10 years in prison for oral sex

[Chizip]

link

ATLANTA (AP) — The Georgia Supreme Court has turned down an appeal from a teen who was sentenced to 10 years in prison for having sex with a 15-year-old.

In a ruling released Friday, the court denied a motion for reconsideration filed by lawyers for Genarlow Wilson, who was 17 when he and the 15-year-old engaged in consensual oral sex. He was sentenced for aggravated child molestation.

Wilson’s case was one of two cases that were cited earlier this year when lawmakers passed a law that otherwise strengthened penalties for sex offenders, but reduced the penalty from a felony to a misdemeanor for some teenagers convicted of sodomy.
Presiding Justice Carol Hunstein noted that in easing the penalties for teens, ‘‘the Legislature expressly chose not to allow the provisions of the new amendments to affect persons convicted under the previous version of the statute.’’

Hunstein added she was ‘‘very sympathetic to Wilson’s argument regarding the injustice of sentencing this promising young man with good grades and no criminal history to 10 years in prison without parole and a lifetime registration as a sexual offender because he engaged in consensual oral sex with a 15-year-old victim only two years his junior,’’ but said the court was bound the by limits set by the Legislature.

I guess 15 is pretty young, but it's not like this is some adult preying on a minor, the guy was only 17 himself. He's never been in trouble his whole life, and now he's going to prison for 10 years and forever labelled as a sex offender?

Seems a bit extreme.

[Earnie Shavers]

Very, very extreme.

[deep]

black man

white girl

good thing we got
anti-lynching law passed

[Lila64]

Originally posted by Earnie Shavers
Very, very extreme.

[redhotswami]

Originally posted by deep



black man

white girl

good thing we got
anti-lynching law passed

damn.

[Earnie Shavers]

If you are at the younger end of 17, and the other person is at the older end of 15, you could well be only a school year apart. As if anyone would really think twice about someone in only one grade below them?

[Chizip]

In both articles I've seen of this, the race of the girl wasn't mentioned. Did you see somewhere that she was white?

From what I got out of it, both the judge and the jurors didn't agree with the law in this case, but there was nothing they could do. The oral sex was on tape, so they had to find him guilty, and the mandatory punishment was 10 years in prison. Basically it's a fucked up law, I don't see how it's racial.

But there was one other charge the jury had to decide on. The second girl in the videotape was 15, and the age of consent in Georgia is 16. And under state law, prosecutors charged Wilson with aggravated child molestation. To those close to the young man, it was an outrage.

"Nobody could believe that this is the law," Mann said.

Even jurors frowned on the charge. "A bad law, absolutely," Manigault said.

In Georgia, up until 1998 having oral sex with your SPOUSE, was considered a crime that was punishable up to 20 years in prison. There are some crazy laws out there.

[dazzlingamy]

omg that poor guy

I mean i take sexual molestation very seriously and believe it should be punished VERY severly. But, this just seems so wrong, if it was consential, she was 15, and omg he was 17! stupid laws sometimes

[deep]

Originally posted by Chizip
In both articles I've seen of this, the race of the girl wasn't mentioned. Did you see somewhere that she was white?

unfortunate reality!
By: ReePrice
12/19/2006 11:00:15 AM

My opinion as a white female married to a black man. Had the 15 yr old female been black, this
Expand message
My opinion as a white female married to a black man. Had the 15 yr old female been black, this would be a non issue. Dealing with prejudices daily, I see that racism is still very alive and well. It is sad but true. Unfortunately, Genarlow made a mistake that he will pay for the rest of his life.

http://www.blackamericaweb.com/site....rum_msg_248015

[Chizip]

ah i see

well there may have been a racial element, but i dont know how big of a role it played in this case.

basically the jury and judge didnt want him to serve this sentence, but they had to because the punishment was mandatory due to the law.



btw - i read the article on that site, and it didnt mention race either. do the people who commented on the story have inside information or are they just assuming she was white?

[jacobus]

what a shame...hypocritical sentence
amerika, amerika, amerika ist wunderbar,
amerika, amerika, coca-cola, sometimes war

[indra]

This is an example of why mandatory sentences suck. It clearly was not molestation and there should be room left for exceptions. Only an idiot would not realise there would be honest and reasonable exceptions which this law could catch and unjustly punish.

It's also an example of why videoing your fun is not such a great idea either.

[Liesje]

I'd rather have a law about videotaping a minor engaged in sex than a law barring two kids from fooling around

[Irvine511]

Originally posted by jacobus
what a shame...hypocritical sentence
amerika, amerika, amerika ist wunderbar,
amerika, amerika, coca-cola, sometimes war

wtf are you talking about?

do you have any thoughts beyond "amerika sux" and "bush ist anit-christ"?

or is the scope of your political worldview limited to ultra-easy targets and simplistic, convenient condemnations?

but keep drinking those coca-colas and wearing those nikes and listening to Fergie.

you Euros love that shit.

:sheesh:

[Ormus]

Originally posted by Irvine511
wtf are you talking about?

do you have any thoughts beyond "amerika sux" and "bush ist anit-christ"?

or is the scope of your political worldview limited to ultra-easy targets and simplistic, convenient condemnations?

but keep drinking those coca-colas and wearing those nikes and listening to Fergie.

you Euros love that shit.

:sheesh:

All the more ironic, considering he says he's from Bavaria, which is probably the most conservative state in Germany.

[maycocksean]

Okay so the judge and the jury "had to convict." Did the prosecution "have" to press charges? I can't help thinking that SOMEbody wanted this to happen.

I'm still waiting for some concrete confirmation as to whether the race of those involved, but one thing is for certain. If indeed the girl was white, you can be damn sure that race had everything to do with how this whole thing came down.

And this is in Georgia? Come on, now. . .

[LarryMullen's POPAngel]

Originally posted by Chizip


In Georgia, up until 1998 having oral sex with your SPOUSE, was considered a crime that was punishable up to 20 years in prison. There are some crazy laws out there.

Indeed.

[BVS]

Sad...

[Pearl]

I feel sorry for the both of them. Now the guy is going to be treated like an outcast in society for such a little thing

[jacobus]

Irvine511: wtf are you talking about? do you have any thoughts beyond "amerika sux" and "bush ist anit-christ"? or is the scope of your political worldview limited to ultra-easy targets and simplistic, convenient condemnations? but keep drinking those coca-colas and wearing those nikes and listening to Fergie.
you Euros love that shit. :sheesh:

hahahaha thats good. but seriously whats wrong with your nation?! many people worldwide still asking this question... imo your US society is a society based on hypocrisy. too many of religious zealots have too much power... and re-electing that stupid texas cowboy bush and his criminals for a 2nd period is on the same low level like our forefathers have done in germany electing the nazi party, bringin' on the bastard hitler and making the holocaust possible. your president george w. bush is the no.1 hypocrite of all. and you know it. he is a damned liar and he is a big disgrace, not only for the US but for the whole world.

ps: i don't like coca-cola or pepsi, i don't wear nike and who the f*** is fergie?