Following a bench trial, defendant, Michael J. Jackson, was found guilty of two counts of predatory criminal sexual assault of a child and one count of aggravated criminal sexual abuse. The trial judge sentenced defendant to 17 years’ imprisonment on each of the sexual assault charges and to 6 years’ imprisonment on the sexual abuse charge, to be served consecutively, for a total sentence of 40 years.

Jackson was found not guilty of all charges in June 2005. In the end, the jury determined there was just not enough physical evidence to prove the accusations beyond a reasonable doubt.

June 13, 2005: Jackson is acquitted of all criminal charges. After a trial that had a circus-like atmosphere and whose proceedings seemed to ...

On December 18, 2003, Jackson was charged with seven counts of child molestation and two counts of administering an intoxicating agent for the purpose of committing a felony. On April 21, a grand jury indicted Jackson on several additional related charges, including conspiracy involving child abduction, false imprisonment, and extortion. The jury deliberated for about 32 hours over seven days. On the initial vote, nine jurors voted to acquit Jackson, while three voted guilty. On June 13, 2005, they returned a verdict of not guilty on all charges. The verdict entry states: "Michael Jackson found not guilty on all 10 counts."

Michael Jackson: The Verdict," a three-part documentary directed by Nick Green and released Wednesday, chronicles his 2005 trial in Santa Maria that began with a search raid of the pop star’s sprawling Neverland Ranch and ended with a jury finding him not guilty on 10 counts, including four counts of child molestation.

The trailer says the docuseries is told by key players who were inside the courtroom, and it includes the line that Jackson "was able to get away with it because of his fame and celebrity." The trailer also highlights the legal standard that "what has to be proven is beyond a reasonable doubt."

A jury pronounced the 46-year-old singer not guilty of molesting a 13-year-old cancer survivor, not guilty of plying the boy with alcohol, and not guilty of conspiracy. Jurors acquitted Jackson of all charges after about 32 hours of deliberations over seven days. The case involved 10 counts, including child molestation, administering an intoxicating agent, and conspiracy involving child abduction, false imprisonment and extortion.

The jury in the Michael Jackson child molestation case has spoken, acquitting the pop star on charges that the star molested a teenage cancer survivor who briefly resided with him between 2002 and 2003. Jackson was cleared of ten charges in all. They included four counts alleging he molested, or attempted to molest, the then 13-year-old accuser; four counts alleging he’d plied the boy with alcohol; and one count alleging he’d conspired to hold the boy and his family hostage at Jackson’s sprawling Neverland Ranch.

Michael Jackson left court a free man on Monday, returning to his Neverland ranch after being cleared of all charges in his child-molestation trial. In the Santa Maria, California courtroom, Jackson heard the words "not guilty" uttered 14 times as the clerk read out the verdicts on each count. The jury found him not guilty of conspiracy, not guilty of lewd acts upon a minor child, and not guilty of attempting to commit a lewd act upon a minor child, among other charges.

In June 2026, Netflix released a docuseries on Michael Jackson's 2005 child molestation trial titled Michael Jackson: The Verdict. Though Jackson maintained his innocence and was ultimately acquitted of all 10 charges brought against him, public opinion remained divided. The article notes that Jackson stood trial in 2005 for allegations involving a 13-year-old boy and that the jury found him not guilty on all counts.

A three-judge panel from California’s 2nd District Court of Appeal found that the lawsuits of Wade Robson and James Safechuck should not have been dismissed by a lower court, and that the men can validly claim that the two Jackson-owned corporations that were named as defendants in the cases had a responsibility to protect them. ... The Jackson estate has adamantly and repeatedly denied that Jackson abused either of the boys, and has emphasized that Robson testified at Jackson’s 2005 criminal trial, where Jackson was acquitted, that he had not been abused, and Safechuck said the same to authorities.

In 2003, Michael Jackson was charged with multiple counts of child molestation, setting off courtroom proceedings that captivated millions.[8] His acquittal on all counts only further stoked public interest in the larger-than-life celebrity at the center of the trial.[8] The filmmakers note: “It has been 20 years since the trial of Michael Jackson in which he was found not guilty. Yet, to this day, controversy still rages.”[8] The article describes that across three episodes, the series moves through the arguments and turning points that led to Jackson’s acquittal.[8]

June 13, 2005, Michael Jackson was acquitted of all charges against him after a five months trial. He walked free, not guilty on all counts. The post commemorates the anniversary of the verdict, emphasizing that the jury returned 14 "not guilty" verdicts and that Jackson left court without any criminal conviction from the trial.

June 13, 2005: Today marks 21 years since Michael Jackson was found INNOCENT of all charges against him by the jury in Santa Maria, California. The post quotes Jackson’s lawyer Tom Mesereau: "The jury said not guilty 14 times; it was not possible to have a verdict closer to a complete acquittal. Justice has been done. The man is innocent." The group description highlights that the jury’s verdict consisted entirely of "not guilty" findings on each count.

A retrospective legal analysis of the Michael Jackson cases explains that the 2005 criminal trial ended in acquittal, with the jury voting not guilty on every charge. The author clarifies that in U.S. criminal law, a verdict of not guilty means the prosecution failed to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt, not that the defendant was affirmatively declared innocent. Because Jackson was acquitted, he did not receive any criminal sentence in that case, though separate civil lawsuits have alleged abuse and sought monetary damages.

In 2005, both the prosecution and defense presented evidence, witnesses were cross-examined, and Michael Jackson was acquitted on all counts. The narrative often neglects to mention that the criminal investigation lacked sufficient evidence to even pursue an indictment.

He has to be proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt, which is more difficult than you may think. The discussion thread explains that Jackson was acquitted on ALL charges in 2005 because the prosecution did not meet the burden of proof. Commenters emphasize that an acquittal does not mean he was "proven innocent" but that the jury had reasonable doubt and therefore returned not guilty verdicts. One commenter states: "As for 2005, MJ got away because he was a rich celebrity. Simple as that."

He was acquitted in court, and that should have concluded the matter. Additionally, he faced a district attorney's scrutiny for many years, yet only one case was brought against him, which ultimately resulted in an acquittal. The FBI uncovered no evidence after closely monitoring him for five years prior to the initial allegations in 1993, which leads me to believe in his innocence. Michael Jackson was not guilty of the allegations made against him; he is completely innocent.

Michael Jackson’s 2005 criminal trial, formally titled The People of the State of California v. Michael Joseph Jackson, took place in the Santa Barbara County Superior Court. Jackson faced a total of 10 counts, including conspiracy, lewd acts upon a minor child, attempting to commit a lewd act upon a minor child, administering an intoxicating agent, and providing alcoholic beverages to persons under the age of 21. The case is widely cited in legal commentary as an example of a high-profile defendant being acquitted on all charges when the prosecution was unable to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

Lawsuits alleging sexual abuse from Michael Jackson were revived by a California appeals court. Wade Robson and James Safechuck allege Jackson abused them when they were boys. The appeals court says the lawsuit should have never been dismissed because the men have sound basis to claim Jackson's companies should have protected them.

No physical evidence or credible witness testimony linked Jackson to any crime, and all children interviewed denied any abuse.

This documentary series re-examines Michael Jackson's infamous child molestation case with rare footage and interviews with key players, including jurors.