In the end, Michael Jackson was acquitted on all 10 charges in his child molestation case. The jury decided that it could not be proven beyond a reasonable doubt that the pop star actually molested a 13-year-old cancer survivor at his Neverland ranch.
Perhaps the biggest problem in the case brought by the prosecution was the lack of a 'good guy.' The alleged victim in the case came from a family with problems. That is usually who pedophiles focus on: kids with problems. The defense was able to make the accuser's family, especially his mother, appear to be grifters out to get rich off somebody of Jackson's fame and wealth.
The mother's history was not helpful to the prosecution. It revealed that the mother had received illegal welfare payments that she knew she was not entitled to. It revealed that she sued JCPenney about injuries that she later admitted were caused by her abusive ex-husband. The mother had given false testimony in both of those previous cases so her credibility to the jury was in doubt. Without the mother being a believable witness, the prosecutor's case lacked sympathy and credibility. It gave the jury enough reason to doubt the government's case against Jackson.
Other witnesses who appeared against Jackson also lacked credibility. The ex-employees all had an ax to grind against the self-proclaimed 'King of Pop.' Many of them had sued him for wrongful termination and lost. As a result, they were forced to pay for Jackson's legal fees. This led the jury to question their testimony about alleged lewd and immoral acts committed by Jackson on other children in the past. They had a motive to lie. That doesn't mean they necessarily were lying.
With most of the prosecution's witnesses and the accuser's family coming across as unsympathetic, the jury was not inclined to give them the benefit of the doubt in this case. In a criminal trial in which there are no actual witnesses to the alleged crime, that is often fatal to the prosecution.
Even though he was acquitted on all 10 counts, however, Jackson did not emerge from this trial smelling like a rose. He clearly seems to have an abnormal and unhealthy interest in young boys and his behavior has been anywhere from scandalous to neglectful even if taken in the best of contexts.
In the United States, not guilty does not mean innocent. It just means the jury didn't believe the case was proved beyond a reasonable doubt. The true measure of Jackson's credibility is this: even now, who but the most ardent and blind Jackson supporter would allow their 12-year-old boy to spend a night alone at Jackson's Neverland ranch? Didn't think so...
