Max Clifford's Turn To Remember What He Was Doing Over 50 Years Ago.

[mikey4444]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-26463068

Clifford has been famous over the years for being able to fix things for celebrities, provided they have enough money to pay him. Will his undoubted skills in this area help him in the next few weeks ?

[Peter Pedant]

Oh god do you think this could be me... ?

one of my frenz answered a question in court:

if you want to know what I thought at 18 30 on that day - you really shouldnt be asking me five years later ....

for five - substitue fifty ....

[mikey4444]

Oh don't get me wrong here. If there is a charge to answer for, then he should be in Court. And if he's found guilty, then he should expect the full punishment of the law.

Its just that so many of these recent cases surrounding celebrities have resulted in acquittals, not because of any proven innocence but by the difficulty that the CPS faces in pring their case. Most of that difficulty lies in people having a good enough recall of events that happened so very long ago. That difficulty lies with witnesses as well as defendants.

[woofgang]

mikey, under UK law, innocence is presumed; guilt is what has to be proven. Thats the same for any defendant. Its not right to say that the acquittals are because of any difficulty the CPS faces in bringing the case, implying that the people are in fact guilty. You don't know that.

[Ann]

In his publicity job over the years, uncovering bits of embarrassing gossip etc - do you think certain people are out for revenge and the satisfaction of seeing him squirm?

[sir.prize]

If subsequently a jury says 'not guilty', no doubt we will again get the group of sceptics on AB bleating ''just because he is acquitted doesn't mean he is not guilty.''

If they believe that there is not much point in a trial by jury.

[anneasquith]

forget the names for a minute,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,if a person ' abused ' someone 30/50 years I think they would remember..if a person was abused 30/50 years ago. I think they would remember it,

[sherrardk]

Presumably the CPS has a reason for taking this to court.

[pixie373]

It's not a case of "belief", sirprize- that's how it works.

[EDDIE51]

Did I hear today that Max Clifford was named in the Rebecca Brookes trial as taking a £million bribe to keep quiet about the phone hacking scandal?

[mikey4444]

I am not for one moment suggesting that people acquitted in court cases are really guilty. If I have given that impression, then it certainly wasn't my intention.

I am merely suggesting that prosecuting someone for crimes committed 50 years ago is always going to be difficult as the events happened so long ago. There is little other evidence other than peoples memories and difficulty may occur with witnesses, as well as the defendant.

[sandyRoe]

Isn't, or wasn't, the casting couch as old as entertainment itself?

[naomi24]

What a mess all these historical trials are. These accusations emanate from a time when our culture was very different. As someone here said recently, anyone who didn’t get groped in those days must have been downright unattractive – or words to that effect. Few escaped it entirely. Unless the charge is one of violent sexual assault, or creepy predatory behaviour, for which evidence exists, as in the case of Savile, I really think all these accusers should get over it – if it happened at all - and move on.

[mikey4444]

I am tending to agree with you ( again !) naomi, but one of the charges involves a 14 years old.

[naomi24]

If that girl was 14 in 1984 she is now in her 40s – and if it happened at all she is old enough to put it down to experience as the majority do - including those who haven't spent much of their youth hanging around and chasing celebrities.

[sherrardk]

Put it behind her!!!

[mikey4444]

Perhaps that is exactly what Clifford did ?

[naomi24]

Perhaps he did and perhaps he didn't. Unless violence and force were involved, it's a fuss over nothing.

[ummmm]

Really?