America: Starting with the acquisition of MGM...

Chapter 169. Michael appears in court, unleashing a barrage of criticism.

Today is a big day for Santa Barbara, with media from all over the world focusing their cameras here.

At this time, the area in front of the Santa Barbara City Courthouse was already packed with people, conservatively estimated to be several thousand, and the number was still increasing.

Reporters made up only a very small portion of the group; the majority were Mike's fans.

Holding various support signs and slogans, they still came from all over the country despite the hot weather.

Especially recently, Tom Snyder's raid on Neverland Ranch has caused such a stir that Michael has gained the sympathy of countless people.

So in addition to his true fans, many people of justice and compassion have also joined in.

Fearing the situation could spiral out of control, the Santa Barbara Police Department deployed hundreds of officers to maintain order, bringing in police forces from almost every district in the city, with helicopters circling overhead.

But even with so many police officers deployed, it's still not enough compared to the vast number of people.

"My God, there are so many people!"

Elizabeth was incredibly surprised to see such a huge scene.

Besides Elizabeth, Gal Gadot also flew in from home specifically to be with Eric.

It was agreed that all three of them would attend the court hearing to cheer on Michael.

"Michael's fan base is terrifying. If the trial results in his favor, I'm afraid some die-hard fans will storm the courthouse," Gadot said, also quite surprised.

Eric nodded. The scene was indeed grand, reminding him of the storming of the White House by the followers of the "Chuanbao" (a notorious figure in the martial arts world).

If Michael Jordan were to raise his arms and call for action, some die-hard fans might actually do just that.

Of course, given Mike's kind nature, this is impossible; he would only advise his fans to be rational.

"Let's go, there are more and more people, let's go in first."

Inside the courtroom, Eric sat with two girls, one older and one younger, in seats behind the defendant's dock, near the front.

There were still more than ten minutes before the court hearing was scheduled to begin, and Mike had not yet arrived.

Meanwhile, in the plaintiff's seat opposite them, Janet Avizo and Gavin Avizo were whispering to each other, with Larry Feldman, the lawyer from the 1993 case, standing next to them.

On the other side, the twelve jurors are now all present.

They were all residents of Santa Barbara, from all walks of life, and were randomly selected.

Some were dressed in suits and uniforms, looking like office workers. Others were in casual clothes, looking like housewives.

This is where the United States and China differ: the jury system.

Of course, these members selected as jurors have all undergone certain tests to ensure that they have a certain level of literacy and common sense and can distinguish right from wrong.

In China, when a case is tried, the final verdict is made by the judge, who decides whether a person is guilty, what the crime is, and how many years they should be sentenced to.

In the United States, the powers of judges and juries are separated. The jury is responsible for determining whether the defendant is guilty, while the judge is responsible for sentencing.

In general criminal cases, if the twelve-person jury cannot reach a unanimous verdict, a vote can be taken.

A conviction is established if at least nine people believe the defendant is guilty.

In the case of murder, all twelve people must agree; even one person disagreeing is unacceptable.

If no consensus can be reached after multiple rounds of discussion, a new jury will be selected for a retrial.

The process could last for several years, with several different juries, until a unanimous verdict is reached among the twelve jurors.

There's a classic movie called "12 Angry Men" that depicts the jury system, and China made a good remake called "12 Citizens".

Therefore, in Michael's case, he can be declared innocent if at least four people believe he is innocent.

OH

A few minutes later, a huge cheer suddenly erupted outside, and many people couldn't help but look back.

Soon, Michael and his lawyer Tom Messerio strode towards the defendant's dock in the corridor. He was wearing a smart new suit today, and his calm expression showed no sign of worry.

"Mike!"

Little Elizabeth waved and called out.

Hearing the sound, Michael looked over, and Eric and Gadot waved to him, which made Michael smile.

"quiet!"

At this moment, the judge came out, the clock struck nine, and the trial officially began.

First, both parties took an oath to express their respect for the law, to take responsibility for their statements, and to confirm that everything they said was true.

Then the case presentation phase begins. The whole of America knows about this big thing, but the procedures still need to be followed.

After the statements are presented, the most important stage, the court debate, begins. Both sides' lawyers ask questions, look for loopholes in each other's arguments, and invite witnesses and evidence to appear in court.

This step is also the most crucial part that influences the jury's judgment.

"Your Honor, I've finished speaking."

After Gavin Avicio finished speaking, the judge looked at lawyer Messerio, indicating that he could begin questioning him.

Messerio nodded in acknowledgment, then stepped out of the defendant's seat and went directly to Gavin Avizo, staring sharply at him.

"Gavon Avicio, you just said that Jackson molested you in the bedroom, but that contradicts your previous statements."

"In February of this year, after the documentary by Martin Basher that defamed Jackson aired, Fox News interviewed your family. You and your mother both said that Jackson never did anything illegal to you. How do you explain this?"

"Uh, I was forced."

"Who forced her? Was it her or him?"

"What?"

"Protest! Your Honor, Gavin is only thirteen years old and easily misled. I suggest that Janet answer this question; it's a matter for both of them," said opposing attorney Larry Feldman.

The judge nodded, and Janet hurriedly spoke up: "Jackson forced us to say this. If we didn't help him clear his name, he would have us beaten up and threatened to lock us up in Neverland Ranch forever."

"But you were not restricted. You gave interviews, moved freely in and out of society, and did not appear to be coerced at all."

"That's because the media is involved, and everyone is paying attention to this, so he doesn't dare to."

"Then why didn't you say that during the interview, but only now?"

"Because...because I forgot, and Jackson threatened us privately, but no one else knows, and even if I did, it might not make a difference," Janet stammered in reply.

Messerio suddenly shouted, "Then Gavin Avicio's claim of bedroom molestation also involved no third party, only his verbal account. Why did he have to say it? Isn't this the same kind of thing?"

"Or is it that your goal is Jackson's money, which is why you deliberately used the child molestation charge, and Larry Feldman was the plaintiff's lawyer in the 1993 case?"

Gadot squeezed Eric's hand tightly: "Michael's lawyer seems very capable."

"Heh. Just you wait, the big one is yet to come," Eric whispered.

"Protest! The opposing lawyer is suspected of inducing and misleading us. My client simply forgot, but that doesn't mean the event didn't happen."

Meserio looked ahead: "Your Honor, I am not saying this to mislead, but simply to show that Ms. Janet Avizo is a woman who is full of lies and has serious character flaws."

"She is a professional litigator with a long criminal record. Even though Jackson paid hundreds of thousands of dollars in medical expenses for them, instead of being grateful, she set her sights on my client's assets."

"No, this is slander! You bastard, you're slandering me!" Janet Avicoe shouted angrily.

Larry Feldman frowned and quickly tugged at her sleeve, saying, "I know you didn't even finish high school, so your manners aren't very good."

But this is not a reason to swear, especially in front of a judge and jury, as it will lower your standing.

"This is certainly not a slander; I have witnesses."

With the judge's permission, Eric sent people to find several people who had been blackmailed by Janet Avizo to appear in court one by one.

"Janet Avizo accused me of sexual abuse, and I eventually paid her $1.5 in damages, but she couldn't explain the exact origin of the bruises on her body."

"It was just an accidental touch. I swear I had no intention of sexually harassing her, but this woman kept harassing me, and my family and work were affected. I had no choice but to give her $10,000."

"Yes, I remember that awful woman. She urinated in front of my shop. I tried to stop her, but she threatened to call the police for sexual harassment. I didn't want to make a scene, so I just let her leave."

Eight witnesses took turns testifying against Janet Avizo, each presenting a detailed and compelling account, portraying her as a ruthless person who would stop at nothing for money.

Janet Avicoe's face turned extremely ugly, and she kept biting her fingers, but she couldn't refute it.

Because several of them have criminal records, this kind of thing can't be faked.

When the judge and jury see these files, even if some people didn't report it to the police, if only half of them have records, the jury will naturally tend to believe that all the events are true.

As for Janet's lawyer, Larry Feldman, he had no idea that there were so many things going on behind the scenes, and he didn't know where to begin if he wanted to chime in.

Meserio continued, "We have also discovered that Janet Avicó is currently involved in charity fraud."

"Gavrilo Gavin Avicio's illness had clearly been cured with Jackson's help, but she still claimed that she was not cured and opened a donation account."

"Her bank account number is XXXXXX, and she has repeatedly appealed for public donations on live television and online."

"No, my illness is not cured yet," Gavin Avicio hurriedly tried to explain.

Meserio immediately pulled out the medical record: "Then how do you explain this medical record?"

Gavin Avicio immediately lowered his head and remained silent. Illness is an objective thing; if you say it's not cured, just get it checked out.

As a series of pieces of evidence were presented, not only did the people in the audience shake their heads repeatedly, but the jury also looked solemn.

Seeing Janet's "good mother" image crumble, Larry Feldman hurriedly said, "Your Honor, regardless of whether the other party's witnesses and physical evidence are true or false, Janet's character has nothing to do with whether Michael Jackson violated Gavin. These are two separate matters."

The judge nodded: "That's right. Even the worst criminals enjoy human rights. We can't judge someone as always wrong just because of their low character."

"Regardless of whether Janet Avicó's crimes are true or false, there will naturally be public and civil prosecutions awaiting her, but that is beyond the scope of this court's discussion. Continue!"

Subsequently, both sides continued to invite their respective witnesses to testify, with Gavin Avizo's side consisting of his family and relatives.

Although they always say Gavin was violated, they can't produce even the slightest piece of physical evidence; they just keep stirring up emotions and begging for sympathy.

Meanwhile, Mike brought out bodyguards and servants from Neverland Ranch, as well as Gavin Avignon's friends and teachers.

"Gavin is not a good kid. He doesn't do his homework and likes to argue with his classmates."

"I asked Gavin why he didn't try to escape from Neverland Ranch, and he said he liked it there, that it was as fun as Disneyland."

"Gavin always told me he was going to be rich, that he would become a multimillionaire, and that Michael Jackson would pay him a huge sum of money."

"I was always responsible for the safety of the Avizo family at Neverland Ranch. Michael never spent time alone with the child, and he never slept in the same bed with him. The only time he slept on the floor was once. I swear I'm telling the truth."

Even Macaulay Culkin, the child star of "Home Alone," appeared in court.

"I visited Neverland Ranch many times when I was a child, but Mike never laid a hand on me. He always played with me when my parents were around."

After the debate, Gavin Avizo did gain some sympathy, but his true character was revealed to many.

In particular, the evaluations of his classmates, friends, and teachers made him a typical bad kid.

Seeing that the situation was becoming increasingly unfavorable, Larry Feldman had no choice but to resort to his trump card and request that psychiatrist Mathis be summoned.

Mathis submitted the psychiatric evaluation report to the judge and jury, which showed that he suffered from depression.

He said with a heavy heart, "This incident has had a great impact on Gavin's mental state. You know, he has always regarded Michael Jackson as his father."

"But this man he regarded as his father turned out to be a devil who did the most vile and disgusting things to him."

"Gavin was sexually assaulted multiple times. He might miscount the number of times, or he might act unfriendly or withdrawn. All of this is because he has suffered psychological trauma."

"So please don't look at him strangely. He's just a twelve-year-old child. What bad intentions could such a young child have?"

"Even if there were, they would be the aftereffects of psychological trauma, not his own intention. He was a kind person."

"Now he's even developed depression. I've seen him cry silently many times. Michael Jackson, you monster, you must take responsibility for this!"

Masis's righteous and impassioned speech, using an unverifiable psychological trauma, completely reversed Gavin Avizo's public image.

His meaning was clear: the child was kind, and the reason he was behaving badly was entirely due to depression, with Michael being the culprit.

Many people at the scene changed their opinion of Gavin Avizo, thinking that he was just a child and couldn't possibly have any bad intentions.

Upon seeing that all the key figures had finally arrived, Meserio smiled imperceptibly, then took out a cassette tape from his bag.

(End of this chapter)