Fans and a new Michael Jackson court

On Monday, a plane flew overhead with a placard that read: "Upgrade the Murray charge." This is one example of how similar this trial is to the one in 2005. Back then, planes flew with placards saying "Michael is innocent." But what hasn’t been seen yet this year is a large gathering of fans outside the courtroom where the fate of Michael’s killer is being decided. In 2005, for months, hundreds of Michael’s fans—each coming from a different corner of the world—shouted and strongly encouraged him at every entry and exit to the Santa Maria courthouse (Santa Barbara County, California) in the northwest of Los Angeles County. But Murray hasn’t attracted that kind of passion. Cooper Lawrence, author of the book "The Cult of Celebrity," says: "Fans still love their hero, but they don’t think this case is something they can do anything special about—especially since they’ve already expressed their views about the charge against Murray. So they don’t feel obligated to show up around the courthouse." However, some fans are always there. Over these six days of reviewing the case, they have come out into the streets, and some even managed to get into the courtroom. Besides the plane that circled in the sky on Monday, red armbands caught the attention of television camera crews. These people express their loyalty to Michael through those armbands. Some others have also come to Los Angeles. Michael’s family has been in court every day, and fans welcome them with their cheers—just like six years ago. In 2005, the cheers went to Michael’s defense attorney, the superhero of fans, Thomas Mesereau and his team. This year, the Los Angeles prosecutor has received that same kind of gift. One fan says, "The prosecutor’s team is our attorney." Another fan, who drives a bus, remembers that in 2005 he filled his bus with fans and took them to court. Around the courthouse, a small market would form, with all kinds of Michael Jackson memorabilia. He says: "It was madness. It was like instead of a courthouse, they were going to hold some kind of concert." Professor Robert Thomson believes: "If this trial had been held for Michael Jackson, it would have drawn everyone’s attention. Why do I say that? Because when Michael was on trial that year, something like this happened." But this professor says that when Murray’s trial begins, people and the media can expect even more attention. Source: eMJey / Reuters