EDITORIAL Was justice served or justice bought? "Nobody has bought anyone’s silence.” said Ijirry Feld man. attorney for the plaintiff in the Michael Jackson child molestation case. The 14-year-old accuser was said to bo "very happy” with the settlement, which includes a payment of at least S10 million. A case like this raises serious questions about the jus tice system, and the wealthy's affect on it. There wore no charges filed, just allegations made. There was never anyone arrested, and there wasn't even a court case. The opportunity to forfeit the trial was bought by Jackson. "You could tall it the rich man's exemption in a child molestation case," said Harlan Braun, a prominent I.os Angeles defense attorney. "What it means is the person who buys off a minor gets away with it. It turns these sex cases into private disputes.” Is Jackson guilty? it doesn't matter, and that’s not the issue. Mon as wealthy as Jackson will always have the opportunity to pay off a crime that may or may not have been committed and never spend a day in court, let alone behind bars. If Jackson is guilty, is simply paying off the victim punishment enough for him? With an esti mated wealth of more than SI 50 million, the settlement probably seems like pocket change. Obviously his career will never be the same, but that goes with the turf. But consider the victim. If the incident did happen, then a monetary settlement for punitive damages should bo awarded. In this particular case, there is little threat of a man like Jackson actually seeking the victim for revenge. In California, the victim of sexual abuse can’t be forced to testify. Certainly a 14-year-old boy has little concern as to whether Jackson soends time in jail. Jack son poses no threat, so why bother testifying? It seems the case was bought out by the plaintiff and sold out by the defendant. Gill Garcetti, Los Angeles district attorney, said the settlement will not stop the proceedings of the case. "The District Attorney’s Office is taking Mr. Feldman (attorney for the boy) at his word that the alleged vic tim will be allowed to testify and that there has boon no agreement in the civil matter that will affect cooper ation in the criminal investigation," Garcetti said. In the Jackson case, it worked out well for both sides. The boy received punitive damages that he may have received had Jackson been found guilty, and Jackson takes a small dent in his savings — costs the court may have forced him to pay anyway. For Jackson, the finan cial damage was done whon the boy first came forward, in the money lost from his abandoned "Dangerous" world tour, as well as the endorsements that Jackson will never see again. The true loser in the case Is the American public, which may or may not believe that justice has been served. A victim of a crime, lured by money, has the opportunity to let the alleged criminal buy his way out of court. Certainly this is not the first case of its kind, and, unfortunately, it won’t be the last. As for Jackson, there are still lawsuits pending against him from pro moters and former security guards. There is a good chance those will be resolved tho same way. Oregon Daily Emerald PO 00* Jiw luGtHt ORtGOtt? The iVeycv' Om!y l mtr&a n putr.shed dacy Monday through Friday dumg me school yea; and Tuesday and Thursday dunng me summer By me Oregon Daily Emerald PuBh»»>.no Co. me' al the On.vma.ty ot Oegon. f ugene Oregon The f mersrd operates independently ot the University with otticaa at Suite 300 ot the E.B Memorial Unn>n and is a member ot the Associated Pieas the fmeraM .a pnvate property Tt>e untawM removal o> use ot papers .s prosecutable By law Editor-ln-Chlet Jane Berg Managing Editor Ca«ey Andetson Sports Edllot Steve Mms Edltotial Editor Oavtd Thom Editorial Editor Je« Pettier dl Qtaphke Editor Jett Pasiay Photo Editor Anthony Forney Fieelance Editor Jett Winters Supplements Editor Kaiy Soto Night Editor: Katy Soto Associate Edltore: Edward Kioptenstem. Student Go«ommonEAclivitrea Rebecca Merritt. Commun.ty Juhe Swensen, rsghm £ ducahorvAdu.m shafton News Stall: Mandy Baucum W.ison Chan Dave ChaiBonnoau. Jim Dates Meg Oedotpr Amy Devenpon. Caia Echevama. Maka I wksa. Man... I sber Saiah Henderson.. Heathen* Mattes Vin long Eeong Manus Meiand Tnsia Noel. [ .sobeth Reenstyerna RobWe Reeves Eca Sem-vne Mchaei Sh.ncSe. Scott Simonson Stephan* Sisson. Susanne Steltens Juke Swensen Mchele Thompson Aguiar. Kevin Tripp Amy Van Tuyt. Dame West Oeneral Manager: Judy Red Advertising Director Mart. Walter Production Manager: Mx-hoie Rosa Advertising: Suba Dulta. Ntoie Merjmark Teresa Isabelle Je« Maron Jeremy Mason Michael Mnefle, Van V O'Bryan II. Rachael TiuS. Kelsey Wekek. Angie Wmdhem C las silled Becky Merchant. Manager Velor Mm*. Sen Tie Teck Distribution Andy Harvey. John Long, Graham Stmpeon Business Kathy Carbone. Supervisor Judy CoonoHy Production: Dee McCobb Production Coon*n*lor Shawna Abete Greg Desmond. Tsrs (iaWtney Bred Joss. Stacy Mtchell. Jenmler Roland. Nall Thangv*. Clayton Vss Newsroom ..«...--MHIt t otspley Advertising....M*3Tt2 ionic* w mi lOgCHA BoSBUT yERPICT k -IT wsr1 w«* jqmn MKM. ***#«. or vuum cjfw poM^^ / _im Gong* t© l>r» *** a Pcfl«N *W«$, a 9m o» CAMP*, A Mp MfBCrt*> AMP A V40US* $OflU of FBAA*a.. ) , V*U, (IW4UN. KT WOWNP WfttSto * / ■ MOt WWK'l COMMENTARY ‘Emerald’ mishandled charges By Young-Tak Chough Speaking in terms of physics, I am experiencing 0 quantum electrodynamir: transition from a charged statu to a charge-fn>e stain .Some simple physit s wo i nn do hero If you tarry any el« trie charge. you will fool force when you nro plated in anelnctrit field Likewise, if you are legally • barged, you will suf fer a miserable lot of pressure from the fori e field called ■■jiiilr ual law." So folks, liewan* of any kind of charges Klectromagnet ic i barge is hazardous for your health and a legal charge is lethal for your life as an ordinary human From a mathematical view point. there should la* no differ ence il the charge is neutralized and you are returned to yester day s pure state It could have been so if it were not for the malicious longue of some third class journalism. Thanks to such premature journalism, a name is dishonored unjustly and suffer ings begin and last even if the charge has been removed. The article on the front page of the Emerald of Nov. 12. 1993. regarding my nonsensical case, makes one wonder why this article megaphoned my poor name all over the village. Was it to warn people that our Univer sity was in danger? Or was it that the reporter simply enjoyed the thrill and fun of revealing an Asian guy’s name in such a cir cumstance? If it was to warn the society, what if the allegation turns out to be false and a pure libel? The courthouse is down there because there is always such a possibility and that possibility must he completely respected Nevertheless, the Emerald wasn’t even satisfied with its first article (indeed, second, including the one that appeared in the police beat a couple of days before) and brought up the case again in an editorial a week later (Nov. 19). And it alleged that our campus was in danger because a criminal was walking in daylight. How strange. And how dare the University newspaper over ride the legal procedure of the society In i filling an innocent person a criminal, in such a hur ry' How dure they be so sure when the professional lawyers in the courthouse weren't? Par ticularly now. when the case has been thrown into the prosecu tor's garbage can, 1 am very curi ous about how the Emerald w ill respond to these questions. Please do not say you guvs went pursuing the human right or safety first You know you have just c reated a blow of dreary wind on this campus, where people's minds are wandering in consequent gloom. The university has existed since the 12th century and it has been the center, the loader, and the succ essor of the culture of the society, to my understand ing How the university is per forming sue h a role may be lies! known by looking at the univer sity newspaper, someone said. And a newspaper is most easily evaluated by its editorial, which is a common word. However, 1 am surprised to see that the arti cles, including the opinion c ol umn. of the Emerald are essen tially about nothing other than sexism, racism, or crimes and violence Was today's problem in American society the Bob bitts' case or a senator's diary? Such c ases are simply a mat ter of people who reside beyond the two-sigma tail of a normal distribution. These are not a global problem of modern Americ an society. Students' delxites about such matters con tribute nothing to the welfare of this society or to themselves. They are not what university students are supposed to take care of Let the law or the soci ety do that Just leave matters to the commercial magazines to deal with, for we have other, much more meaningful things to COMMENTARY The Oregon Daily Emerald welcomes commentaries from the public concerning topics of interest to the University commu nity. Commentaries should be between 800 and 800 words, legi ble, signed and the identification of the writer must be verified when the letter is submitted. The Emerald reserves the right to edit any letter for length or styfar; ~ ~ -—— take care of — things that must be taken care of by us. not by those out there. A university newspaper should find some more creative, some more contributory sub jects. There are lots of them. Talk about the reality of the L.A. quake and our measures. Talk about the problems of high school education in this society, if any. Talk about celebrated authors' recent publications. Talk about art and literature. Talk about our environment and the drying up of fossil fuel last’s talk about constructive subjects and let's not talk about sex any more, Mv case was apparently a serious matter in the communi ty, according to the allegation, but it shouldn't have been treat ed the way it was in the timer- j aid It didn't deserve a square | inch of the valuable space on | the front page and my name was not something that should have | appeared on it. The article on that front page calling my name without the court's confirmation has clearly demonstrated that this paper positions itself somewhere beyond the three-sigma tail of the quality distribution of news papers. I mean, to the left! timer aid. my dearest, please find the philosophy or the ethics of a newspaper before writing an article and show it to your col leagues. If you can't find it any where on this continent, go to Europe or give a visit to Asia and take a look at how they are doing in those places. If found, thoroughly observe it so as to interact constructively with the academic community of the University, rather than to keep chattering sensuous gossips. Young-Tak Chough is a grad uate student in physics at the l Iniversity.