Tom Sneddon dies of cancer

[HIStoric]

Interesting commentary from Roger Friedman. He clearly has no empathy for the man

Roger Friedman? Isn't he that reporter that's quite unpopular here because he has spoken a lot of shit about Michael? Regardless, at least he sees the truth in regards to the child molestation allegations...

 

[Michelleweber777]

If this is true and not yet another media sensationalistic BS ploy I have one word to say! GOOD!! I don't hate anyone usually and I don't talk ill of the dead. I'm a firm believer that hate breed's hate and love breeds love. I practice fully what I preach but in this man's case and I use the term loosely here, in his case I will make an exception!! This poor excuse for a human being made Michael's life a nightmare! He took a good man and tried to destroy him because TS couldn't deal with the fact that a very successful black man moved into his community and was loved by billions globally unconditionally. His own sheriff's who were African American transferred out because of his bigotry!! It was a personal vendetta because he could not bring Michael down the first time with Chandler so he sought anyone who he could talk into turning on Michael and found someone!! Michael Jackson is a good man!! He was in 1980 in 1995 and in 2005 and still is to this very day as far as I'm concerned Michael Jackson has always been a good man. A man of honor and integrity. He's human just like everyone else with the same wants, needs and desires as everyone else.. I am proud to be a 44 year long Michael Jackson fan and will defend him whole heartedly to any and all!! They next time you hear a toilet flush will be Sneddon!! Don't let the door hit you on your way down to hell you poor excuse for a human being!! Amen!! I only wish we could have done more to help Michael deal with this sorry excuse for a human being!! I love and miss you Michael..always and forever God bless you!!

 

[Snow White luvs Peter Pan]

One of the few times I've agreed with Friedman. He should ridicule Demon's current antics next because she's so pathetic right now.

 

[barbee0715]

Roger, Geraldo and a few others were the few that thought the charges and case were totally bogus. It's odd the people like Rush Limbaugh who also thought the 93 case was baloney and garbage, even if he thought Michael was weird personally. I notice Roger does use the term "paid off". I don't like it-it still makes Michael seem guilty when he was absolutely not.

I read this on AP this evening and it pretty much does the same.

Ex-Michael Jackson prosecutor Tom Sneddon dies

Published: Today

FILE - In this Nov. 19, 2003, file photo, Santa Barbara County District Attorney Thomas Sneddon speak at news conference in Santa Barbara, Calif., regarding allegations of multiple counts of sexual molestation against singer Michael Jackson. Retired assistant district attorney Patrick McKinley says former Santa Barbara County district attorney Tom Sneddon died Saturday, Nov. 1, 2014 at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital after a battle with cancer. He was 73. (AP Photo/Nick Ut, File)
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (AP) - Tom Sneddon, the former district attorney who sought twice to try Michael Jackson on child molestation charges, has died.

Sneddon died Saturday at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital after a battle against cancer, Patrick McKinley, a retired assistant district attorney for Santa Barbara County who worked with Sneddon for more than three decades, said Sunday. Sneddon was 73.

"Our family and community has lost one of its heroes," Sneddon's family said in a statement, adding that they "all loved his straightforward and genuine personality." They said he was a "'what-you-see-is what-you get' kind of person."

News of Sneddon's death was first reported by the Santa Barbara News-Press.

Sneddon investigated Michael Jackson on child sexual abuse allegations in 1993 and again a decade later. The first case fell apart after a young boy's family accepted a multimillion dollar settlement from Jackson and declined to testify against him.

The probe closed with no charges. Jackson shot back in a thinly disguised swipe at the prosecutor in a song called "D.S." on the "HIStory" album. The song contains the lyrics, "Dom Sheldon is a cold man."

A second set of allegations against Jackson made by a young cancer survivor resulted in a televised trial in 2005 which ended with Jackson being acquitted.

Jackson's defense attorney, Thomas Mesereau Jr., painted Sneddon as an overzealous prosecutor who had a "personal vendetta" against Jackson after the first case fell apart.

Sneddon continued to insist that he believed Jackson could be a danger to children and said he would have considered a conviction tragic, considering Jackson's accomplishments.

"If he had been convicted I think that part of it would have been a tragedy - like a Greek tragedy play of a person who obviously can bring great joy and entertainment to the people around the world, (who was) obviously a great entertainer at one point in his career, (who) could end up this way for whatever reason," he told The Associated Press in an interview after the verdict.

Sneddon retired in 2006.

The son of a baker, he grew up in Lynwood, California, and served his country during the Vietnam War before pursuing a career in law, according to a statement by Sneddon's family.

He worked on the 1969 oil spill in the Santa Barbara Channel - at the time the largest oil spill on U.S. waters. The landmark case helped spur several state and federal environmental protection laws, his family said. They also noted his "relentless" pursuit of two Israeli men hired to murder a Santa Barbara couple. An Israeli law forbids extradition of its citizens, so he found a way to try the men in Israel. The case marked the first time Israeli citizens have stood trial in their country for crimes committed in the United States.

"He was deeply compassionate toward victims, and fundamentally changed how victims were treated during the judicial process, initiating new protocols to lessen their trauma," the statement said.

McKinley called Sneddon "a helluva boss."

"He wasn't afraid to make a decision," McKinley said. "He would make a decision and away we'd go."

Sneddon is survived by his wife of 47 years, Pamela, and their nine children.

© 2014 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.

 

[AtlasAir]

NINE kids? good lawd. Wrap it up or vasec that thing
Cancer is a betch, though. Feel bad for his loved ones.

 

[SheilaMJFan4Ever]

I don't have much to say. I don't want to feel happy when somebody dies but I'm not sad either.

Well said. I just lost a loved one recently, so celebrating some other family's loss would be f*cked up and tacky. I don't care for how he abused his power and for that I'm not mourning him. Think of the many other people he was successful at railroading, the ones that didn't have Mike's fame, Mike's money, the support of millions that Mike had. Those are the ones that are probably wearing a smile behind prison bars upon hearing this news.

And in their case, I don't blame them if they ARE celebrating.

 

[seany]

He took his time.

 

[seany]

Roger Friedman article for those who haven't seen it....

http://www.showbiz411.com/2014/11/0...ddon-73-dies-pursued-the-singer-on-a-vendetta

 

[twinklEE]

Good riddance

 

[twinklEE]

I don't mean to be rude to you guys but it's annoying when some of you bring karma when all the injustice, tribulations and f*ckeries evil and mean spirited bastards made Michael going through proved karma is huge pile bullshit.

From the man himself:

". . . I don't believe in karma. I think that is a bunch of crap, because so many mean-spirited, evil people are on top of the world and doing well and people love them, no matter how evil they are . . . Karma is a theory like any other theory that some human made up." -Michael Jackson.

Whatever Michael said about Karma can be said about every belief system and religion. All are man made.

 

[InvincibleMJ]

I can't believe some of you are celebrating his death...

The man is dead, we should stop talking bad about him now.

No one of us really knew him, so i don't think we have the right to judge him...
I totally believe that MJ was innocent but sneddon didn't.That's why he acted like he did.

Yes it was a really hard time for Michael but it doesn't help that sneddon is dead now. Let's stop all this hate here.

I hope you can understand me

I can't believe you actually can't believe it.

Just imagine how the world's history would have looked like if people were unwilling to speak bad or "ill" on the dead. Probably very, very twisted, misinformative and misleading.

The bad is not something made up or a hearsay, it's everything he's done. He ruined lives, did he not? Then why sugarcoat it?

All through history of mankind the most people have done the most vicious, atrocious cause they had a cause and they believed in it so wholeheartedly they were willing to take lives and make other people misreable in the procces of "acting their belief". All bets were off cause they believed in something. Now. Sneddon never killed anyone (I mean, I think he hadn't) but he was so blinded by his so called "belief" (more like driven by hate) he tossed aside all morals, ethics and integrity just to take down a man he had absolutely nothing on (one has to wonder why he hated a man so much if he was so aware of the lack of facts he had to make things up.)

Don't you hate Hitler? Don't you hate Bin Laden? Don't you hate James Earl Ray? They're all dead now after all. And we don't know any of these guys personally so maybe they're sweet people in private.

It think dangerous to forgive the evil spirited men and it's even worse to be unwilling to vocally acknowledge their evil spirits once they're gone.

It could have been done differently while he could have still done his job but without actually encouraging people to make false allegations and without him enabling grifters. Sneddon's unfairness and bias is one of the main reasons why the whole thing could get that far with the Chandlers, Francias and Arvizos.

Yes, but then he'd have no case at all. lol.

 

[Bubs]

When she dies I'll publish an add in the newspaper with the lyrics to Tabloid Junkie next to her picture!

Count me in, I will donate money towards that ad.

Sneddon died of Instant Karma.

So ironic that he died a day after Halloween, when MJ and Thriller were celebrated.

I'd like to think maybe Michael's ghost paid a visit to him


Diane Dimond @didimond · 3h 3 hours ago
A man of integrity has died ow.ly/DGWlF For years law enforcement looked the other way. But not him. RIP, Sir Haters,don't bother

Neither Demon D nor Sneddon knew the meaning of integrity:
Definitions of integrity
the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles; moral uprightness.
"he is known to be a man of integrity"
synonyms: honesty, probity, rectitude, honor, good character, principle(s), ethics, morals, righteousness, morality, virtue, decency, fairness, scrupulousness, sincerity, truthfulness, trustworthiness

-----------------------
"Gary Dunlap
In November 2003, Santa Barbara defense attorney Gary Dunlap filed a $10 million lawsuit against Tom Sneddon, accusing him of racketeering, witness tampering, conspiracy and malicious prosecution. Earlier that year, Sneddon had charged Dunlap with perjury, witness intimidation, filing false documents and preparing false documents in a case that Dunlap had handled. Dunlap was acquitted on all charges but claims his reputation has been irreparably harmed as a result of the proceedings. In an interview with Online Legal Review's Ron Sweet, Dunlap claimed that Sneddon stacked the charges against him in order to get a conviction on at least one count; apparently, this is a common occurrence in Sneddon's office. Dunlap also discussed Sneddon's frequent abuse of power and claimed that there are other lawyers who have seen this. A judge recently upheld most of Dunlap's lawsuit and the case will soon go to trial unless a civil settlement is reached."

From the bolded parts you can see Sneddon's trademarks. So similar to Michael's case.

His family lost someone, so sad. THE BASTARD IS DEAD!!!!!

I don't know much about his family, but who knows if the are celebrating with us.

 

[Bubs]

When Sneddon turned up at Neverland in November 2003 with bottom feeding tabloid reporter Diane Dimond for the big search and arrest, he showed his cards. It was a grudge match return.

:rofl:
He could have added few more descriptions, such as Sneddon's extramarital mattress.

She really loves to use word "fanatics" and "rabids' when she talks about MJ fans.
I looked definitions of those words, seemingly she is talking about herself. She is poster girl for fanatic and rabid.

 

[Bubs]

LA Times obituary

Tom Sneddon dies at 71; D.A. best known for prosecuting Michael Jackson
By STEVE CHAWKINS

Tom Sneddon, a retired Santa Barbara County district attorney whose best-known prosecution ended in the acquittal of pop star Michael Jackson on child molestation charges, died Saturday in a Santa Barbara hospital. He was 73.

Sneddon died of complications from cancer, Dist. Atty. Joyce Dudley said in an email to her staff.

Dudley, who was elected in 2010 and had worked under Sneddon for 16 years, said "his expectations were always clear: Be the most prepared person in the courtroom, use all of your intellect, work hard, step right up to the line but never over it."

But Sneddon's most vocal critics contended that his pursuit of Jackson had become a vendetta.

In the early 1990s, Sneddon tried to build a case against Jackson after the family of a 13-year-old boy sued the singer over alleged molestations. But when the family settled with Jackson for more than $20 million, Sneddon's case, and a parallel investigation in Los Angeles, imploded.

A 1995 Jackson song, "D.S.," memorialized the event. With lines about a "T.A." named Dom Sheldon, it was widely seen as a taunting put-down of Sneddon. Its most memorable lyric, repeated at various points more than 20 times, was: "Dom Sheldon is a cold man."

For his part, Sneddon told reporters, he wasn't a big Jackson fan. "I have not, shall we say, done him the honor of listening to it," he said.

Earlier in his career, other attorneys in his office had given Sneddon the moniker "Mad Dog" for his tenacity. In 1976, it took him three tries to win a murder conviction against a prominent Santa Barbara businessman accused of arranging his wife's death in what was supposed to appear as a hit-and-run accident. The first two trials ended in hung juries.

In 1988, he filed charges against Robert Huttenback, a popular UC Santa Barbara chancellor who was accused of embezzling more than $100,000 from the university for home improvements. Huttenback was convicted.

In 2003, Sneddon led a new Jackson investigation. He directed a 14-hour search of Jackson's Neverland Valley Ranch near Los Olivos, and, later, held an ebullient news conference announcing a warrant for Jackson's arrest. In a move that sitting district attorneys make only rarely, he chose to personally participate in the globally publicized trial.

"It's important for the lawyers to be able to see that the boss can still try a case," he once said, "so they know that you're just not a bench jockey and that you know what you're talking about."

After a Santa Maria jury acquitted Jackson on all counts, Sneddon expressed disappointment over the outcome.

In interviews, jurors said the prosecution came undone at a number of points, including testimony from the alleged victim's mother that Jackson had kidnapped her in a Rolls-Royce and was planning to spirit the family to Brazil in a hot-air balloon. Some also came to doubt the alleged victim as defense attorney Tom Mesereau hammered away at him on the witness stand, pointing out inconsistencies in his accounts of drinking wine, viewing Internet porn and committing sexual acts with Jackson.

He prosecuted the case because he believed the kid, and so Jackson wouldn't be able to hurt more kids. Period.
- Jim Thomas, a former Santa Barbara County sheriff
"In the end, I don't think there's anything we could have done short of a videotaped confession," Sneddon said in a post-verdict interview with The Times.

He and his allies continued to fend off accusations that the prosecution was personal.

Jackson died in 2009 after his doctor gave him an overdose of a powerful anesthetic.

Thomas William Sneddon Jr. was born in Los Angeles in May 1941 and raised in Lynwood. His parents and grandparents were all bakers, and his father told him that he too would wind up in a bakery if he didn't go to college.

Sneddon graduated in 1963 from the University of Notre Dame, where he boxed. He attended law school at UCLA, where he met his wife, Pamela Shires Sneddon.

In 1969, he joined the district attorney's office in Santa Barbara and was first elected to the office's top job in 1982. He retired in 2006.

An ardent athlete, Sneddon played tackle football with an adult team well into his 50s. He also was passionate about golf and softball, and coached youth teams in various sports.

In addition to his wife, Sneddon's survivors include nine children and 14 grandchildren.
-------------------------------------------------------------------

It is ironic that he will be remembered and talked about only because he lost the case against Michael.

Edited to add this little detail:

“It must be a strange feeling, though, to know what the first line of your obituary is going to be. To know that it will involve, of all people, Michael Jackson. To know that it will be about a case everyone watched, and how you lost it.”

~Libby Copeland, The Washington Post, June 15, 2005

 

[HIStory]

^ Yes, it's ironic. I liked it how Bonnie Blue put it earlier in this thread:

All the reports about sneddon's death just reference his prosecution of mj. How humiliating for him that after that long professional career his only noteworthy contribution to public life seems to be that ridiculously expensive showtrial that didn't even manage to convince the jury that mj gave a glass of wine to a minor, never mind was involved in kidnap and child molestation.

How pathetic is that when you think about that? So Dimond can try all she wants to heroize this man, but the facts remain: he was obsessed, unprofessional, blinded by his personal bias and hatred and lost big time. And that's what he is famous for.

Poor Dimond - there will be no one in high places to save her ass now when someone sues her, like Sneddon saved her ass in 1996 in that lawsuit MJ started against her and Victor Guiterrez.

 

[elusive moonwalker]

You have to laugh at dimwit dimonds attempt to throw stones to hide her hands. coming from a "woman" that had pics of mj on her wall and made her entire "career" out of stalking and harrassing mj she sure does like to throw the rabid and crazy words around alot. funny as she fits that mantra perfectly. A little ironic to say the least. still defending her redneck bed buddy till the end you dont know whether to laugh or feel sorry for her. im sure all those who were persecuted by sneddon,dr sundaram the two sisters. gary dunlap and all the others in S.B will have a chuckle at her delusional claims of integrity.birds of a feather....

 

[Bubs]

^ Yes, it's ironic. I liked it how Bonnie Blue put it earlier in this thread:

How pathetic is that when you think about that? So Dimond can try all she wants to heroize this man, but the facts remain: he was obsessed, unprofessional, blinded by his personal bias and hatred and lost big time. And that's what he is famous for.

Poor Dimond - there will be no one in high places to save her ass now when someone sues her, like Sneddon saved her ass in 1996 in that lawsuit MJ started against her and Victor Guiterrez.

I bet Demon is getting a bit cold now that her buddies are dying, and she is left alone to make sure Gavin and Co never reveal her s..t to the public. I'm certain that is the real reason she and other crooks attended to Gavin's wedding etc parties because she has to keep them close in order to keep them quiet of certain things she and few others did prior and during the trial. Not that she is any respectable reporter anyway, but if Gavin decides to go to public with what she did, she can start looking beyond gutters what is left from her career.

To think about it, death would be relief for her. The longer she has to hold on to Alvizo's hand, the better.
They are crazy punch of people to be around, so for her to be on tiptoe all the time and be around them is her punishment.

Btw, I wonder when she is going to update her fb photo to more current one? The one she uses is at least 30 years old photo of herself:cheeky:

 

[Bubs]

I came across this article by Matt Taibbi from RS that summarised Tom Sneddon's career highlight perfectly:
"Or one hopes they think that, for their sake. The elderly should be spared spectacles like the Jackson trial. This case is the ultimate sizzling shit pile of American society; it is what our culture of gross celebrity worship looks like when it comes out the other end. A pop star gone sideways under the lights, maggots nibbling at his fortune, hourly underpants updates on cable, industry insiders trading phone numbers over drinks, and boy orgasms. And people like me writing about it all. We’re the worst America has to offer—and we’re all here."

I agree with him, trial was sizzling shit pile brought to you by Tom Sneddon.

 

[Bubs]

Joe Vogel @JoeVogel1 · 10h 10 hours ago
Tom Sneddon's legacy is his monomaniacal attempt to derail the career of one of our greatest artists and criminalize difference.

 

[terrell]

I am floored by this news because on Friday, I had a vision that Tom was dead. I did not know his conditions or nothing. I also thought abou the 83 year old woman who was on the jury of MJ and here it is that Old tom is gone. Oh well. I hope he repent is stupidity on how he treated MJ wrong. ANd cares what Diane D says. Of course she is going to build him up. No one cares what she thinks.

 

[terrell]

Tom Sneddon is a cold man going someplace very hot, hopefully! I refuse to pretend not feeling some kind of ... not happines, but satisfaction over this one.

I hope his last days were twice as painfull as Michael's days during the trial were!!!

I'm not ashamed to feel it.

I agree. I saw the man being dead on Friday before he died.

 

[terrell]

DD said Sneddon was the ONLY person who stood up to MJ. See that tell you something right there. That mean only her and this idoit wanted to LIE on MJ.

 

[XscapeTheLies]

I feel sorry for his family loss, often the closet people have no clue what people are really like. But, I actually laughed when I read it and proceeded to blare out D.S. for 3 repeat plays I don't care that he is dead, as Michael once said in an oh so not flattering impersonation of said guy "good riddance". My only real gripe with it is he will never be held accountable for his corruption and general arseholeness!!

 

[terrell]

And what I love about this, these evil people go while MJ LIVES ON with GREATNESS. On Friday, MJ was CELEBRATED while these demons go away and no one of importants will remember them. During the trail, TOm was looked at as a unprofessional DA. NO respect. And to DD, what else is she going to say, the only people who talks about her are MJ fans, no one else. she is not a real reporter and no crediable news outlet will hire her. Even courttv FIRED her @#% when they woke up about her.

 

[terrell]

You have to laugh at dimwit dimonds attempt to throw stones to hide her hands. coming from a "woman" that had pics of mj on her wall and made her entire "career" out of stalking and harrassing mj she sure does like to throw the rabid and crazy words around alot. funny as she fits that mantra perfectly. A little ironic to say the least. still defending her redneck bed buddy till the end you dont know whether to laugh or feel sorry for her. im sure all those who were persecuted by sneddon,dr sundaram the two sisters. gary dunlap and all the others in S.B will have a chuckle at her delusional claims of integrity.birds of a feather....

And even other reporters said that about him. I love Geraldo Rivera for continue to do tv rounds and say that about this DA.

 

[terrell]

I feel sorry for his family loss, often the closet people have no clue what people are really like. But, I actually laughed when I read it and proceeded to blare out D.S. for 3 repeat plays I don't care that he is dead, as Michael once said in an oh so not flattering impersonation of said guy "good riddance". My only real gripe with it is he will never be held accountable for his corruption and general arseholeness!!

I think most people who followed the trial and wanted TRUTh saw that about Sneddon. Only DD and Maureen Oath think highly of this guy (and we know they had something to gain).

 

[Yazman]

Now Tom Sneddon is a cold man temperature wise... IN THE MORGUE! he he he

 

[Bubs]

DD said Sneddon was the ONLY person who stood up to MJ. See that tell you something right there. That mean only her and this idoit wanted to LIE on MJ.

Somebody replied to Demon about that and pointed out the same thing.

Diane Dimond ?@DiDimond Nov 2
A man of integrity has died http://ow.ly/DGWlF For years law enforcement looked the other way. But not him. RIP, Sir Haters,don't bother


Elizabeth
?@StatenStories
.@DiDimond No, other law enforcement "looked the other way" because none of them except Sneddon were stupid enough to believe your fantasies
---------------------------

When somebody like Roger F call her "bottom feeding tabloid reporter", you know she is pile of garbage :rollin:

 

[OnirMJ]

I have a lot to say to Diane Demon, but unfortunately, she blocked me. But that is also good because that means that she read what I said to her the last time.

 

[maral]

I can't believe some of you are celebrating his death...

The man is dead, we should stop talking bad about him now.

No one of us really knew him, so i don't think we have the right to judge him...
I totally believe that MJ was innocent but sneddon didn't. That's why he acted like he did.

Yes it was a really hard time for Michael but it doesn't help that sneddon is dead now. Let's stop all this hate here.

I hope you can understand me

Lately I have stayed quiet. I rarely post because well I don't want to become too involved. But I felt like I need to reply to this post......
I don't think anyone here is dancing on the table to celebrate his death. Michael taught his fans better than that. But this man has brought nothing but misery to a person who he could not prove to be guilty. Even some who still believe MJ might have been guilty in some way (NOT ME) agree that this guy went too far. And when I think of how his vendetta led to June 25 09 it breaks my heart. So forgive us who are not wishing he'll rest peace after all he has done!