After over 20 hours of deliberation at the Michael Jackson, there's still no verdict. So what does it mean?
Other high profile juries have deliberated for longer and shorter. ‘The Abrams Report’ takes a look at other celebrity cases for clues as to how this jury might go:
O.J. Simpson trialTestimony: 9 months Deliberation: Less than four hoursVerdict: Not guilty of first degree murderScott Peterson trialTestimony: 5 months Deliberations: Over 7 and a half daysVerdict: Guilty of first degree murderCharles Manson trialTestimony: 9 months Deliberation: 9 daysVerdict: Guilty of murder and conspiracy to commit murderMenendez brothers trialFirst trial: Testimony: 4 and a half months of testimonyDeliberations: Erik—19 daysLyle—25 daysVerdict: Both deadlockedSecond trial:Deliberations: 20 saysVerdict: Both guilty, each of two counts of first degree murder, as well as conspiracy to commit murder
For Former Conn. State Prosecutor Susan Filan, the on-going deliberation favors the prosecution. “They have declined Mesereau‘s invitation at the end of his closing argument to toss this case out of court.”
According to “Abrams Report” host Dan Abrams, “As time passes, it at least says that these jurors are not just saying ‘Forget about it. This was a nothing case. It should have been thrown out of court.’”
Criminal defense attorney Michael Cardoza says that in his experience, a quick verdict usually favors the defendant. “But this is an emotional case, even compared to murder cases, because we're talking about pedophiles and child molestation. The jurors are going to go over this evidence very, very carefully. This may well mean they can‘t come to a verdict and that they‘re deadlocked.”
'The Abrams Report' airs weeknights, 6 p.m. ET on MSNBC TV.
