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A first-person view of the Jackson ritual
OFF THE BEAT
By BARNEY BRANTINGHAM
It's 2:15 p.m. outside the Michael Jackson trial in Santa Maria.
Time for fans, protesters, police, even Jackson himself to get ready to swing into the daily ritual.
Everyone knows his or her schedule and place.
By now, most of the players know one another by face if not name.
They know that the magic hour is 2:30, when court adjourns for the day. Minutes later, Jackson will emerge from the courthouse, hop into a black sport utility vehicle and head for his Neverland Valley Ranch. Here's how the ritual played out on Tuesday:
At 2:25 , fervent fan B.J. Hickman of Tennessee, a regular wearing a "Michael Jackson is Innocent" T-shirt, starts yelling, "Let's go, King."
"We all know Michael Jackson didn't do anything," he says to anyone who'll listen.
A couple of dozen fans gather closer, some where they can spot Jackson emerge from court and others at the driveway where his SUV will swing onto the street.
"It's been terribly quiet today," one lawman tells me. "Boring, except this morning when we had about 70 people trying to collect 45 tickets for seats."
The officer glances around at the crowd. "There's probably more people from outside the U.S. than this county. In Santa Maria, we were on the map before, just not on the European map."
The story is big news in Europe, a friend just back from the Continent told me. There, the accuser's name is spread far and wide. Not here. Like most other newspapers, the News-Press generally does not name alleged sex crime victims.
One of the Jackson fans turns and makes a face. "There's one of the haters."
Approaching is mild-mannered Dianne Horn of Nipomo holding a sign that reads "We Believe and Support Victims of Child Sexual Abuse."
"I'm not against Michael," she tells me softly. "I'm for the victims. I have no opinion of him. It's up to the jury. I'm supporting victims of child sexual abuse. There are about five of us. I just happen to be the only one here today. I've been here for every hearing since a year ago when they first brought charges."
Two Santa Barbara women are in good spirits. Clara Sarabia is with her sister, Lupe Garcia, who is holding a large portrait of the star as he was in his youthful days, appearing almost as a religious icon. They have been Jackson fans since childhood, Clara says. "We grew up with the Jackson 5.
"He's going to get off and be free," Clara predicts. As for his guilt: "My mind tells me yes and no. My heart tells me he's not guilty. We're just an hour away," living in Santa Barbara, "and it's all over the world. It's history in the making."
Police swing the barricade around to make room for Jackson's SUV, but there is still no sign of him.
Keith McNorton of Santa Maria is playing a guitar and singing the composition he wrote for Jackson, "Stop Lying on Me."
It's part of the pro-Jackson album he's working on, "Framed."
Six smartly uniformed Santa Maria police officers on motorcycles are at the ready across the street, and three peel off to take a position inside the barricaded parking lot.
They'll be the lead escort back to Neverland. Three other police motorcycles will follow. The 2:30 time for court to adjourn comes and goes, and no sign of Jackson. But suddenly, the group cheers. He emerges, climbs into the black SUV and heads our way through the parking lot.
"Let's go, King of Pop," Hickman yells. Keith McNorton strums his guitar and sings. Through the open window, Michael Jackson, in a dark jacket, flashes a two-fingered "V" peace sign to the cheering fans.
When his car pulls out onto the street, they give chase along the sidewalk, yelling and brandishing signs as his motorcade stops briefly for a red light, then speeds off.
The small crowd quickly fades away. The daily ritual is over, to be resumed again the next court day and the next and the next.
Barney Brantingham's column runs Wednesdays through Sundays. You can reach Barney at 564-5105 or by e-mail at bbrantingham@newspress.com.
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