Not Guilty: Star walks free after unanimous verdict

SANTA MARIA, Calif. — Michael Jackson was acquitted Monday on all charges against him by a jury that absorbed three months of often lurid testimony about his life and relationships with young boys but rejected a teenager's claim that the pop superstar plied him with liquor and sexually molested him.

Jackson walked free after a Santa Maria jury found him not guilty of charges of child molesting, attempted child molesting, conspiracy and providing alcohol to minors. Together, the charges could have brought 20 years in prison.

Instead, Jackson is free to try to reclaim a career that has been in a steep 10-year decline.

The eight women and four men of the jury deliberated for about 30 hours over seven days before delivering their verdicts.

The courtroom was silent and tense as the court clerk began to read the verdicts at 2:13 p.m. When it became clear that the jury had found that prosecutors had not proved their case against him, Jackson dabbed at his eyes with a tissue, and one of his lawyers, Susan C. Yu, began sobbing quietly.

Jackson's parents, Katherine and Joe, who had sat through almost every day of the 14-week trial, showed no emotion. Nor did his brothers Randy and Jermaine and sisters LaToya and Rebbie, who were seated directly behind him. Another sister, Janet, waited outside because there were only six seats for the family inside. The family left the courtroom without speaking to the hundreds of reporters from around the world.

When word of the verdict spread, several hundred Jackson fans outside the courthouse screamed in approval, embraced each other and threw confetti. A woman released one white dove for each count on which Jackson was acquitted. When Jackson emerged a half hour later, he blew kisses to the fans and then disappeared into a black SUV for the trip to his Neverland estate.

At the ZCMI Center in Utah, those in the small crowd gathered around a big-screen TV to hear the verdict seemed surprised at the outcome.

"I'm shocked. I thought he would at least get convicted for half the counts," said Elaine Hare of Salt Lake City.

"To have that much smoke, for there to be no fire, I'm shocked and surprised," Mike Keil of Tooele said. "He's another celebrity who got off."

Others in the crowd felt the jury had done its job.