Jackson's Fans Still Love Him

The charges against Michael Jackson may be serious, but his fans remain unwavering in their support.

After being released Thursday on $3 million bail after surrendering on child molestation charges, Jackson waved to reporters and flashed a V-sign before leaving the jail in a vehicle that returned him to the airport.

His assistants tried to shield him from a phalanx of TV cameras by holding up sheets, but he was visible to helicopter cameras. Groups of people on roadsides waved at his passing motorcade and some ran up to the car whenever it stopped.

One person along the route held up a homemade sign proclaiming "Moonwalk 2 jail," a reference to the entertainer's signature dance moves.

It was all quite a spectacle.

"I never thought anything would top OJ in my lifetime, but this is already pushing it, because we never saw anything like this, even in OJ," legal analyst Laurie Levenson of Loyola Marymount told CBS News.

The self-styled King of Pop returned by private jet to Las Vegas, where he had been filming a music video Tuesday — the day authorities swarmed his Neverland Ranch in Santa Barbara County.

There, instead of shunning the spotlight, he seemed to welcome it, reports CBS News Early Show National Correspondent Hattie Kauffman, greeted by fans as he rode through the city. When his convoy got stuck in traffic, fans surged forward to show their support. Jackson responded, rolling down the window to shake hands.

CBS News Correspondent Stephan Kaufman sampled other reaction in Las Vegas to Jackson's return.

"This is a good town for an accused child molester to be in because they have strict rules about where kids can be and everything," said cab driver Blake Fawecett.

"It's a dirty town. It's probably where he should be hanging out," said Australian tourist John Clarke.

But year-round resident Mike Moscoso didn't welcome Jackson's return.

"If they have something on him, then he shouldn't be walking around. They should get him out," said Moscoso, adding some advice for the entertainer: "Get your act together and grow up. Grow up and get out of here. Go be a man."

"He understands the people who are outraged, because if these charges were true, I assure you Michael would be the first to be outraged," attorney Mark Geragos said outside the jail.

Setting the stage for what could be one of the most sensational celebrity court cases, the pop superstar, his wrists bound in handcuffs, surrendered Thursday to authorities to face allegations of child molestation.

Jackson was booked, fingerprinted and photographed, and was ordered to appear in court Jan. 9 for arraignment.

The next step is for formal charges to be filed against Jackson, reports CBS News Correspondent Steve Futterman. There is no indication when exactly that will take place, but the Santa Barbara district attorney says it will not be before Thanksgiving.

"Lies run sprints, but the truth runs marathons. The truth will win this marathon in court," the entertainer said in a statement issued by spokesman Stuart Backerman.

"I'm here to tell you today, Michael has given me the authority to say on his behalf these charges are categorically untrue. He looks forward to getting into a courtroom as opposed to any other forum and confronting these accusations head on," Geragos said.

Jackson's brother, Jermaine, denounced the allegations in a television interview.

"The whole family supports Michael 100 percent," he said. "This is nothing but a modern day lynching."

Jackson dominated popular music in the 1980s with his catchy dance music, but his career has been in decline. His reputation was damaged in part by a similar allegation 10 years ago that never resulted in charges because the alleged victim declined to cooperate with police.

Jackson, who reportedly paid a multimillion-dollar settlement in that case, has maintained his innocence.

The district attorney has said the youngster in the latest case is cooperating with investigators and has no plans to sue. He also said prosecutors could be helped by a law, passed since the earlier Jackson investigation, that was designed to keep civil suits from interfering with criminal cases.

Authorities would say little about the most recent allegations beyond referring to the arrest warrant, which alleges violations of a law prohibiting lewd or lascivious acts with a child under 14. Such a crime is punishable by three to eight years in prison.

Media reports have said the alleged victim is a 12- or 13-year-old boy who visited Jackson at his Neverland Ranch, where the singer was known to hold sleepovers for children and share his bed with youngsters. The boy may have had cancer, and may have been helped financially by Jackson.

Geragos is handling another high-profile case, that of accused wife-killer Scott Peterson, but CBS News Legal Analyst Mickey Sherman doesn't think that's overload.

"I don't know any criminal lawyer who does not have more than one big case at any given time," he said on CBS News' Early Show. "Across this country, every public defender whose name you'll never know handles seven, eight, nine cases of this magnitude in terms of seriousness, not in terms of media exposure."

While Jackson's career has faded as his behavior has gotten increasingly bizarre, his last album, 2001's "Invincible," sold about 2 million copies — great numbers for most artists but far below his once phenomenal sales.