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June 14, 2005

We Speculate, You Decide [John from WuzzaDem]

Shepard Smith
Welcome to Fox News, Shepard Smith here with you in Studio B, and today, my friends, is the day. After three and one-half months of testimony and more than thirty hours of deliberation, the jurors in the Michael Jackson case have reached a verdict. Any moment now, the court clerk will inform Jackson, and indeed the world, of his fate.

Joining me here in the studio is Fox News senior judicial analyst Judge Andrew Napolitano. Judge, what is your prediction? Jackson is facing ten counts - guilty or not guilty?

Andrew Napolitano
Shep, you never know how these things are going to turn out, but if I had to make a prediction I would say there's a good chance that we're going to see multiple guilty verdicts, possibly some not guilty verdicts, or vice versa. It could go either way...Unless we see guilty or not guilty verdicts across the board...Hard to say.

Shepard Smith
Let's bring in Fox News legal correspondent Stan Goldman - Stan, you've spent many a day in the courtroom during this trial, you've seen the expressions on the faces of these jurors...

Andrew Napolitano
Shep, I hate to interrupt, but I want to correct something I said earlier in the show.

Shepard Smith
What is it judge?

Andrew Napolitano
Well, I said earlier that I thought there might be multiple guilty verdicts and maybe some not guilty verdicts. I meant to say that the other way around.

Stan Goldman
Yes, but you did throw in that "vice-versa" at the end, so I think you're covered there.

Andrew Napolitano
The salient point here is that we really don't know.

Stan Goldman
I've been watching this trial closely from the beginning, and I'd have to say there's a 50/50 chance here.

Andrew Napolitano
50/50 chance he'll be found guilty or innocent?

Stan Goldman
Either one or the other.

Shepard Smith
Gentlemen, I'm hearing from my producer that the judge is now reviewing the verdict forms, what could that mean for Jackson, Judge?

Andrew Napolitano
He's required to do that Shepard, but the fact that he's following standard procedure tells me that this verdict is really up in the air at this point.

Stan Goldman
Shep, it's beginning to look like we really won't know what the verdict is until it's read.

Shepard Smith
Truer words have never been spoken, my friend. Just a second - I'm getting word now that every single juror has their eyes glued to the judge, not one of them is looking even in the general direction of Michael Jackson.

Stan Goldman
Shepard, if there's one thing I've learned in all my years in the courts, it's that jurors do not like to make eye contact with a defendant when they're returning a guilty verdict. This could be very bad for Jackson.

Andrew Napolitano
On the other hand, Shepard, it's entirely possible that these jurors have returned a not guilty verdict, and they are simply trying to maintain an appearance of impartiality. This could be a very good sign for Michael Jackson.

Stan Goldman
It could be a very good sign.

Shepard Smith
Now I'm told that the verdict forms are in the hands of the court clerk, so it appears that we are just seconds away from the conclusion of this, one of the most highly publicized trials in the history of the American court system.

Andrew Napolitano
Shepard, the fact that this judge read through ten separate verdict forms in a matter of just a few minutes could be an indication that every one of those forms read either guilty or not guilty.

Shepard Smith
It appears that the verdict is being read as we speak. Let's go to a live shot of the crowd outside the courthouse and see if we can get some indication of how this is turning out for Jackson and his attorneys. Stan Goldman, I can see a lot of people jumping up and down, I'm not sure if that is out of frustration, or possibly anger, or if there's some kind of celebration going on.

Stan Goldman
Shepard, even if we knew for sure whether these people are happy or unhappy about this verdict, we must bear in mind that this crowd is made up of both supporters of Jackson and people who are hoping for a conviction.

Shepard Smith
I hadn't thought of that, Stan. I can see that some of them are holding signs, but I can't read the writing on those signs, so it looks like we're still in the dark here.

Andrew Napolitano
Shepard, even if you could read the signs, you'd still have to determine whether these "jumping" people were angry or happy. Depending on which it is, this could be either very good or very bad for Jackson.

Stan Goldman
If they're Jackson supporters it this could be a very good sign for Jackson.

Andrew Napolitano
Wait, do you mean it could be good if they're Jackson supporters and they're jumping up and down?

Stan Goldman
Exactly, judge.

Shepard Smith
What if they’re jumping up and down because they're angry?

Stan Goldman
Right, that would be good for Jackson.

Andrew Napolitano
Don't you mean that would be bad for Jackson?

Stan Goldman
What - if they had signs?

Andrew Napolitano
No, not just if they had signs, if they're Jackson supporters.

Shepard Smith
Hold on just a second. I thought you meant it would be good for Jackson if they had signs and were jumping up and down because they were happy about the verdict.

Andrew Napolitano
Not if they were hoping for a guilty verdict.

Stan Goldman
Why would Jackson supporters be hoping for a guilty verdict?

Andrew Napolitano
I didn't say Jackson supporters would be hoping for a guilty verdict!

Shepard Smith
Judge, I can see a woman in the crowd releasing doves, what could that possibly mean?

Andrew Napolitano
How the hell should I know? Stan, you just said that it would be a good sign for Jackson if his supporters were jumping up and down out of happiness after hearing the verdict.

Stan Goldman
So what's your problem? That makes perfect sense.

Andrew Napolitano
That does make sense. Wait, that's not what you said, you said...

Shepard Smith
Would you two put a sock in it! I'm trying to figure out how this verdict came out.

Producer
Hard break, Shepard.

Shepard Smith
All right, we have to take a break here and pay a few bills, folks, hopefully we'll make some headway on this verdict question by the time we're back. What the hell is your problem, Stan?

Stan Goldman
My problem? I'm not the one.....

[Posted by John from WuzzaDem.com]

posted by Ace at 02:52 AM

Comments

Trust me, they all sucked.
CBS radio vamped like that for nearly 10 minutes.

Posted by: Bithead on June 14, 2005 10:38 AM

Comment on Wizbang:

I predict that cable news will never stop talking about this case, ever, I mean ever, as long we all shall live.
Posted by: McÇain

Exactly.

I wonder if they will put the same Hollywood spin on the upcoming Saddam trial?

Posted by: kyer on June 14, 2005 11:34 AM

Hey! I like Stan Goldman.

Posted by: on June 14, 2005 01:41 PM

Thank you, John. I missed all this when it was happening, I was out with my kids at the time. How sad I was afterwards, to think I had missed all that expert speculation leading up to the announcement.

You have done a great service. Years from now, when my future grandchildren ask me "grandpa, where were you when the news networks were killing time waiting for the verdict?" I'll be able to lie to them and say I had my ass planted in front of the tv, only it won't feel like a lie. And that's what is truly important.

Posted by: Matt30 on June 14, 2005 03:01 PM

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Funniest thing I've read about the Virginia mess. Back when they were hustling the referendum through the assembly both Senators, Warner and Kaine, advised them to go slow and play by the rules. Louise Lucas said she respected them but didn't need advice from the "cuck chair" in the corner. The gerrymandering was overturned and Louise is heading for the big house. Edward G. Robinson voice "where's your cuck now?"
Posted by: Smell the Glove

I posted his post on twitter and it's gotten 25K views so far. Thanks, Smell the Glove

Chris
@chriswithans

"Ahhhhh ahh I put my career on the line for Louise Lucas and Jay Jones thinking they'd vault me into presidential contention and we ended up costing Democrats 20 House seats and unleashing a Reverse Dobbs ahhhhh ahhh"

Forgotten 80s Mystery Click That Sums Up the Democrat Communist Party Today
Something is wrong as I hold you near
Somebody else holds your heart, yeah
You turn to me with your icy tears
And then it's raining, feels like it's raining

TJM wonders about world building in stories, mostly The Hunger Games

"It's f**king f**ked."
-- reportedly a genuine comment offered by a "senior Labour source"
Correction: I wrote that Labour is losing 88% (now 87%) of the seats it is "defending." I think that's wrong. The right way to say it is the seats they are contesting -- that is, they don't necessarily already hold these seats, but they have put up a candidate to run for the seat. It's still very bad but not as bad as losing 87% of the seats they already held.

Basil the Great
@BasilTheGreat

🚨ED MILIBAND [a Minister in Starmer's government] SAYS KEIR STARMER WILL RESIGN AS PRIME MINISTER

He has reportedly reassured Labour MP's that Starmer will be resigning following the disastrous results tonight

It's over

"The end of the two party system in the UK" as first the Fake Conservatives and now Labour chooses political suicide rather than simply STOPPING THE INVASION
Incidentally, the only reason this didn't already happen in the US is because of the Very Bad Orange Man (who is right on 85% of all policy calls and extremely, existentially right on 15% of them)

No political party that is NOT also a doomsday religious cult would EVER choose a cataclysmic loss -- and possible extinction as a party -- to support a toxically unpopular favoritism of NON-CITIZEN ILLEGAL MIGRANTS over actual citizen voters.

Only a cult does this.

Now they've lost 84%.

Annunziata Rees-Mogg
@zatzi
If this continues Labour loses 2,148 seats tonight.

That is much worse than the worst case predictions I’ve seen.

Cataclysmic

Update: They've now lost 88% of the seats they're defending. As I mentioned earlier, I think I heard that London will not bail them out, as many of those Labour seats will probably flip to "Muslim Independent" or Green. Detroit's 5am vote will not save them.

Yup, Labour is losing 80% of its seats...

The British Patriot
@TheBritLad

🚨 BREAKING: Labour have lost 80% of all seats contested as of 2:25 AM.<
br> If this continues, Keir Starmer will be out of office next week.

Reform has surged and projected to pick up between 1700-2100 seats.

Wow, up to 1700-2100 seats. It's not incredible that this is happening. It's incredible that the Davos crowd is so absolutely determined to privilege Muslim "migrants" over the actual native population who elects them, no matter how loudly the natives scream that they want to be prioritized, that they will gladly self-extinguish as a party rather than simply representing the interests of their own voters. Astonishing.
Remember, when they call other people "cultists" -- they are the ones so imprisoned in their social reinforcement and discipline bubbles that they will choose political death rather than dare upset the Karen Enforcement Officers of their cult.
Update: Now they've lost 83% of the seats they were defending.

(((Dan Hodges)))
@DPJHodges

Reform are basically wiping Labour out in the North. It's not a defeat. It's not even a rout. Labour are simply ceasing to exist.

Nick Lowles
@lowles_nick

Tonight’s results are calamitous for Labour. Not just for Keir Starmer's leadership, but for the very future of the party

STARMERGEDDON: In early returns, Reform gains 135 seats, Labour loses 90, the Fake Conservatives lose 36 (and I didn't even know they could fall any further), the Lib Dems lose 4, and the Greens gain 6. Note that the only other party gaining seats is the Greens and they're only gaining a handful of seats.
Update: Reform now up 145, Labour down 98.
Labour projected to lose Wales -- where they've ruled for 27 years.
Fulton County Georgia just discovered 400 boxes of ballots for Labour
Update: REF +156, LAB -107, CON -45
Brutal: In four out of five council seats where Labour is defending, they've lost. 80%.
I'm sure it's not this simple, but Reform is straight taking Labour's and the "Conservatives'" seats. They've lost almost exactly what Reform gained. If understand this right (and warning, I probably don't), all of London's council seats are up for election, and Labour might lose hugely there, as their old voters abandon them for Reform, Muslim Indenpendents, and the Greens.
REF +190, LAB -134, CON -56.

Updates on the Labour collapse in council elections -- which wags are calling #Starmergeddon -- from Beege Welborne. There are about 5000 seats up for grabs, Labour is expected to lose 1,800, Reform will probably gain 1,580, up from... zero. So this would be more than that.
People claim that while Labour has adopted the Sharia Agenda to appeal to the million Muslims it allowed to migrate to the country, those voters are ditching Labour to vote for the Muslim Independent Party or the Greens. Delicious. This shadenfreude is going straight to my thighs.
Oh, and if Starmer loses about as badly as expected, Labour will toss him out of a window Braveheart style and replace him. He will announce he is resigning to spend more time with his Gay Ukrainian Male Prostitutes.

Media bias and senationalism are as old as, well, the media:

That was written by Denny O'Neill and illustrated by, get this, Frank Miller. Editor to the Stars Jim Shooter was in charge at the time.
I always thought the gag was original to the comic book, but in fact the "Threat or Menace" headline was a satirical joke about media bias and sensationalism for a long while. The Harvard Lampoon used it in a parody of Life magazine: "Flying Saucers: Threat or Menace?"

Hamas is Humiliating Trump's 'Board of Peace'
[Hat Tip: TC] [CBD]

Tucker Carlson is pretty sure Trump is a wizard

Ted Turner Dies At 87 [CBD]

Podcast: Starting a new season, CBD and Sefton discuss their personal journeys to conservative principles, is Nick Shirley the beginning of a trend?, Iran trying to reignite the war, the Left attacks itself, even on "Best Guitarist" lists, and more!

TJM definitively ranks the films of Billy Wilder, like Some Like It Hot

TJM talks about Billy Wilder