Jackson Indicted And WIll Stand Trial

It appears a Grand Jury found there was enough evidence to try Michael Jackson on molestation charges. No one seems to be surprised by this development, in fact, even Jackson's defense expected an indictment. Jackson was indicted on child molestation charges yesterday, April 21, but a Santa Barbara County Court has not yet confirmed how many of the seven counts of lewd acts, and distribution of intoxicating agents to a minor, he will end up standing trial for. That is also not surprising, as District Attorney Tom Sneddon has kept all the proceedings under a shroud of secrecy from the beginning.Mark Geragos, the lead attorney for Jackson, told press before the news was out yesterday, that if in fact Jackson received an indictment, that the singer would not be pleading guilty to all charges. He will now have that opportunity, as his trial was already set for April 30th, which will now continue as planned. His council has stated adamantly, "[Jackson] is innocent of all charges. Once a jury sees these allegations for what they are, Michael will be exonerated. He looks forward to having his day in court, and proving his innocence. He is thankful for the fans, friends, and family, and their support." Those in support of Jackson have long contended that the Masked One has been mistreated by the media, and publicly crucified already, but is, in fact, innocent.

The jury took its time coming to a decision, which would seemingly indicate they wanted to evaluate all information given to them thoroughly. They were in deliberations for 13 days, and went over evidence from the alleged victim's family; which included his mother, father, and brother.