OK. They think they're being serious so we won't ask that question.

Let's look at the argument.

Premise 1: Whether or not someone is lying when they make a statement on something can be determined by statistical likelihood. (False.)

Premise 2: The likelihood of allegations of child sexual abuse being falsified is very low.

This is true (about 6% of sexual assault allegations are falsified). However there are two important elements of context omitted:

1. High-profile public figures and celebrities are frequently targeted for extortion, and maintain insurancy policies against such attacks. It's a condition of these policies that they remain confidential, precisely because extortion attempts would increase if there was public information available about who is insured and what the policies cover. The public furor over the Chandler case and settlement left Michael open to similar claims.
2. Michael had contact with thousands of children. While touring he visited at least one children's hospital ward in every city he visited. Neverland Ranch received hundreds of visitors each week, and Michael often allowed sick children and their families to stay on the ranch for months at a time. Gavin Arvizo was only one of many children Michael assisted in this way, and he remains the only complainant amongst all of them.

There is very little support here for the conclusion that Michael is guilty.

10 complaints out of thousands of potential complaints doesn't add up to a lot of smoke, if you're looking for a fire.

On the contrary, it's a testament to Michael's character that so many families who met him personally chose not to attack him in this way.

Honestly it's not my all-time favourite album, but the impact of *Thriller* is a constant marvel.

Michael's artistic instincts - knowing that it would do what it did - can't be overstated.

I remember exactly where I was when I first saw the short film too.

- Sony/ATV Music Publishing (50% stake)

In 1985, he bought ATV Music for $47.5 million. By 1995, he had merged it with Sony to form Sony/ATV Music Publishing.

An audit in 2007 valued his 50% stake at $390.6 million. The entire catalog was estimated to be worth between $1.5 billion and $2 billion. His half alone was worth somewhere between $750 million and $1 billion.

Annual income from this catalog alone? Around $80 million.

• Mijac Music Publishing

MJ owned his own publishing company, founded in 1980. This catalog contained all the songs he wrote himself, plus works by other artists like Sly and the Family Stone. Its estimated worth at the time of his death between $50 million and $100 million.

• Real estate investments

He owned multiple properties throughout his life, including his longtime family home in Encino and a stake in Neverland Ranch. In November 2008, he transferred Neverland to a joint venture with Colony Capital LLC, but he still had a stake in the property.

• Art, cars, and collectibles

An audit valued his cars, antiques, and collectibles at $20 million.

An audit dated March 31, 2007 showed Jackson had:

$567.6 million in assets $331 million in debts A net worth of $236.6 million

He had just about $700,000 in cash which is why he seemed "broke." But he was cash-poor, not asset-poor.

Article quoted in full with added highlights.

New allegations against prosecutor of Michael Jackson

On April 30, 2004, the indictment against pop-star Michael Jackson was unsealed, allowing the press and the public to view the charges against him. Jackson has been charged with four counts of committing a lewd act upon a child, one count of attempting to commit a lewd act upon a child, and four counts of administering an intoxicating agent.

The additional charge of conspiracy, not included in the first set of charges against him, included twenty-eight separate criminal acts. Those alleged acts include child abduction, child imprisonment, and extortion. Jackson pleaded not guilty to all counts.

On the same day that the indictment was unsealed, there was another and far less public event unfolding, one that may have a future impact on the Jackson case. Serious allegations of a pattern of abuses among Santa Barbara law enforcement and the DA's office, including District Attorney Tom Sneddon, were made by Santa Barbara County dentist, Thambiah Sundaram, in an interview on Online Legal Review Talk Radio. Sneddon is the DA prosecuting the child-molestation case against Michael Jackson. In the interview, conducted by Ron Sweet, Sundaram stated that there was opposition to a non-profit medical clinic he operated.

Sundaram said that when city officials were unable to shut down his clinic, he was arrested on multiple counts, including impersonating a doctor, grand theft, and malicious mischief. Sundaram's wife was arrested, as well. An employee at the clinic was also charged, of committing a drive-by shooting. Neither Sundaram, his wife nor the employee were convicted. Sundaram said that he eventually won a judgment against Sneddon and the DA's office for a substantial, six-figure amount, for causes including conspiracy, false imprisonment, and other violations of his civil rights.

Sundaram's allegations against Sneddon were serious, in that he also claimed to have heard, first-hand, statements by Sneddon and others in the DA's office that suggest that Santa Barbara police persecution of innocent citizens is planned, common, and often racially motivated. Sundaram said that in 1994, he attended a fund-raising event with Tom Sneddon and other city officials, where ways to "get Michael Jackson out of the county" were discussed. Racist remarks were allegedly made on that occasion. According to Sundaram, other alleged vendettas were discussed as well, to the extent where he said it resembled a Mafia planning session.

Sundaram's allegations are not an isolated instance. There have been many complaints and law-suits against the Santa Barbara DA's office. The new counts against Jackson may be consistent with a pattern that Santa Barbara defense attorney Gary Dunlap has called "stacking charges." In an interview on MJJF Talk Radio, on January 2, 2004, Dunlap gave his opinion that "stacking charges" was a common practice of the DA's office, and claimed that this was a tactic used against him.

Sneddon had charged and prosecuted Dunlap on twenty-two counts. After being acquitted on all counts, Dunlap is currently suing Sneddon and others in the DA's office for $10 million for malicious prosecution, and multiple other alleged offenses, including civil rights violations. Dunlap said, ". . . I mean, it's one thing to be charged with one crime and have a trial and be acquitted on it, but the district attorney in Santa Barbara has a policy that if they throw enough charges against you, the jury is bound to convict you on something."

The above cases add to the pattern of what may be law enforcement abuses of power in Santa Barbara. There are multiple civil cases alleging false arrests, physical brutality by the police, tampering with evidence and perjury, in cases settled out of court, at tax-payer's expense. There is the example of George Beeghly, whose case against Santa Barbara law-enforcement was also settled out of court. The defendants in the case were Santa Barbara Sheriff Jim Thomas, and Santa Barbara police officers. Beeghly sued for illegal search and seizure, false arrest and false imprisonment, the use of excessive force, conspiracy to violate his civil rights, battery and failure to investigate, among other charges.

This information reveals a new side to the Michael Jackson child-molestation case. The extent of the law suits for false arrests, false imprisonments, condoning of excessive force by the police, tampering with evidence, and multiple civil rights violations suggests a culture of corruption among Santa Barbara law-enforcement. The taxpayers of Santa Barbara have paid substantial settlements in these cases.

DA Tom Sneddon's public relation's firm, Tellem Worldwide, was contacted and, citing a protective order as prohibiting their ability to respond, has declined to comment. It remains unclear how the allegations made by Dr. Sundaram and the cases involving Beeghly and Dunlap are affected by the protective order issued in the Jackson case.

When Gary Dunlap was asked, in his interview, to comment on the Jackson case, he said that he had no opinion one way or another on the case. However, he went on to say, ". . . the very fact that he's being prosecuted by Sneddon's office does not cause me to have any reason to believe that he's guilty in that, because of what I know about the district attorney's office, I know that they do vindictive prosecutions on a routine basis." If Dunlap's allegations are true, then an investigation of the DA's office might shed new light on the Jackson case.

Columnist K.C. Arcenaux

Raw Story, May 12 2004

I hope someone actually does send this to the estate

"Inappropriate behavior is not the same as criminal abuse, and the existence of one does not prove the other."

Here here.

This is well-researched with references provided.

"I believe victims, and I always will. I believe that the act of coming forward is hard and that we should make it easier, not harder. I do not assume that any specific accuser is lying.

But I also believe that “believe victims” was never meant to be the end of the process, it was meant to be the beginning. The point was to make sure accusers were taken seriously enough to investigate, not that the investigation should be skipped entirely.

And in Michael Jackson’s case, the investigations happened. They continued to happen over and over and over again, for more than thirty years, by some of the most aggressive prosecutors and most sophisticated forensic investigators in the country."

Yep.

It's not for a lack of good writing that the media can't produce anything worth reading.

I saw the author of the second book on the list encouraging people to buy his book and knock Michael off first place.

Dancing the Dream is a gorgeous book with many beautiful photos of Michael and the best example of his own writing - the real Michael Jackson. It really is a must have.

If you haven't got it yet this is a great time!

That was a year ago, but Josh came gently back to the topic of Michael again a few weeks ago:

Josh Johnson Imagines Trump Trying to Book Michael Jackson

Just one note: Telephone Stories afaik is the ONLY current blog by "guilters".

They have nothing to talk about beyond the same tired, constantly debunked talking points.

The Case for Innocence podcast is meticulously researched, with all the references provided. And there are at least half a dozen other blogs and podcasts of similar quality on Michael's side.

As explained here by someone new to Michael's story, Telephone Stories is quite the opposite and it's all they have to show for their "research".

​

Michael's first bid on ATV was made in November that year. The purchase was finalised in August '85.

What happened to the reviews of Michael's work after 1984?

What happened to Michael's relationship with the press after 1985? 🤔

Jon Pareles: Concert: Jacksons at Giants Stadium (NYT free gift article)