Recently released from prison, Genarlow Wilson wants to resume his life as a free man by furthering his education.
Wilson told reporters after his visit Sunday to historic Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta that he hopes to pursue a college degree in sociology or business, but hasn't yet determined where he will conduct his studies.more
The Georgia Supreme Court on Friday ordered the release of Genarlow Wilson, the Douglas County teenager who has been serving a controversial 10-year sentence for consensual oral sex.The court's 4-3 decision upholds a Monroe County judge's ruling that the sentence constituted cruel and unusual punishment under both the Georgia and U.S. constitutions.more
Saturday14th
With thunder overhead and rain threatening, about 2,000 marchers took to the streets in Douglas County today in support of Genarlow Wilson's release from state prison.
The group, led by the NAACP, marched from Douglasville High School to the county courthouse, chanting "Free Genarlow Wilson" and singing civil rights songs. more
A Douglas County Superior Court judge says Genarlow Wilson is not eligible for bond in his child molestation case, a new development that could keep Wilson behind bars for several months to come pending an appeal
Judge David Emerson issued an order Wednesday canceling a July 5 bond hearing for Wilson.
Genarlow Wilson should never have been criminally charged and imprisoned for receiving oral sex from a 15-year-old girl at a New Year's Eve party more than three years ago, the girl's mother says.
Veda Cannon said the sex between her daughter, Wilson and four other teens was consensual and regrets she didn't ask prosecutors not to charge them. more
"If any case fits into the definitive limits of a miscarriage of justice, surely this case does," he said.
"The fact that Genarlow Wilson has spent two years in prison for what is now classified as a misdemeanour, and without assistance from this court will spend eight more years in prison, is a grave miscarriage of justice."
However, Attorney-General Thurbert Baker said he would file an appeal against the ruling, stating that Georgia law did not give a judge authority to reduce or modify the sentence imposed by a trial court. more
No need for further comment.
Update and in depth from the Atlanta Journal.
no authority ... to reduce or modify the judgment of the trial court, in this case, the Superior Court of Douglas County."
Baker's decision angered civil rights activists, who held a news conference outside his office Monday and called on him to back off the appeal or resign.
"Go — as our designated champion of law and justice — and urge the courts to set this political prisoner free," the Rev. Joseph Lowery, a veteran civil rights activist wrote Baker on Thursday. "You are expected to be more than some robot obeying the whims [and errors] of some heartless machine... Where is your conscience, that you would allow this travesty to occur on your watch?" more
Nicely said.
A judge today ordered that Genarlow Wilson be freed from prison, where he has spent more than two years for receiving consensual oral sex from a 15-year-old girl when he was 17.
Monroe County Superior Court Judge Thomas Wilson also amended Wilson's felony conviction to a misdemeanor without the requirement that he register as a sex offender. more
Acpo also said cautions were likely to be given in cases where, for example, a 16-year-old boy had consensual sex with his 15-year-old girlfriend, who may be in the same class at school as him.
This would be a criminal offence - unlawful sexual intercourse with a girl under 16 - but would usually not be pursued through the courts.
But it said in any situation there would have to be a clear admission of guilt for a caution to be given and it did not represent a "letting off" as it left the offender with a criminal record and - in the case of a sex offence - the need to go on the sex offenders register. more
For a "crime" such as this, here in Britain and the rest of Europe, I think it would have been highly unlikely that a cop would even make note of it, let alone pursue it to the point of bringing it to trial.
Any such action would be met with ridicule, from the public, his peers, the prosecutor, and if it were ever to be brought before a judge there would be someone going away with a flea in his ear, and it would not be the defendant.
I have only given the case a cursory glance, but I note three factors, I am sure there are more; the kid is black, it involves the "icky" factor, which I write about in the link, and why am I not surprised, Georgia, which is also the setting for the linked story. ****
The comment about says it all really, anything further I might wish to add could quite easily turn into a rant so I shall refrain. It is good to read however that this case is coming up for review. (Dead)
This sordid case of law enforcement and judicial abuse becomes all too apparent in the reading of both articles.
**** The link (Dead) that I allude to in the comment.
