Showbiz Tonight, CNN Headline News
Aired August 9, 2005
KARYN BRYAN, CO-HOST: Tonight in the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Legal Lowdown," the Jackson juror fallout. For the first time, Michael Jackson`s lawyer is blasting jurors who found Jackson not guilty of molesting a young boy but who are now saying they should have convicted him.
On June 13th, Jackson was acquitted of all charges by a jury of 12 men and women. But now, two of those jurors are speaking out, and one says that there is no doubt in her mind Jackson molested the boy. Jackson`s attorney, Thomas Mesereau, ridiculed the juror, saying, quote, "They clearly like being on TV. I`m very suspicious."
Well, "Celebrity Justice`s" Harvey Levin, who is also a lawyer, is with us tonight from Hollywood. Harvey, what`s up with Mesereau? Does he have a point here, or what?
HARVEY LEVIN, "CELEBRITY JUSTICE": He`s totally right, Karyn. He`s absolutely right. I think these people find television, books and money intoxicating.
And if you look at what`s going on here, I mean, they`re saying, "We`re ashamed of these other jurors, guilty of sin, free as a bird." I mean, all of these little buzzwords, to me, smack of somebody who`s hocking a book. It`s just disgusting.
I mean, it really is disgusting that these people were grownups when they voted. They new they could have hung this jury. And they knew they should have hung this jury, if they really believed what they say they believe now. So...
(CROSSTALK)
BRYANT: Well, but the say they were afraid of getting kicked off the jury, and they were afraid that they`d go tell the bailiff. And, "Well, we just succumbed to peer pressure," essentially, right?
LEVIN: It`s the stupidest thing I`ve ever heard. I mean, who on Earth thinks they`re going to get thrown off a jury because they disagree with other people? They know better than that.
The judge gave instructions. It`s ridiculous. I mean, I wish they could come up at least with a better argument. But they`re just assuming everybody is stupid and they`re going to buy this. It`s so transparent.
BRYANT: And what do you think about the credibility of these two jurors, now and when the books come out down the road?
LEVIN: They want to sell books. I mean, that`s what this is about. I mean, first of all, the verdict wouldn`t -- it`s not as if Michael Jackson would have been found guilty. You`re talking about two out of 12 people.
It could have been a hung jury, and they knew it could have been a hung jury. And if they really believed this, it would have been a hung jury. So this is about two people who realized that they can get a heck of a lot more traction by being controversial right now, so that people might want to buy the books they`re about to write.
But that`s all this about. It`s about money, greed and books.
BRYANT: So what do you think the next step should be, either from Mesereau or just by the general public? Should we just go, "We`re never going to buy these books. We`re not even going to talk to you people," or what?
LEVIN: The verdict is not going to change. I mean, the verdict is the verdict is the verdict. The prosecutor has already said this publicly, and Mesereau is saying move on.
I just think these people are whackos. And I think that they should be -- I really do. I mean, I really think they`re whackos. I think that what they`re doing is really appalling, because they`re playing with the jury system, they integrity of it. And they should probably be forgotten. And, honestly, by the time their books come out, they will be forgotten.
BRYANT: All right. Well, Harvey, just for that reason, let`s forget them. I`m not even going to say their names. Thank you for joining us tonight, Harvey Levin.
LEVIN: OK, Karyn.
Source: http://edition.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0508/09/sbt.01.html
Aired August 9, 2005
KARYN BRYAN, CO-HOST: Tonight in the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Legal Lowdown," the Jackson juror fallout. For the first time, Michael Jackson`s lawyer is blasting jurors who found Jackson not guilty of molesting a young boy but who are now saying they should have convicted him.
On June 13th, Jackson was acquitted of all charges by a jury of 12 men and women. But now, two of those jurors are speaking out, and one says that there is no doubt in her mind Jackson molested the boy. Jackson`s attorney, Thomas Mesereau, ridiculed the juror, saying, quote, "They clearly like being on TV. I`m very suspicious."
Well, "Celebrity Justice`s" Harvey Levin, who is also a lawyer, is with us tonight from Hollywood. Harvey, what`s up with Mesereau? Does he have a point here, or what?
HARVEY LEVIN, "CELEBRITY JUSTICE": He`s totally right, Karyn. He`s absolutely right. I think these people find television, books and money intoxicating.
And if you look at what`s going on here, I mean, they`re saying, "We`re ashamed of these other jurors, guilty of sin, free as a bird." I mean, all of these little buzzwords, to me, smack of somebody who`s hocking a book. It`s just disgusting.
I mean, it really is disgusting that these people were grownups when they voted. They new they could have hung this jury. And they knew they should have hung this jury, if they really believed what they say they believe now. So...
(CROSSTALK)
BRYANT: Well, but the say they were afraid of getting kicked off the jury, and they were afraid that they`d go tell the bailiff. And, "Well, we just succumbed to peer pressure," essentially, right?
LEVIN: It`s the stupidest thing I`ve ever heard. I mean, who on Earth thinks they`re going to get thrown off a jury because they disagree with other people? They know better than that.
The judge gave instructions. It`s ridiculous. I mean, I wish they could come up at least with a better argument. But they`re just assuming everybody is stupid and they`re going to buy this. It`s so transparent.
BRYANT: And what do you think about the credibility of these two jurors, now and when the books come out down the road?
LEVIN: They want to sell books. I mean, that`s what this is about. I mean, first of all, the verdict wouldn`t -- it`s not as if Michael Jackson would have been found guilty. You`re talking about two out of 12 people.
It could have been a hung jury, and they knew it could have been a hung jury. And if they really believed this, it would have been a hung jury. So this is about two people who realized that they can get a heck of a lot more traction by being controversial right now, so that people might want to buy the books they`re about to write.
But that`s all this about. It`s about money, greed and books.
BRYANT: So what do you think the next step should be, either from Mesereau or just by the general public? Should we just go, "We`re never going to buy these books. We`re not even going to talk to you people," or what?
LEVIN: The verdict is not going to change. I mean, the verdict is the verdict is the verdict. The prosecutor has already said this publicly, and Mesereau is saying move on.
I just think these people are whackos. And I think that they should be -- I really do. I mean, I really think they`re whackos. I think that what they`re doing is really appalling, because they`re playing with the jury system, they integrity of it. And they should probably be forgotten. And, honestly, by the time their books come out, they will be forgotten.
BRYANT: All right. Well, Harvey, just for that reason, let`s forget them. I`m not even going to say their names. Thank you for joining us tonight, Harvey Levin.
LEVIN: OK, Karyn.
Source: http://edition.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0508/09/sbt.01.html