NEW YORK (June 13, 2005)—New York Law School Professor Richard Sherwin, a specialist in the relationships among law, popular culture, and film/television, is available to offer expert commentary on the Michael Jackson trial, which ended today with Jackson’s acquittal on all 10 counts against him.

“Lawyers are storytellers and when it comes to trials, especially criminal trials, the best story wins,” Sherwin said. “In the Jackson case, two opposing narratives converged on one theme: who is the real predator, who is the real victim? Was a conniving greedy pseudo-victim out to make a fast buck at an oddball superstar’s expense, or was Michael Jackson a sexual predator who criminally exploited the youths whose company his fame attracted? The verdict is clear: while odd, Jackson poses no danger. There was smoke, but no fire. The victim and those around him lacked sufficient credibility to pull off their claim. Their story folded. In the face of this weakness, the state's burden of proof could not be met.”

A former New York County prosecutor, Sherwin is available to discuss the way popular perceptions of the trial clashed with legal realities, and how the media contributed to this confusion.

Sherwin gained nationwide attention with his well-received book, When Law Goes Pop: The Vanishing Line Between Law and Popular Culture (University of Chicago Press, 2000), which focused on what happens when truth intermingles with fiction not only in the public's perception of the law but also in the persuasive strategies used by lawyers in our media-saturated society.

Sherwin teaches the course Visual Persuasion in the Law, the first of its kind in the nation to teach students about the use of visual persuasion in contemporary legal practice. Sherwin is a regular commentator for television, radio, and print media on the relationship between law, culture, and film, and has appeared on NBC's Today Show, CourtTV, WNET, and National Public Radio. For his full bio, visit http://www.nyls.edu/pages/400.asp.

Sherwin can be reached at 212.431.2868 or rsherwin@nyls.edu.

For additional assistance, please contact Edith Sachs in the Office of Public Affairs at New York Law School at 212.431.2187 (office), 917.376.6573 (cell), or via e-mail to esachs@nyls.edu.

For more information about New York Law School, visit www.nyls.edu.

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