that he could be taken advantage of alleged just to make money with the threat of ruining his reputation. Haters is what those who wanted then and now (in death, SHAME) to drag him down with that BS are, and when our own time comes (because I am sure he did not wake up yesterday with any idea that it was HIS turn) we'll know what really happened.

I just need to say to all the people who have convicted MJ of being a child molester even though a jury did not, no pedophile has so much self-control that he or she would not have touched Corey Feldman and Macaulay Culkin when they were hanging out and had lots of privacy. Although Jackson's interactions with those kids was inappropriate in terms of playing with them as if he himself was a child, he did not do what opportunists who knew that he could be taken advantage of alleged just to make money with the threat of ruining his reputation. Haters is what those who wanted then and now (in death, SHAME) to drag him down with that BS are, and when our own time comes (because I am sure he did not wake up yesterday with any idea that it was HIS turn) we'll know what really happened.

All of the people who still accuse MJ of MOLESTATION somehow forget that there were many children around MJ who were NEVER molested (e.g., Mac Culkin, Anderson Cooper, Nicole Ritchie and Kim Kardashian).

With just one or two children who come by with personal injury lawsuits, you all act like he really did molest someone (because we all know "shake down" suits don't happen, right?).

REST IN PARADISE, MICHAEL JACKSON!

I'm AMAZED at how many people dislike Jackson because of the molestation allegations (they were never proven to be true, remember). And why is that? It's because of the CHILDREN!

"Oh no, the children! Save the Children!"

I doubt anyone really is SINCERE about caring for the children, especially where our nation's children inherited a war, a debt they'll never pay off and a dog-eat-dog society.

Anyone who says they care about the children are oozing with BS!

I'm AMAZED at how many people dislike Jackson because of the molestation allegations (they were never proven to be true, remember). And why is that? It's because of the CHILDREN!

"Oh no, the children! Save the Children!"

I doubt anyone really is SINCERE about caring for the children, especially where our nation's children inherited a war, a debt they'll never pay off and a dog-eat-dog society.

Anyone who says they care about the children are oozing with BS!

You all can make fun of Michael Jackson and make pedophile jokes all you want, but one thing is certain:

None of you can ever have your name known around the world by just singing and dancing, nor can you sell out stadiums.

That is why you all had to go to law school--you're talentless!

I know, I know: You'll say that "at least I never molested kids." But even after his death, his talent out-shined a bunch of QUESTIONABLE, DOUBTFUL accusations.

On your deathbed, you'll always be that idiot who took out a 6 figure loan for school (due to no talent) and spent 30+ years paying it off.

REST IN PEACE, MICHAEL!

His last performance wasn't that great, though, but still entertaining. For example, look here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LbvP7dT3Dx0

Ok, I'm really late in the game, but I just wanted to say something about Michael. He was a great performer. RIP, gloved one. I hope you are now able to find the happiness and satisfaction that seemed to elude you while you were alive.

MJ to 250K!

MJ,
May you now have the peace that you didnt know in life, god bless now sleep with the angels. Ann