Michael Jackson, found not guilty on all charges, tried for years to portray District Attorney Tom Sneddon as an overzealous prosecutor with a personal grudge, and Sneddon sometimes played into that caricature.
In "D.S.," an anti-Sneddon song on his 1995 album "HIStory," Jackson calls the prosecutor a "cold man" who is trying to "shock in every single way." Sneddon's gruff demeanor and often baffling sense of humor didn't help him shake perceptions that he was out to bring down an international pop star, who avoided criminal charges from 1993 molestation allegations.
But Sneddon and his supporters say he is driven by a strong desire to help victims, and especially children.
"My past history with Mr. Jackson had absolutely, unequivocally nothing to do with our evaluation of this particular case," Sneddon said on Monday, after the verdict came back. "That's been a nice little 30-second sound bite the media has used to try and justify this thing. But it never had anything to do with either the sheriff's investigation or our decision to file."
Sneddon, who has been a prosecutor for 35 years and has held his elected office for the past 22 years, has helped children through fundraisers, victims' advocacy programmes, and coaching youth sports.
"He's done more for kids in this community than anybody," said former Sheriff Jim Thomas, an NBC News analyst and close friend of Sneddon.
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