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ESPN Front Page Follow Up to Kid Imprisoned 10 Years for Having Oral Sex

sports.espn.go.com — This is an excellent, front page ESPN.com article about the teenager, Genarlow Wilson, who was imprisoned in Georgia for 10 years for having consensual oral sex with a minor while he was still a minor. Original digg story has over 3500+ Diggs.

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  • econoar, on 10/12/2007, -6/+381I'll speak for all of us in saying that this story is beyond fu**ed up and something should be done about getting him out immediatly.
    • anarchyinthekr, on 10/12/2007, -1/+250this is one of the saddest examples of a justice system i have ever heard of...like the article says, there is no one who believes he deserves this sentence and i can't even express my anger that anyone, nevermind such a promising kid, is serving 10 years for this
    • PimpinOnWelfare, on 10/12/2007, -44/+106I at least hope the head was good ...
    • laserick, on 10/12/2007, -14/+158This is the second digg story I've read today about blowjobs. It's also the second digg story I've read today.
    • Nuhkka, on 10/12/2007, -161/+7but did he blend?
    • mistarojaz, on 10/12/2007, -5/+25cant someone like pardon him for this? i mean i dont know for sure, but for some reason I thought that governors had the power to pardon people.
      Im sure president Bush could pardon this dude. Maybe we should all write letters to him and convince him that this will probably really boost his approval rating.

      Edit: i guess i should have read lower
    • patw85, on 10/12/2007, -2/+106Sign the petition to the Georgia General Assembly:

      "I register my outrage and object to the wrongful conviction of Genarlow Wilson for Aggravated Child Molestation for a consensual sexual act with another teen. A ten year prison sentence is wrong. He should not have to register as a sexual offender."

      Free Genarlow Wilson.

      http://www.wilsonappeal.com/petition.php
    • scrag10, on 10/12/2007, -7/+28complete BS get that kid outta there and give him 20 millions dollars. ***** that sucks.
    • TheCount, on 10/12/2007, -64/+21I agree he should be let out.

      But I mean, damn, what kind of crazy party were they having? 15 year old girl involved in an orgy? Who let them have a hotel room to themselves at that age?

      I mean this guy isn't exactly free of blame. My sister was 15 (which is a freshman) once, and if I had found out something like this happened with a senior, I would have beat the ***** out of the guy.
    • voteforblank, on 10/12/2007, -59/+33First off.. I'm WHITE and from New England... But I can tell you first hand that in Atlanta or Georgia for that matter the Black man is always second class there. The South is the South no matter how you look at it.

      You won't find a Black man who is a manager over Whitey
      You won't find a Black man who makes decisions over Whitey
      and for Hells sake you won't find a Black man who doesn't know that the South is the South.

      We haven't gone no where in 200 years down South.
    • imcompa, on 10/12/2007, -8/+38@TheCount: Good thing you didn't find out.
    • adamsucks, on 10/12/2007, -6/+74TheCount, how can you possibly say you agree he should be let out, then turn around and say that *****?

      Yeah, of course you'd be tempted to kick any guy's ass who had sex with your little sister. But keep in mind, she gave HIM oral sex. It's not like he put a gun to her head. SHE is the one that was smoking weed, drinking liquor, and handing out BJs. Where does personal responibility come in here? Also keep in mind, it's only a 2 year difference.. the same as if your sis was 17 and the guy was 19, or if your sis was 48 and the guy was 50. Not a very big deal, is it? There's NOTHING wrong with it. It's natural for people to become sexually active any time after puberty. The problem here is that a bunch of old farts with ultra high 1940's era morals deem it "disgusting" and "wrong", simply because of the number 15.

      You have every right to be protective of a sister.. but by saying that, you're no better than the people that put him in prison.
    • TheCod, on 10/12/2007, -33/+8There is no such thing as consentual sex for minors. Minors do not have the right to consent to sexual acts, which is why it is considered rape. It doesn't matter if he is a minor as well, which he wasn't because the age of sexual consent in Georgia is 16.

      I'm not saying I think he should have gone to prison, I just think the poster should get the facts straight before he skews everything.
    • broomett, on 10/12/2007, -15/+2adamsuck...your comment is just silly. To say "you are no better than the people that put him in prison" becuae he questioned why they were in that situation is ridiculous.
    • skyshock21, on 10/12/2007, -2/+20This is absolute *****. I'm ashamed that this is my home state in which this is happening. I need to move out of here, ASAP if this sort of ***** still goes on here.
    • MiddleGirth, on 10/12/2007, -10/+70voteforblank
      "First off.. I'm WHITE and from New England... But I can tell you first hand that in Atlanta or Georgia for that matter the Black man is always second class there. The South is the South no matter how you look at it.

      You won't find a Black man who is a manager over Whitey
      You won't find a Black man who makes decisions over Whitey
      and for Hells sake you won't find a Black man who doesn't know that the South is the South.

      We haven't gone no where in 200 years down South."
      ___________________________________________________________

      I'm in atlanta, and I am Whitey. Of the 40 some odd employees here, I am one of 2 whitey. Most of the supervisors here are not whitey, some are. Atlanta is 89% Black, so I'm pretty much the minority here.

      The mayor of atlanta is a black female and I'm pretty sure that wouldn't have happened 200 years ago.
    • birkoph, on 10/12/2007, -6/+51Dude your country is F***ED UP!!

      I'm just going to stay up here and chill the the rational polar bears.
    • scott983, on 10/12/2007, -1/+85Eddie Barker was the prosecutor and has the power to reduce his sentance or set aside the conviction. Call him, write him, fax him, and let him know what you think.

      http://pview.findlaw.com/cmd/profileview?wld_id=1941751_1&channel=&print=1

      Eddie Barker
      Firm: Douglas County District Attorney Off.
      Address: Douglas County Cthse
      Room 205
      6754 Broad St
      Douglasville, GA 30134-1711
      Phone: (770) 920-7292
      Fax: (770) 920-7123
    • scott983, on 10/12/2007, -0/+18and I think the email is ebarker@co.douglas.ga.us ... but I think phone calls and faxes will do more good than email

      fax from faxzero.com for free (until they call the number and block it)
    • TheCount, on 10/12/2007, -16/+4@adamsucks

      Maybe you can explain to me where it is I said he deserves to be in jail for what happened.

      I said he deserved a good old fashioned ass-kicking, not jail time. Nowhere in my statement did I clear the girl of blame, as a matter of fact, my second sentence asks why the girl was even there in the first place.

      My point is that this guy is no saint, so let's not pretend he was out there feeding the homeless and the cops just grabbed him off the street and threw him in jail. There's also a HUGE difference between being "sexually active" and a bunch of teenagers in a hotel room running trains on each other.
    • stepnet, on 10/12/2007, -1/+20@theCount:
      Seriously, I know how you feel - it's natural to feel protective of a sister. I certainly feel that way about mine. But I've never felt like protecting her from her free will. Her choices are hers, I will give advice, then support what she chooses to do.

      But by all reports in the article (including that of the girl) this was a voluntary act. She was there of her own will, it was her choice. He forced nothing, in fact it doesn't sound like he even had any idea how old she was. She didn't even want him punished.

      This is a tragic miscarriage of justice.
    • stepnet, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5@thecount
      Sorry, missed edit time:

      I just wanted to add, that I agree that he isn't a saint. He should be viewed the same as any other red blooded male (or female).
    • badboibillie, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2See this is where it's tough. That's the whole reasons they have these laws in the first place. You can argue all day about how 'consensual' it was and what that means but that's why they have these age limits. The reasons are to protect minors. Yah some minors are mature and grown up and make wise decisions, but just the same age ranged kids make dumb mistakes, are mislead and easily manipulated or coerced to do things that anyone else would never do. You can also say peer pressue, alcohol, drugs all cloud people's judgements. So the whole point of the law (even it said in the article) was to protect more against pedophiles. It was obviously a huge error and should have been given special circumstances and makes you wonder really why nothing has been done. Heck even ESPN put it on the front page!

      Like the article says, it's probably a bunch of nonsense "backroom politcal" crap. That's just really sad.
    • tvc15, on 10/12/2007, -1/+6@ TheCount
      you need to watch this if you can sometime
      http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/georgia/

      unfortunately, its an old episode of frontline that doesn't stream. all the new ones do.
      Synopsis: '"The Lost Children of Rockdale County" explores how a 1996 syphilis outbreak in a well-off Atlanta suburb affected over 200 teenagers and revealed their lives unknown to parents: group sex, binge drinking, drugs and violence. Some were as young as twelve and thirteen years old.'

      in the show, teens spoke of routinely "running trains on each other" as you put it in both hotel rooms that they rented with their allowances and also in vans parked at strip malls. kids as young as 12 routinely snuck out after midnight when their parents were asleep. they had parties where they watched porn and scene by scene re-created what they were watching. the outbreak involved over 200 kids in an upper income neighborhood.
    • gincarnated, on 10/12/2007, -4/+2People still wonder why there are a high percentage of black people in jail? Not to mention all the people in jail for petty drug offenses that would have otherwise been overlooked if their skin color was lighter.
    • cleverboy, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2Why he didn't take a plea:
      http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=2821129
    • aragon127, on 10/12/2007, -7/+1For those too lazy to read the article, he says "totally worth it"
    • khyberkitsune, on 10/12/2007, -2/+5The Boondocks cartoon, episode 2 I believe, has Riley explaining this perfectly. Except this isn't R.Kelly and a teen, this is two teenagers, both consenting.

      That would be my opinion on this. If they have the cognizance to realize they're getting pissed on, would they either stand there and love it, or get the ***** out the way?

      This girl WANTED it, and she gave it out, blow for blow, literally!

      If the other guys were older, yea, register them. He was a minor when this happened, just like she was a minor TWO YEARS younger. two years? *****! back in teh beginning of america, we had 18-30+ year old men, sometimes older, marrying 14 year old girls! WAKE THE ***** UP!
    • threemagic, on 10/12/2007, -13/+4Look, I'll be dugg down just like I was when this story was originally posted. I posted the article that made the front page of what really happened.

      These kids did something extemely wrong. Now, it's up to the parents of these children to explain what's right and wrong. The parents of the teen girls were obviously very bad parents. The parent of this teen in jail should have explained to him that girls that age are off limits. They are easily mislead by older teens and make poor choices based on their need for acceptance. This kid preyed on that and the PA was sympathetic. He offered all of them plea bargains. Most of the kids took it, this one didn't. Unfortunately that gamble cost him and now he is serving jail time for the crime he DID willfully commit. Does the punishment fit this particular case? No..but it's the path HE chose. He knew the risks.

      You all talk about the girls personal responsibility for what she did. He has some as well. It's not like he didn't know the crime he committed carried this sentence. He was given a choice.

    • DigiRaven, on 10/12/2007, -5/+2the person who thought of this that put him behind bars needs the ***** beaten out. I know for one thing if a 40 year old man had oral sex with a 15 year old that he needs to be ass raped but its another that a 17 year old is with a 15 year old. Why are assholes and morons being elected into office? This is so f'ed up I'm foaming at the mouth.
    • thewatchman, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3you don't speak for me
    • Kishoba, on 10/12/2007, -2/+4@threemagic
      "This kid preyed on that and the PA was sympathetic. He offered all of them plea bargains. Most of the kids took it, this one didn't. Unfortunately that gamble cost him and now he is serving jail time for the crime he DID willfully commit. Does the punishment fit this particular case? No..but it's the path HE chose. He knew the risks.

      You all talk about the girls personal responsibility for what she did. He has some as well. It's not like he didn't know the crime he committed carried this sentence. He was given a choice."

      You must be out of your mind. If you truly believe that the majority of high schooler's would believe that they would get a 10 year sentance to prison for doing this you need a reality check. And yes - personal responsibility does fall on every body - but let's be realistic here. You said it yourself that he doesn't deserve this sentence, yet where's the responsibility of the prosecution? The judge? The legislation? The article explicitly states the hot potato action of everyone of these people. And of course he is not going to plea bargain. You said that you submitted the article yet you didn't read that he would have had to agree to being a child molester and would have no longer been able to live with his little sister. If you thought that you didn't do anything wrong, as is evident in this guy's case, how the ***** could you ever consider this a bargain??? Explain that or shut the hell up jerk off.
    • Sippi, on 10/12/2007, -1/+9I wish President Bush would take 3 minutes out of his busy day and pardon this poor kid. Just a quick flick of a pen and he is free.
    • Xageroth, on 10/12/2007, -1/+6I don't think Bush would pardon him because it doesn't fall in line with the pseudo-moral culture he represents. :(
      Here's hoping I'm wrong tho.
    • jer2eydevil88, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3***** calling the prosecutor and ***** this ***** keeping the poor kid in prison!

      Call or write the god damn governor and make it known that we the people want a full pardon if not apology for this kid.
      Office of the Governor, Georgia State Capitol, Atlanta, GA 30334
      Office Phone: 404-656-1776
      Governors name: Sonny Perdue

      http://www.gov.state.ga.us/about_gov.shtml
    • MisterSam, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3I joined digg so I could digg this.

      I wrote an email to all the state representatives, feel free to change this up and email it to anyone who has power:

      Dear Sir/Madam,

      I understand a person in your position has little time but I ask for you to take a minute or two to think about an unbelievable miss-carriage of justice which has occurred as regards the imprisonment of this promising young man. A young man who by all accounts had a great future ahead of him and would have been credit to our great country. Would you think it fair if your offspring was imprisoned for ten years amongst hardened criminals merely for consensual sex between two teenagers?

      I believe the public wants this boy to be pardoned and indeed there would be strong public approval for any official who takes a stand on this issue. For more information I suggest you read this story ( http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/eticket/story?page=wilson).

      I have never tried before to make a difference as I always believed my small voice wouldn't be heard, however this story has affected me so much I decided to try. I only hope if enough people like me can push their own small pebble, together we can create an avalanche.

      I thank you for your time and anything within your power which can be done would be a great help.

      Yours Sincerely,
    • ophilye, on 10/12/2007, -9/+3First of all, RTFAs before making your choice.

      I was with you, outraged at consensual sex when the parties are 2 years apart.
      HOWEVER... you need to read further

      1) There were other guys same age there that night. They all did plea-bargains of sorts so it didn't go to court. They got MUCH lesser sentences.
      2) Genarlow Wilson was a stuck-up snob boy that beleived he was in the right. His lawyer did not bother to look at the laws of the state, and he refused to get the lesser sentences with the rest of the group that night.
      3) Regardless of whether it was right, the letter of the law states that oral sex is worse than sex. Regardless of whether it was right or not, he did this thing. He made it go to court. The court has no choice but to follow the letter of the law. That is the entire POINT of a court, to follow the letter of the law.

      10 years is a long time, the law should probably be changed to allow leeway for cases like this.

      HOWEVER, had he LOOKED at the law, or not been so goddamn cocky that he was untouchable, he would have pled earlier and had nowhere NEAR that sentence. This is a case of Hubris coming before the fall.

      Just the facts, ma'am. DO NOT HAVE SEX WITH MINORS IN GEORGIA... and if you do... plea bargain, cuz the courts will give you the minimum, which is still too much.
    • manova, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4@ jer2eydevil88
      From what I can tell researching on google, the Georgia governor does not have the authority to pardon. It is with the State Board of Pardons and Paroles: http://www.pap.state.ga.us/opencms/opencms/

      Now here is where it gets worse. According to the Atlanta Legal Aid Society website:
      http://www.atlantalegalaid.org/criminalrecord.htm
      "There are several requirements to qualify for a pardon:
      1. You must finish serving all your sentences AND then wait at least 5 years before requesting a pardon..."

      So evidently, he cannot be pardoned until he finishes his 10 years. WTF?!?!

    • wargod18, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2I wanted this as close to the top as possible. This just shows how crappy our goverment can be if your going to fax them set your email as freegenarlow@gmail.com.
    • DJCult, on 10/12/2007, -4/+2...why ESPN? Are BJ's a national sport now?
    • theImposs1ble, on 10/12/2007, -2/+4Here is a picture of the District Douche bag General
      http://www.celebratedouglascounty.com/cgi-bin/MySQLdb?VIEW=/officials/viewimg.txt&deptid=203

      He looks like he collects Nazi memorabilia. Good ol' southern boys, sleep with a bible under their pillow and their foot on top of someone else's head.

      theres a reason we won, god punished you for being assholes.
    • mistarojaz, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1***** dude, if you're going to write to congress, at least have someone look over your spelling mistakes, its miscarriage not miss-carriage
    • definiteform, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3Way to go Peach State. You make Texas look not so bad now.
    • diggboi, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3A letter-writing cavalcade seems like a good approach. I used to teach rhetoric at the University of Georgia, so I wrote to the two offending douche-bags in question (***** Attorney Barker and ***** Attorney McDade), and cc:'d all of my state legislators and State Senators (including the Senator from Douglas County, Bill Hamrick). Hopefully, they'll listen to thousands of irate emails, esp. from people who vote for them and teach their children at UGA.

      Add your voice to those who have written them already (email addresses below). Let these draconian bastards feel the full heat of the digg effect every morning as they sit down to their inboxes. (and yes, I moved away from GA two years ago to escape ***** thinking like this)

      my email:

      From: [me]
      Subject: Genarlow Wilson injustice
      To: dmcdade@co.douglas.ga.us, ebarker@co.douglas.ga.us
      Cc: brian.kemp@senate.ga.gov, bill.hamrick@senate.ga.gov, jbvkidd@aol.com, ralph.hudgens@senate.ga.gov, michael.meyer@senate.ga.gov, john.bulloch@senate.ga.gov
      Bcc: [me]


      Dear sirs;

      As a resident and proud son of the great state of Georgia, who grew up from humble beginnings in rural Decatur County down South to become a proud faculty member at our flagship institution, the University of Georgia in Athens, I cannot sit by without raising my voice in opposition to the disgusting miscarriage of justice that continues today. You simply must free this young man immediately, by any means necessary.

      I know what it feels like to be in your shoes--I know what it feels like to have parents intrust you with the protection of their children. But sirs, that is precisely what you are faling to do here, now, for this young man. Blending pragmatism, gravity, compassion, and justice, it is your sworn duty to protect the rights of a 17-year-old child under your charge--yes, even when he breaks the law. He has served his time for his error in judgment....and then some.

      I used to teach the Marcus Dixon case in my classes at UGA, as a stark lesson to my students about just how far we had left to go as a culture and as a state justice system. It saddens me to think that now I have another round of classes to repeat the same needless, sad lesson with--this time bearing the equally tragic figure of Genarlow Wilson in his stead.

      Please look into your hearts and grow to respect that Genarlow is standing up for what he believes in, not simply being prideful, and please realize that the eyes of the nation that are now turned upon you, online and in the voting public, stand in solid agreement that he should be released. His punishment should reflect the new, current law, not the archaic, draconian past of which we are rightfully ashamed.

      The laws of a nation should reflect the will of the people--at the very least the constituency that comprises the law's jurisdiction. It should be painfully clear to you by now that we strongly believe that this injustice needs to be remedied immediately. Be strong. Do the right thing.

      Cordially,

      [me]


    • rawdog79, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I would like to know what the girl and her parents have to say about this situation.
    • sabotank, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1call bill clinton. maybe when hillary's elected he can talk her into pardoning him......
  • hesserjw, on 10/12/2007, -14/+88Diggers Unite,

    I dont often post on the site, just more of a digger and by-stander however, reading this article on ESPN absolutely makes my blood boil. This is not fair and is complete bull-*****.

    Apparently prejudice/racism in the south is still real, however in the north, this ***** will not be tolerated. Please help digg this to the front page, I'm looking into getting a petition going to send to the Georgia legislature, and also trying to DIGG up that ***** prosecutor's email address.
    • scatfly, on 10/12/2007, -6/+35"Apparently prejudice/racism in the south is still real, however in the north, this ***** will not be tolerated."

      Haha, "will not be tolerated", i am just as upset as you are, but this is just a little over the top on your part. Not everyone in the south is tolerating this so-called prejudice/racism. Oh, your northern politicians will not do *****.
    • phmfthacim, on 10/12/2007, -11/+6both of you are right in most ways I think.

      the south lets this ***** up ***** happen, and the northern politicians don't give a *****.

      much of the north has just as much racism as anywhere else. I have some friends who moved to the south from the midwest because the midwest had too much racism.

      ***** out leaders, they aren't doing *****.
    • phmfthacim, on 10/12/2007, -2/+4lordy,
      I meant to say "our" when I said "out"
    • MiddleGirth, on 10/12/2007, -1/+37District Attorney David McDade
      District Attorney's Office, Main Floor, Courthouse
      8700 Hospital Drive
      Douglasville, Georgia 30134
      Phone: 770.920.7292
      Fax: (770) 920-7123

      Couldn't find E-mail. :(
    • Hegemony, on 10/12/2007, -2/+1The number of people on digg could make an impact. Everyone should sign the petition further up the page. Can anyone dig up the contact info for the prosecutor or DA? The article said that he could set aside the verdict. Maybe a few thousand emails could convince him to re-evaluate his stance?

      Edit: Ah, just as I post I see that someone has indeed found some info on him. An email would be best, but it's better than nothing.
    • nixonrichard, on 10/12/2007, -0/+11This is the big problem with mandatory sentences . . . they are totally inflexible; however, many people argue they are necessary to PREVENT racism. By that I mean white people getting off with a slap on the wrist while black people go to prison. Often statutory rape is rape regardless of the situation, but not all rape is equal.

      The lesson here really should be:

      1) KNOW the law in whatever state/country you are in. Don't break it unless you REALLY, REALLY need to bust a nut and you trust the girl and her parents.

      2) Write you local state representative whenever these strict mandatory sentencing laws come around. Don't believe the ***** lawmakers use when they say "this will only be used to deal with the worst scum in society" . . . it will be used against ANYONE, even good, nice, honest people.
    • MiddleGirth, on 10/12/2007, -0/+28Following the format for other officials at the county, it MAY be

      dmcdade@co.douglas.ga.us

      Edit*** Success!
    • KidVicious, on 10/12/2007, -2/+6It looked like more than half the jurors were black. I don't think this is a race issue.
    • LordLucless, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3@nixonrichard: It doesn't matter how well you know the girl or her parents - IIRC, crimes like these are at the discretion of the public prosecutor. Neither the girl nor her parents need to press charges, the state will on their behalf.
    • badboibillie, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1With that law still effective at the time of the case, the jurors and the prosecutors had to rule according to it. But doesn't mean they didn't agree it was right - like the article said some were 'incensed' when they heard the penalty. He did break the law, but with the revision in place and people having the power to overturn things, 2 years in is too long a time.
  • Quake120, on 10/12/2007, -0/+60The Governor and/or the President of the USA have the power to pardon him (Not 100% sure on the governor, but the pres can pardon anybody). Instead of trying to convince the completely heartless lawmakers to let him free, we could always try to get a pardon of some kind, although that is unlikely.
    A promising student who would likely be a very good part of society who had CONSENSUAL sex should NOT be in jail for 10 years. By the time he gets out, he will have deep resentment for all of society who have been free while he's been locked up.
    The legal system in this country is seriously ***** up. I always thought judges INTERPRET the law and provide punishments that fit the crime.
    10 years does NOT fit this crime!

    • Egotrippin, on 10/12/2007, -15/+1Pardoning of prisoners is a federal responsibility, so it would be Georgia's Governors call.
    • nreynolds, on 10/12/2007, -0/+10@ Egotrippin

      If it's a federal responsibility, why would the governor make the call?

      But it IS based on a state law. So shouldn't the governor make the call?
    • j01101010, on 10/12/2007, -0/+6@nreynolds

      you are completely correct, the president has the ability to pardon people convicted of a federal crime. federal == national law (thats the short explanation of it at least). governer has ability to pardon people convicted of any crime that is not federal, including state and city laws.
    • Egotrippin, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5@nreylonds

      You are correct, digg me down. I was totally mistaken on that call. Federal = State was in my head for some reason. but yes you are tottaly right.
    • musicmantrs, on 10/12/2007, -0/+13Yeah, if Bush pardoned him in 5 minutes you would have an article "Bush Pardons Rapist, Whats Next!" Kind of like today when there was an article that he wanted to cut oil consumption by 20%(?) and the comments jumped all over him.
    • oriondr, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2You are correct except in your last sentence.. The real crime here is the law itself.
    • nixonrichard, on 10/12/2007, -0/+17I guess the real question is do we still need statutory rape laws. If the sex is consensual, should it always be legal? As the Devil's advocate I would say it wasn't "consensual" sex because she wasn't old enough to be able to consent.

      Regardless, I think everyone agrees that a mandatory 10 years for statutory rape is too much. If she had turned him down he could have run her over with his car, backed up, run her over again and gotten less than 10 years.
    • tim04, on 10/12/2007, -0/+6true, but first of all, this is not by any standards a "crime". The guy was 17 for ***** sakes!
    • joshua5, on 10/12/2007, -2/+1Bush does pardon people and I don't see why he'd refuse to pardon this kid. It could very well give him some credit he is seriously lacking lately.

      http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=bush+pardon
    • ubuwalker31, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5@Quake120
      The President of the United States only has the"Power to Grant Reprieves and Pardons for Offenses against the United States". Here, this was an Offense against the State of Georgia, not the United States. Federalism 101. The President does not have to power to grant pardons to people convicted under State laws, only Federal Laws. However, the President could symbolically pardon and speak out for this young man, and insist that he be let go, or try to use the pardon power by arguing that somehow this involves a federal constitutional issue (ie right to privacy) but that would be a long shot. Or, the prison officials arrange for him to be put under house arrest. Not to mention those other kids who pled guilty and served time. They should be pardoned too.
  • bigtravman, on 10/12/2007, -0/+6This story is shocking! I can't see any reason for this to stand. Thanks for submitting.
    • dmitriyvoz, on 10/11/2007, -0/+0The author has mentioned very much a vital topic today. It seems to me that the problematics of this clause enables to reflect and draw conclusions. You can as to look sites in Russian which mention this theme: http://www.rolid.org http://www.se-ua.com
  • corejava2, on 10/12/2007, -1/+19i usually don't comment either, but this is BEYOND F'ed up and something needs to be done. If we can help a guy get a replacement for his TV from Best Buy we can surely do something about this.
  • atothedb, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3I was about to post it, but seen yours first. Now that this story is starting to grow, maybe Genarlow Wilson will be closer to freedom.
    • lawdog83, on 10/12/2007, -8/+0And white people still believe that racism doesn't exist anymore??? I went to highschool with the guy , and the girls that where with them were all white.. she was the only one under 16 so they caught him with that charge.
  • econoar, on 10/12/2007, -0/+9http://espn-ak.starwave.com/i/eticket/20070124/photos/genarlow_etick_skirm.jpg

    There is the pic that is on ESPN.com right now as their main feature story. Just for the people that miss it, as ESPN rotates their stories a lot.
  • borninda818, on 10/12/2007, -0/+21This story has ruined the rest of my day. Somehow when I read a story about ten children being killed in a bombing, or even a school shooting, it does not bug me as much as this.
    • w0rd, on 10/12/2007, -0/+11Maybe because their death's were instant and they didn't have to suffer for years. Maybe knowing that there is someone suffering with every moment that passes spurns us to be moved by this more than other stories that have brutal but brief outcomes. It's an interesting thing to think about.
  • Egotrippin, on 10/12/2007, -0/+35Worst is this kid was a football prospect for alot of colleges, and was highly recruited. He had all these great opportunities to to college and be successful taken away from him because of this *****. Imagine all the things he could of done for his family, the things he could of done for himself. ***** ridiculous.
  • Egotrippin, on 10/12/2007, -1/+12GET this story to the front page!
  • GoBack2Europe, on 10/12/2007, -4/+23I remember this story.

    ***** UP! ***** the DA, ***** the prosecutor, ***** the legislature, ***** the racist Supreme Court judges and ***** all backwards minded ignorant people.

    WE HAVE TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS!

    If I had a good set of stones I'd commit a real crime to get him out of there, if ya know what I mean.

    I'm pissed off now.
    • shig, on 10/12/2007, -12/+1No, WhitePeopleNEED2GoBack2EuropeNOW!, committing crimes would be clearly outside of your honorable principles. You should stick to your hatred of all things gringo, and your efforts to force us from our homes.
    • NinjaBoy, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1"In Barker's eyes...Maintaining innocence in the face of the crushing wheels of justice is the ultimate act of vanity, he believes"

      WTF? Act of vanity? Seems to me an act of sanity.
  • BamaStangGuy, on 10/12/2007, -1/+34This is so messed up. I don't see how the DA can sleep at night knowing he ruined a life.
    • econoar, on 10/12/2007, -1/+31Unfortunatly he probably thinks that he did God's will
    • phmfthacim, on 10/12/2007, -4/+9cause the DA doesn't give a ***** if he ruined a black kids life

      would this have happened if the kid was white?
    • d1rtfarm, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I think that the article sums it up pretty well when it says that in cases like this, the DA ego is often more important that the facts of the case.
  • Bkaufman, on 10/12/2007, -0/+10This is messed up. I've never been so pissed off about anything i've read on Digg.
  • geekee, on 10/12/2007, -1/+28Why hasn't the girl been charged? She was having sex with a minor also. Double standard.
    • nixonrichard, on 10/12/2007, -0/+22The law (as in most states) says that if there is less than a three year age difference, the OLDER one is guilty. Also, if this had been vaginal sex, it would have been a misdemeanor (up to $5000, up to 1 year). Because it was oral or anal sex, it's a felony with a mandatory sentence of 10 years. That's like a maximum sentence of 1 year for murder, but a mandatory sentence of 10 years for assault.
    • commandar!, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Age of consent in Georgia is 16.
  • sebnukem, on 10/12/2007, -6/+27What is it in America where getting a BJ is punishable with quasi death penalty, life sentence or impeachment? What's wrong with you people? Are you governed by Christian fundamentalists?
    • PersonX2, on 10/12/2007, -1/+36Haven't you heard?
    • phmfthacim, on 10/12/2007, -1/+9amen?
    • nixonrichard, on 10/12/2007, -2/+10Every country has their own set of ***** up laws. Sending someone to prison for selling Nazi paraphernalia is pretty ***** up too.
  • emomakesmecry, on 10/12/2007, -1/+38did anyone else notice the name of his attorney?

    "B.J. Bernstein"
    • hatchjr, on 10/12/2007, -2/+1First order of business for me would have been firing the lawyer. Couldnt they at least have named her like Belinda Jones....Ridiculous....
  • foolfromhell, on 10/12/2007, -6/+3"But because of an archaic Georgia law, it was a misdemeanor for teenagers less than three years apart to have sexual intercourse, but a felony for the same kids to have oral sex."
    So, if he did it with a 6th grader, it wouldnt have been a misdemeanor or a felony?
    • kavery, on 10/12/2007, -1/+23No. Basically, he could have humped and impregnated her and perhaps not spent any jail time.

      Blowjobs, however, ten years - standard.

      Makes perfect sense if you're one of the six people on the face of the planet who hates getting head.
    • Matri, on 10/12/2007, -0/+8Unfortunately it seems all six of them made that law and/or presided on the trial.
    • signal15, on 10/12/2007, -0/+13Well, since the lawmakers can't get head from a 15 year old, they had to pass a law that said no one can. Perverts.
  • erikf, on 10/12/2007, -38/+4There's a difference between being a minor and under the age of consent. Some minors can consent, this girl couldn't. He broke the law.

    He should have listened to his mama that morning. "Don't do anything stupid," she warned."

    For fvcks sake, the prosecutor even went out of his way to offer them all plea bargains. Everybody copped a plea but him. That's dumb. The rest of the team has already been released from prison and moved on with their lives. This guy should have listened to his mama and learned to only fight battles he can win.

    Dig me down but in the eye of the law he's a child molester. If you disagree work to change the law but it's too late for him, he already did the crime.
    • tehbishop, on 10/12/2007, -3/+6I'm sure this one gal had her age stamped on her forehead so he could tell he was breaking the law by getting a knobjob. Damn man, this is a moronic law, Georgia needs to take the hit on being called out as hayseed yokels on this one and fix it.
    • b612, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4only in the eyes of the law in georgia, a place where i believe sodomy is defined as oral or anal sex and is illegal for anyone.

      basically you are saying its ok to have unjust laws
    • erikf, on 10/12/2007, -20/+3"I'm sure this one gal had her age stamped on her forehead so he could tell he was breaking the law by getting a knobjob."

      Ignorance is never an excuse in statutory rape cases, not in Georgia, not in loony leftist MA.

      He shouldn't have acted like an animal on impulses. It's not unreasonable to expect people to learn a little bit about the person they are going to have sex with.

      "basically you are saying its ok to have unjust laws"

      No, if you don't like unjust laws you have every right to work to change them. You have a very immature notion of ethics since you believe it is okay to break any law you disagree with.
    • w0rd, on 10/12/2007, -2/+11Congratulations erikf, you're an idiot.
    • idntunknwn, on 10/12/2007, -2/+8"For fvcks sake, the prosecutor even went out of his way to offer them all plea bargains. Everybody copped a plea but him. That's dumb. The rest of the team has already been released from prison and moved on with their lives. This guy should have listened to his mama and learned to only fight battles he can win."

      The plea bargain was basically a life sentence. How would you like to be labeled a child molester for the rest of your life? Give me a break, that isn't a bargain at all. Even if he had gotten out of jail sooner, the rest of his life would have been just as painful. It's not just a label, it completely changes the way you live your life.

      "Dig me down but in the eye of the law he's a child molester."

      Yes, in the eyes of the law he's a child molester. But in the eyes of the people, he is very clearly not. Shouldn't laws reflect what people believe? We are not slaves to law, we *make* the law. I don't know how you've managed to get this concept ass-backwards.

      "If you disagree work to change the law but it's too late for him, he already did the crime."

      Uh, no, it's not too late for him. If you actually read the article, the prosecutor has the power to immediately get him out of prison. Given that everyone thinks that the 10 year sentence is complete *****, even the jurors themselves, the prosecutor should have already overturned the sentence.

      "Ignorance is never an excuse in statutory rape cases, not in Georgia, not in loony leftist MA."

      Since when was this a statutory rape case? The rape charge was dropped because everyone knew it wasn't rape.
    • idntunknwn, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2Concerning my last comment about statutory rape, I got my definitions of statutory rape wrong. Statutory rape is, of course, sex with a minor under the age of consent, with the idea being that someone under that age is not mature enough to give such consent. I missed the edit deadline by 1 second and could not remove the last line.

      "He shouldn't have acted like an animal on impulses."

      There is no evidence from the article that he acted anything like an animal on impulses. After all, *she* initiated the action.
  • themaestro8, on 10/12/2007, -1/+7This guy needs to get out of jail.

    This is absolutely inexcusable. This man is now ruined for life, and there is nothing they can do to fix this. The law system needs a serious overhaul. 10 years for that is the biggest joke. I'm scared to look at people because I might face 2 years in jail "for looking at them in the 'wrong' way."
    • nixonrichard, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4I think looking at someone is probably okay . . . as long as you're not looking at a 13 yo sucking your dick.
  • kirby9058, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3Wow, I'm seriously pissed at this story. Let's get that kid set free, what the hell did he do wrong?! ***** the justice system, seriously wtf is this *****?
  • Sithlrd, on 10/12/2007, -44/+5Dont like it? Get the law changed retroactively.

    Dont like it? Teach your kids to go to school and do their job and not act like Caligula's party entourage.

    Break the law, go to jail. Duh. Go to school, learn something, BE something and keep your dick in your ***** pants. The idiot got what he deserved.
    • kirby9058, on 10/12/2007, -4/+8Hey, yeah the kid made a mistake by going to this party. But you honestly think he deserves 10 ***** years in prison for getting a blowjob? That's pretty harsh, man.
    • kavery, on 10/12/2007, -3/+8So you're saying that getting knobbed off should result in a ten year prison term?

      No doubt that you should use some common sense, but when I was 17, I was trying to do the exact same thing.
    • erikf, on 10/12/2007, -22/+1With good behavior he'll be out in no more than 6. That should give him some time to think if some homoerotic sex experiences share with the rest of the team was worth it.
    • ScottMaximus1, on 10/12/2007, -3/+10Get real, when has any teenager turned down ANY sex?
    • benijuana, on 10/12/2007, -1/+15you probably never got a bj as a minor... or even more probably haven't yet

      "oh foolfromhell, i wanna suck your *****..."

      "im sorry baby, because of state law, you can't suck my ***** for another 3 years... we can have sex though, i'd only have to do community service"
    • snowwolf, on 10/12/2007, -1/+6@erikf
      No parole, read the story
    • erikf, on 10/12/2007, -11/+2Scott He could have all the sex he wanted with anyone over the age of consent. Where do you draw the line? If he was 18 he'd still be a teenager but he'd also be an adult, should he still be excused? What about 19? You're full of ***** trying to justify his acting by the laws of the jungle.

      snowwolf@ they always say no parole, they still have ways of reducing sentences.
    • wtfunkymonkey, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3So we can all end up as sexually repressed adults who try to get thier dicks off by creating laws like this in the first place? Get real. It's a mindset like yours that makes people think they're allowed to call the shots in another person's life. It's that type of thinking that creates anti-sodomy laws. It's people like that, Sithlrd, that don't think homosexuality is protected by the constitution.
    • manfrin, on 10/12/2007, -2/+8***** you. Just because you sit in your parent's basement, still a virgin at age 45, doesn't mean that everyone else should 'abstain' from sex. You're the kind of people the cops should be wary of, not this guy. He had a normal teenage life, and because of it he'll have a ***** up adult life. For being normal. You're the kind of guy who never got any, and is therefore psychologically more prone to take it by force.
    • benijuana, on 10/12/2007, -1/+9I hereby nominate Sitherd as digger most likely to be a serial killer
    • b612, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4he is just mad because no girl would give him a bj
    • rick777, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1You just let everyone know that you never got a BJ in highschool and are pissed off about it. I would be as bitter as you are too.
  • uberdesigner, on 10/12/2007, -4/+4sebnukem, a good portion of the south is heavily influenced by overtly religious types. This much is obvious. Some people in the north, myself included, are just plain embarassed by the south. Our divisions by state make this possible.
    • tehbishop, on 10/12/2007, -5/+2maybe it's time for the Yanks to go whip them hayseeds back into shape again.
  • dstz, on 10/12/2007, -3/+5Where are you going to put kids who smoke joints if you stuff prisons with kids who have sex .. err... I mean: with other kids ? you've got to get your priorities straight, USA :(
    • nixonrichard, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4There's no statutory rape laws in your country? Where do you live? Jamaica?
  • Urusai, on 10/12/2007, -14/+5America sucks. Face it. Try to blow up a piece of it while you still can.
  • pete10203, on 10/12/2007, -3/+4HAHAHAHA B.J. what a name. but in all seriousness, this is seriously ridiculous, 10 years? way to go southern states...
    • FreeAcadien, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2@Zique

      The ESPN article mentioned how the jury forewoman was crying when they delivered the verdict. This gives the impression that they felt that while they didn't want to find him guilty on the charge of aggravated child molestation, but that they though they had no choice. Obviously I don't have all the facts regarding the jury member's feelings/thoughts on this, but if the above scenario is accurate, it points out how woefully ignorant modern jury members (read: all U.S. citizens) are about their prerogatives as jury members. If a jury believes that the facts/circumstances in a case warrant a "not guilty" verdict, then nothing in the judge's instructions or the letter of the law can take that prerogative away from them. It's commonly referred to as "jury nullification". Look it up. Seriously, everyone, especially those with the potential for jury duty, has a moral obligation to understand this. I recommend the Fully Informed Jury Association, at www.fija.org. for more information, so that people can understand what their rights and duties are as jurors, and the purpose of having trial by jury in the first place, and why it was though so important as to be enshrined in the Bill of Rights. Thanks to Zique for bringing up this vital point. It is highly likely, IMO, that if the jury members in this case had understood this information, they would never have brought a guilty verdict on any of the charges. The law may or may not need revision, but regardless, the jury should've known better than to apply it to Genarlow Wilson.
  • jbove, on 10/12/2007, -16/+6I have been following this story since it began, and I don't see where this guy deserves any special treatment.

    Simply put he broke the law. He went and had sex with a minor. Even worse it was videotaped, in which case he is lucky he wasn't brought up on child pornography charges. In the eyes of reason he may have only been 2 years older, in the eyes of the law, she was a minor. Consider the implications of him not being convicted. Basically you then set a legal precedent that its ok to have sex with minors. At this point we might as well not have the law at all. Who is too young now? A 14 year old? 13? 12? He broke the law. The law didn't break him. It doesn't matter if you are some basketball star.
    • erikf, on 10/12/2007, -4/+6Good thing he's not a white lacrosse player or the media would have tried and convicted him for everything you mentioned.
    • borninda818, on 10/12/2007, -1/+7A minor had consensual sex with another minor and is serving TEN YEARS for it. How is that fair?
    • kavery, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3No one is arguing that he displayed bad judgment. That much is evident. But did the punishment fit the crime?

      Kids in high school have sex; that is a fact of life. Is it really worth it to society to take someone that could be productive in it and place them behind bars?

      I guarantee that he'll learn much worse things in prison for ten years that he could potentially utilize outside of prison in much more detrimental ways.
    • Retrocide, on 10/12/2007, -1/+5I'll simply quote the article for you

      When he was a senior in high school, he received oral sex from a 10th grader. He was 17. She was 15. Everyone, including the girl and the prosecution, agreed she initiated the act. But because of an archaic Georgia law, it was a misdemeanor for teenagers less than three years apart to have sexual intercourse, but a felony for the same kids to have oral sex.


      He would have gotten only a misdemeanor with sexual intercourse but gets 10 years without parole for oral sex? That's justice?
    • phmfthacim, on 10/12/2007, -3/+8you're the type of dude who would completely agree with slavery if it were legal today

      honestly ***** you
    • Fhionnlaoch, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4@jbove,

      Do your invented and epistemologically unjustifiable rules make you sleep better at night?

      Natural law FTW.
    • wiremonkeymommy, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4@jbove - if you're a troll, you got me, put a gold sticker on the bathroom mirror to remind you of your win!

      If not..., try very hard to understand that while he may have broken a law, the sentence fits the definition of 'cruel and unusual punishment' and should be immediately released for time served.
    • jbove, on 10/12/2007, -3/+4I might as well respond, I didn't think my comment would really garner any attention. Basically I am following the law here, and I also never said that the length of the sentence was fair. I really don't think it is. This isn't an issue of black or white, it doesn't matter. The sex laws aren't very fair at all. One of my friends who never did anything wrong in his life is now a sex offender. Basically one night he was out drinking, and he went to piss behind a bar after it was closed. A cop saw him from the street, and arrested him for indecent exposure. Now, he has to register as a sex offender. I think that is outrageous.
    • Zique, on 10/12/2007, -2/+4Yeah, way to pass all the controversial points by oversimplifying the issue. The lawmakers screwed up, and so did anyone who could have prevented the sentence. Didn't any lawmaker stop to think that maybe a 17-year-old having oral sex with a 15-year-old shouldn't require judgment of any kind? Or how come the jurors didn't realize that cases like these are why America has jury system in the first place?
    • borninda818, on 10/12/2007, -4/+3@ Zique

      Remember...this is the south...and he is black
      The outcome is not surprising at all. Very cruel but not surprising.
  • method3, on 10/12/2007, -1/+20I just found this to be the most idiotic thing in the whole article:

    'Barker is quick to point out that he offered Wilson a plea after he'd been found guilty -- the first time he has ever done that. Of course, the plea was the same five years he'd offered before the trial -- not taking into account the rape acquittal. Barker thinks five years is fair for receiving oral sex from a schoolmate. None of the other defendants insisted on a jury trial. Wilson did. He rolled the dice, and he lost. The others, he says, "took their medicine."'

    I thought the jury trial is a chance to prove you're innocent? If that's the case, what the hell does "dice" have to do with justice? That just proves then that the whole American justice system is basically close enough to random chance that it might as well be just tossing some dice. What an endearing opinion to have for a prosecutor serving ***** as justice.
    • phmfthacim, on 10/12/2007, -2/+20"took their medicine?!"

      is he kidding?! he actually said that *****!?! if someone went up to that dude and put a ***** bullet in his head, would I be sad? not one single bit.

      white georgia politicians do what they want and ruin lives, and young black boys need to "take their medicine?" ***** that!
    • w0rd, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4I think the fact that the teacher slid by with a 90 day sentence either proves that the prosecutor is biased against black people or hates when guys bag younger girls but not the other way around. It's more likely the former, he does seem to be a real sonovabitch.
  • wiremonkeymommy, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4
    this case makes me so freakin' angry, it's so wrong!!



  • Ibox, on 10/12/2007, -1/+8Everyone, go to jail now!
  • tehbishop, on 10/12/2007, -1/+18FTA:
    "At the same time this trial was under way, a local high school teacher, a white female, was found guilty of having a sexual relationship with a student -- a true case of child molestation. The teacher received 90 days. Wilson received 3,650 days."

    Nice. Who knew the South was so backwards ... /sarcasm
    • erikf, on 10/12/2007, -6/+2Yeah, nobody believed those black lacrosse players that denied raping the white stripper!
    • tehbishop, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3@erikf:
      ... and how again does that relate to the teacher getting 90 days and the minor getting 10 years?
  • SYSDmg, on 10/12/2007, -3/+10
    "Wilson's attorney, B.J. Bernstein, is working pro bono to try to get her client out of prison."

    Just want to point out the irony of his attorney being named BJ and shes working on his pro bono...

  • imdeanlabouty, on 10/12/2007, -3/+4Can we talk about what a ho that chick is? Him AND his friend!
    • seaqueue, on 10/12/2007, -5/+4Let's talk about what a sexist you are.
  • Fragalishus, on 10/12/2007, -1/+5"I have been following this story since it began, and I don't see where this guy deserves any special treatment."

    Noone's saying he deserves special treatment. They're saying the law is completely ***** up. The law was written with 40 year old perverts trolling the high schools looking for some tail in mind, not consentual sex between peers. Noone's saying he shouldn't have been found guilty or punished. But the punishment should fit the crime, and it clearly does not do that in this case.

    • beotch, on 10/12/2007, -1/+5Nobody wants "special" treatment. They just want this ***** up human rights violation law off the damned books.
  • thesoprano, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2Dammit, this is all coming from my town where I live, and that's my high school!

    But, yeah, this is *****.
  • b612, on 10/12/2007, -6/+4Bring back General Sherman, he will fix Georgia
    • DarkPenguin, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1I know I will get dugg down for this, but the last time good ol' Sherman went through Georgia, he fixed slavery... even 1/4 of Sherman could fix this...
  • sardonic, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2Hmm.. good ol' boy club eh.
  • phmfthacim, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2I called some of the numbers and left messages but obviously I am not helping the situation...

    I wish we could fix this *****
  • Adorism, on 10/12/2007, -3/+3Someone blog about this, and we will digg your ass to get the word out. SOMEONE GET ON THAT.
  • Adorism, on 10/12/2007, -1/+8Put the PETITION in the blog, put the state reps contact info in the blog. Let's use the digg effect for good.
    • Egotrippin, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4I second that. I know I know, petitions never do *****, but damnit atleast it's something. In the words of Jon Stewart, this is a catas-*****-trophe
  • Neiby, on 10/12/2007, -4/+7Why don't we lay some blame on the jury? They should never have convicted him. The jury has absolutely final determination of the outcome of a court case. They do NOT have to find someone guilty even if they believe he/she technically violated a law. This is the principle of jury nullification. Jurors can--and should--acquit people charged with violating bad laws. This is a perfect example where this should have happened. The jury is just as much to blame as anyone else.
    • erikf, on 10/12/2007, -9/+3 Sorry but the idiot filmed it. The jury should be dismissed if they ignored that evidence.
    • beotch, on 10/12/2007, -2/+4@erik Your not listening.
    • seaqueue, on 10/12/2007, -2/+2it seems not everyone, if anyone, was aware of the sentence that would come with the "guilty" verdict they handed down. And, to be fair, it is not the jury's job to make judgements regarding sentencing. Their job is to discern guilt or innocence, period.
    • Neiby, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1You're right, it is not the jury's job to decide sentencing, but they have the absolute final say in whether someone should be punished for violating a law. Juries have the right and the duty to acquit people accused of violating bad laws. That's one of the reasons we have jury trials in the first place: to keep the government in check. In this case, this is an obviously bad law and the jury had a duty to acquit. As I already mentioned, this is the principle of jury nullification. Look it up.
    • d1rtfarm, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2You can't really hold the jury responsible for this. The jusry has the law and charges explained to them and then evidence and testimony is presented. The jury is never told what the possible sentence is if they return a "guilty" verdict. I believe the article linked in the previous digg thread explained that after the sentence, the jury was irrate that he got 10 years. They were told what type of sentence he was facing, as is standard in these cases.
    • diggboi, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1corrrect--the juries are never told what the sentence will be, and usually assume that there will be some room for the judge's discretion in far-fatched cases like this that are only "technically" felonies. Thus, the absolute foolishness of minimum sentences.

      This same thing happened in GA a few years back in the Marcus Dixon case, and the media attention got the conviction/sentence overturned (through the state legislature). In that prior case, too, the jury had no idea that consensual sex between a 15-year old and a 17-year old carried a minimum 10-year sentence, and the entire jury was outraged, appalled, and indeed, inconsolable after the sentence was announced. Pathetic laws still on the books in the Dirty South.
  • shi11, on 10/12/2007, -1/+11Email the Governor of Georgia. Demand a Pardon!

    http://www.gov.state.ga.us/contact_dom.shtml
    • Neiby, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3Done. Even if the Governor doesn't pardon this poor kid, he'll certainly be aware that the public is demanding it.
    • fireandicefuel, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3I just did and hopefully my voice will be heard.
  • mikeharv, on 10/12/2007, -0/+8This is so flipping messed up.... He gets 10 years and the white teacher, who REALLY molested someone gets 90 day. In-F**king-credible!
    • broomett, on 10/12/2007, -11/+0Wow..trying to turn this into a racist thing. What a ***** piece of ***** you are.

      It is a bad law, but it is IN THE LAW. Cut and dry. If a white guy was so ***** stupid as to VIDEOTAPE himself doing this and the tape was shown to the jury, he would have gotten the same sentence.
    • bking, on 10/12/2007, -0/+6He's not "turning it" into *****. A female, white person in the exact same situation got about 3,000 less days in prison than he did for the same offense. I don't know if it's more of a race or sex issue, but the fact that there is such a contrast between these cases is pretty ***** up.
  • b612, on 10/12/2007, -3/+6the people who run digg need to sticky this so it remains the top story. At least for a good while.
  • EmmSee, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2What an F'd up system we have here... guys who molest kids for years and then get caught do like 3 years in jail. BUT if you rob a 7-11 with a gun, you're going away for 35 years. No one cares about the kids!@#
  • zymosis, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2Sad or not, this could very well be just another story that grabs people for a few minutes, but floats away into internet oblivion.
    • b612, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1considering it has been a story for a while and that doesn't seem to be the case and hopefully it does not become the case.
  • GaffleSnipe, on 10/12/2007, -0/+13Makes me want to throw up. I agree with b612, Digg needs to sticky this, and if they don't we should keep covering this story on digg.

    It's sad that this is probably only one story, when there are most likely hundreds of people like this with similar situations. Let's DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT!
    • BamaStangGuy, on 10/12/2007, -0/+9I'd love for Digg to step up here. If the Digg community wants we can keep it in the news.
    • broomett, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2No matter how bad this is, Digg is not about creating stickys.
  • nobuz, on 10/12/2007, -6/+0i'd do a chicken if the chicken is hot
  • Egotrippin, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4This is in Georgia why no support from the hip-hop celebrities that come from that state? Stop WALKING-IT-OUT and do something for this kid.
    • broomett, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0I REALLY don't think that what the kids now is support from those who have long criminal pasts themselves and who happen to be famous rappers/hip hop singers.
  • ebola, on 10/12/2007, -6/+3***** racist bastards. No wonder Georgia is such a pathetic ***** backwards ditchwater. Glad I don't live in a place like that.
  • cclasby, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3Just more proof that sometimes, no matter how hard you try and how good of a person you are, you get royally ***** with little hope of retribution. It is a harsh world we live in and I hope that this kid gets another chance. This is what happens when you write scripture condemning blow jobs into law.
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