Genarlow Wilson

by nheck on Jun 11, 2007 12:35 PM EDT

I know John and some of the others took an interest in this case so I thought it'd be nice to post this.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070611/ap_on_re_us/teen_sex_case

ATLANTA - A judge on Monday voided a 10-year sentence for a man accused of having consensual oral sex with a 15-year-old girl when he was 17. He instead gave Genarlow Wilson a 12-month misdemeanor sentence with credit for time already served.

The state is likely to appeal the ruling.

Wilson's original sentence, for aggravated child molestation, was widely criticized on the grounds it was grossly disproportionate to the crime, and state lawmakers later passed a law to close the loophole that led to the 10-year sentence.

Wilson, now 21, has already served more than 27 months. He could remain behind bars while the appeal proceeds.

A jury found the honor student guilty in 2005 of aggravated child molestation for having oral sex with a 15-year-old girl during a 2003 New Year's Eve party involving alcohol and marijuana. Although the sex act was consensual it was illegal under Georgia law.

Wilson was also charged with rape for being one of several male partygoers at the Douglas County hotel to have sex with a 17-year-old girl, but was acquitted. The party was captured on a videotape that was played for the jury.

Several influential people, including former President Jimmy Carter, stepped forward to support Wilson.

Wilson's lawyers could be heard applauding in their office after the order was released.

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Outside the Lines

I saw the entire ESPN Outside the Lines piece on Genarlow. IIRC, basically the others accused of rape plead out to get lesser sentences. They either knew they were guilty or didn't think they'd get a good enough defense in court to refute the video evidence.

Genarlow didn't want to plead guilty. He didn't want to serve time nor did he want to permanently be labeled a sex offender. He decided to take on the charge despite their being video evidence. The prosecutors tacked on the 2nd charge to the rape.

Jurors were recently interviewed in the piece about the case and thought he did commit the rape. But they stated it was not unanimous in the jurors room. Rather than continue to hang, it sounds like they agreed to find him guilty of what they assumed would be a lesser charge. The piece stated jurors are not aware of the possible sentences. Many of them were shocked to find out the penalty was 10 years for the charge would be 10 years.

The formal charge Genarlow is in prison sounds a little silly. But it sounds like he very well could have been convicted for gang banging a girl who was too trashed to resist or even pick herself up off the floor. So he's not a sympathetic figure in my book.

by I Love Oakland As on Jun 11, 2007 1:00 PM EDT reply actions

That's not true

I saw the video evidence. He was sitting on the edge of the bed while she was performing a 'favor'. She wasn't some helpless puddle being taken advantage of. She even included that in her testimony. Get your facts straight. This was a gross mis-carriage of justice IMO.

If Clemens and Smoltz face off in a deciding Game 7, we could witness the perfect storm of nonsensical comments from Bravesin07 and NYYLover1000 - gatling

by slurve on Jun 11, 2007 3:52 PM EDT up reply actions

2 charges...

From the article copied above:

"A jury found the honor student guilty in 2005 of aggravated child molestation for having oral sex with a 15-year-old girl during a 2003 New Year's Eve party involving alcohol and marijuana. Although the sex act was consensual it was illegal under Georgia law.

So there is concentual oral sex with a 15 year old and sex, presumably vaginal, with a 17 year old. I assume it was the 17 year old that was intoxicated and unresponsive.

by cooper7d7 on Jun 11, 2007 5:22 PM EDT up reply actions

no

"Rather than continue to hang..."

That sounds way off-base to me. The jury voted to acquit him of rape within an hour of deliberation.

by FI @ Minor League Ball on Jun 11, 2007 4:12 PM EDT up reply actions

Hopefully he can pick up the pieces

he was a hell of a high school football player.......hopefully someone gives him a shot at the college level (he had multiple schools following him before this all blew up) and he eventually makes the pros.........kid richly deserved a second chance and it's a relief that common sense has finally won out

by Wheelhouse on Jun 11, 2007 3:48 PM EDT reply actions

lesson learned?

First, let me say he shouldn't have been in prison. But there are lessons to be learned here for young people I think.

Hopefully some young people will see this and decline the invitation to a hotel room party with drugs and alcohol. Maybe that is wishful thinking on my part, but that is what I hope comes of it. Had he shown good judgement and either not shown up, or, more likely, left the party when people were gangbanging a 15 year old (whether she as completely drunk or sober) none of this would have happened.

The girl in this case is as sad to me as he is. For a 15 year old to be doing these sorts of things is both sad, and scary, as the father of two young girls. I would wish for her and all young women that they wouldn't feel the need to perform such acts to feel important and valued.

by spidurfan on Jun 11, 2007 4:48 PM EDT reply actions

I think

people really lose touch with what it's like to be in our middle teens once they "grow up." I'm willing to bet she was just plain horny, not looking for acceptance so much. I'm sure that's part of it, but c'mon, teenagers have and always will act like teenagers. Raging hormones can make you do dumber things than drugs or alcohol.

If Clemens and Smoltz face off in a deciding Game 7, we could witness the perfect storm of nonsensical comments from Bravesin07 and NYYLover1000 - gatling

by slurve on Jun 11, 2007 5:24 PM EDT up reply actions

huh

personally i think girls running around giving dudes hummers is a lot more about acceptance than it is about them "being horny". i mean, think about it.

by wily mo on Jun 11, 2007 6:49 PM EDT up reply actions

that's my point

it's not necessrily about doing something with 1 person, its the multiple partner nature of it that bothers me a little more. I think it's safe to say a 15 year old who is participating in gangbangs has some self esteem issues. And I do remember being a teenager very vividly, it wasn't so long ago. To say that this behavior is teenagers being teenagers is lazy in my mind.

by spidurfan on Jun 11, 2007 7:01 PM EDT up reply actions

So when

grown, consenting adults attend an orgy, it's about acceptance? I'm not buying it.

If Clemens and Smoltz face off in a deciding Game 7, we could witness the perfect storm of nonsensical comments from Bravesin07 and NYYLover1000 - gatling

by slurve on Jun 11, 2007 7:18 PM EDT up reply actions

i don't know

what it's about when grown adults do it, maybe it is. I would argue that adults have a better ability to make mature decisions and recognize the consequences of their actions than 15 years olds do. That's why there are laws to protect young people

All I'm saying is that I would hope some young people would see this incident and say to themselves that the next time they are in a situation that seems to be getting out of hand they would remove themselves from the situation. Similar to finding themselves in the car with a drunk driver and deciding to get out of the vehicle. That's all.

And if you don't feel that 15-17 year olds getting drunk and high, and video taping gangbangs in a hotel room is a situation that is getting or has gotten out of hand, then we'll just have to agree to disagree.

by spidurfan on Jun 11, 2007 7:34 PM EDT up reply actions

+1

No, I'm not condoning it or even trying to say that wasn't too far, but at the same time I just didn't totally agree with the assertion that it was all about a lack of self worth or wanting to be accepted - I did say I agreed that had something to do with it. I totally agree adults have a beter ability to make better decisions, but whether it's adults or teens, the root of a choice like that is definately based in wanting to get your rocks off IMO. When that is part of the equation, better judgement can easily go by the wayside - adult or teen.

If Clemens and Smoltz face off in a deciding Game 7, we could witness the perfect storm of nonsensical comments from Bravesin07 and NYYLover1000 - gatling

by slurve on Jun 11, 2007 9:48 PM EDT up reply actions

still not feeling it.

what you're saying isn't that unreasonable on the surface, and yet for some reason, something about it really bothers me.

(a) 15-year-old girls don't have rocks.
(b) even if they did, giving out trabajos del soplo would not get them off.
(c) you say people don't remember what it's like to be a teenager, implying that horniness is all. but i do remember what it was like to be a teenager, and what i remember about it - and maybe my experience differed from yours - was a constant, overarching pressure to fit in, to be accepted or just to keep your head down - ideally, to be cool. and nothing feels cooler (i found out after surviving high school and making it to college) than being in the hotel room where the real party is going on. and there are a variety of ways of getting yourself into that hotel room, some healthier than others.

by wily mo on Jun 11, 2007 11:31 PM EDT up reply actions

Alphabet

A.) It's an expression about getting off - not a direct reference to testicles.

B.) Not true. Many women say that does trip their trigger. In fact many say it does more for them than being on the receiving end. I don't understand that, but if I did, I'd probably understand women a lot better.

C.) I'm not saying hormones are everthing, but they sure do dictate (no pun intended) the rationale of the average teenager - it weighs heavily. I'm not saying I'm the only one to remember what it's like to be a teen, but I am saying that adults at times fail to remember just how intense those urges can be at times and try to apply their current, more mature way of thinking to these situations.

If Clemens and Smoltz face off in a deciding Game 7, we could witness the perfect storm of nonsensical comments from Bravesin07 and NYYLover1000 - gatling

by slurve on Jun 12, 2007 7:39 AM EDT up reply actions

God your such a loser.

If Clemens and Smoltz face off in a deciding Game 7, we could witness the perfect storm of nonsensical comments from Bravesin07 and NYYLover1000 - gatling

by slurve on Jun 11, 2007 7:16 PM EDT up reply actions