Michael Jackson Jurors Speak Out in New Series

Almost 12 years after Michael Jackson was found not guilty of all charges brought against him in a 2005 child molestation trial, four jurors and one alternate speak about their experience and the public backlash they faced after they reached the verdict. The media frenzy and controversy surrounding the pop legend and trial will forever be etched into our collective consciousness. Despite the 24-hour news coverage of the trial, the public was left in the dark about the prosecution's actual case. In For the Defense with David Oscar Markus, Thomas Mesereau, Michael Jackson's defense attorney, recounts how the media repeatedly failed to present accurate case depictions. While many believe that many high-profile criminal cases are won in the press, Meserua highlights that

history tells us differently. In a blog on his website Meserua writes: 

“For those who are convinced that public relations and media contacts decide the outcome of high-profile cases, please direct your attention to exhibits A, B, and C: O.J. Simpson, Robert Blake, and Michael Jackson, respectively. The media convicted all three defendants in these high-profile cases before the jurors deliberated. Instead, they were all acquitted. Media spin does not correlate with courtroom success.” 

The Media Got it Wrong

Behind closed doors, jurors had access to all the evidence. The prosecution had to prove that Jackson was guilty of sexual misconduct with Gavin Arvizohe when he was 13. During jury deliberation, all 12 jurors “agreed that the prosecution failed to prove that Jackson had committed a crime against Arvizo.” Speaking at the South Carolina Trial Lawyers Association’s annual conference, Mesereau stated that “Our juries are stronger than the media,” he said. “That is why the media is wrong so often in high-profile trials.”

So how could the media have got it so wrong in Michael’s Jackson Trial? 

Jurors from Michael Jackson’s infamous trial are shedding light on how the media spin did not correlate to what was happening in the courtroom. In a new true-crime series, four jurors (Paulina Coccoz, Ray Haltman, Tammy Bolton, Melissa Herard) and one alternate (Joseph Gastelo) detail their experience serving as jurors on the Michal Jackson trial, the key testimonies that shaped their understanding, and their experience after the jury verdict was announced. While the jury was initially divided, those leaning towards guilt did not have enough evidence to support their position. The jurors also discussed how they found Gavin Arvizo’s initial testimony to be unconvincing but it was the prosections' additional use of video testimony from Gavin Arvizo that cemented the juror's belief that Jackson was not guilty. 

After the Verdict  

Many of the jurors faced public scrutiny during the trial. Within 18 months after the trial, Melissa Herard, dubbed “The Fat Juror,” underwent gastric bypass surgery due to the public interest in her weight. Many jurors also received anonymous death threats and experienced conflict with family members dissatisfied with the jury verdict. One juror had the wheels on her car loosened after stepping away from her vehicle. The jurors also reiterated that if they were to hear the evidence today, they would still acquit Jackson of all the charges and that the prosecution ultimately failed to prove their case.