Release of completed questionnaires by prospective jurors

At around 10:00 a.m. on February 9, questionnaires completed by 250 people—who are expected to be selected as jurors—were released to the media.

In these questionnaires, questions were asked about what these 250 individuals know about Michael Jackson, as well as about the case of his allegations. Some of the questions were as follows: How much do you know about the current case involving Michael Jackson? Have you ever heard, read, or seen anything about the 1993 case controversy involving Michael Jackson? Are you or members of your family or close friends familiar with Michael Jackson?

Based on the released questionnaires, many of these people—or one of their friends—have either worked for Michael or personally know him. One of these individuals claims: One of his family members had an appointment with one of Michael’s relatives and attended their family parties together. Everyone who responded said they had heard news about the current allegations case involving Jackson, and most of them stated that they were aware of the 1993 allegations.

Some of the children of these individuals have visited Neverland. On many of the questionnaires, notes were also written. These notes were fair and positive. One school teacher wrote that he went to Neverland on behalf of the school. One mother said, “My disabled daughter was allowed to go to Neverland, but Mr. Jackson was not there at that time.” A 48-year-old man wrote that one of Michael’s relatives works in his church, and that one of Mr. Jackson’s employees is his best friend’s boyfriend. One woman wrote that one of her sons worked at Michael’s home, and that her 15-year-old son also went to Neverland for fun. Another person, who was 70 years old, wrote on his sheet that Michael’s uncle is his friend.

Women make up 55% of the people who answered these questionnaires. In these questionnaires, they were asked whether their feelings and/or experiences regarding different races of people could affect their ability to participate in a neutral jury. Nine of them responded that their beliefs and experiences would affect their judgment. Seven others were not sure about this.

In response to another question, it was stated that among their acquaintances or friends there are people who were victims of child sexual abuse. 80% of these individuals answered negatively to this question.

It is almost obvious that these questionnaires eliminate people who might feel sympathy for Michael or take the side of the prosecution. Only those who can serve on the jury are people who are neutral—who neither take Michael Jackson’s side nor take the story’s side. They were also asked whether any of their close relatives has ever been diagnosed with cancer. It was said that the complainant has cancer.

From the questions raised in the questionnaires and the large number of people considered for selecting jurors from among them, it can be inferred that a great deal of caution was taken to ensure a fair trial for Michael Jackson.

Source: NBC4.TV