(Georgia) Supreme Court frees Genarlow Wilson

[jefferson_dem]

Source: AJC

Supreme Court frees Genarlow Wilson

By SCOTT THURSTON
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Published on: 10/26/07

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.

The majority opinion said the sentence appeared to be "grossly disproportionate" to the teenager's crime and noted that it was out of step with current law.

Wilson was convicted in 2005 of aggravated child molestation for having oral sex with a 15-year-old girl at a New Year's Eve party in a hotel room. He was 17 at the time.

At the time the law the crime carried a mandatory 10-year sentence with no parole. However, the law was changed in 2006 to make Wilson's crime a misdemeanor with a maximum 1-year sentence.

Read more: http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/stories/2007/10/26/genarlow_1026.html?cxntlid=homepage_tab_newstab

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Great news...for justice!

Court's ruling here ---> http://alt.coxnewsweb.com/ajc/pdf/gwilson.pdf

[CatWoman]

1. Yayyy!!!!!

:)

[Coexist]

2. that is good news.

[Dhalgren]

3. This is great news for that young man and his family! I hope he can

find a way to put this behind him and go on with his life. It will be hard, but I hope he can...

[ThomCat]

13. He has already lost more than 2 years of his life.

I hope he can rebuild too. What they did to him is a damned shame, and is certain to influence the entire rest of his life. He's more than 2 years behind his peers, with a lot of extra baggage and a felony conviction that he never should have received.
:(

[Mz Pip]

4. About time

Now let's just hope the idiot prosecutor doesn't appeal it to a higher court. This has been such a waste of tax dollars. This kid wasn't a criminal. I hope he can move on with his life and go to college like he originally planned.

Mz Pip

[rateyes]

9. It was a state charge...

there is no higher court than the Supreme Court of Georgia for this case.

[gratuitous]

5. A 4-3 decision

Sheesh, that's a razor thin majority who think that a consensual blow job doesn't merit 10 years in the clink.

But it's still a majority.

[Zywiec]

7. I'm with you, that's scary. It should have been a slam dunk. n/t

[ThomCat]

14. It's terrifying to think that almost half the judges

think a blowjob is worth 10 years in jail. They must be the ones who never got any when they were in their teens. x(

[gratuitous]

16. Heck, I didn't

But I don't hold it against anyone who did.

[IronLionZion]

19. I didn't either

but I wouldn't put him in jail for 10 years.

[Felinity]

21. Hee hee

They must think it would be worth it!

[fishwax]

28. that is quite disturbing

I'm glad it came down the way it did, but damn ...

[Grandrose]

6. Finally!

Great news.:)

[flpoljunkie]

8. Yet the vote was split 4-3. Kudos to thoses justices who stood up for justice.

[Lochloosa]

10. Most Excellent

[dolo amber]

11. This is awesome

One less news story for me to go :nuke: over every time I hear it.

Maybe this poor child and his family can have some fucking peace.

[JeanGrey]

12. THANK GOD that saner heads have finally prevailed.

This case makes me so mad I can hardly stand it. I want to read the decision and what the DISSENTERS wrote, so we can do what we can to get rid of them.

[flashl]

15. Good news. n/t

[dbackjon]

17. Great news!!

[rinsd]

18. Finally!

:kick:

[Pastiche423]

20. I'm afraid to get excited until I know he has been released

This case has been f'd up beyond belief from the beginning.

[emlev]

25. He *has* been released! Here's a photo!

Link to Atlanta Journal-Constitution article

[Pastiche423]

26. A wonderful photo!

I so hope things go well for him and his future.

Did you see the poll on that site?

DO YOU AGREE?
Do you agree with the state Supreme Court decision ordering Genarlow Wilson's release?



Yes - 95.51% 12293

No - 4.49% 578

[TheWraith]

22. The saddest irony is, if the two of them had had regular sex...

... It would have been covered under GA's "Romeo and Juliet" law, and considered not a crime.

[TroglodyteScholar]

23. It's about effing time!

They could never repay him for this very important stage of his life that they've stolen. Nor will they offer to try, either.

[goclark]

24. Who voted in his favor? nt

[TroglodyteScholar]

29. All I can find...

...is that it went 4-to-3 with Chief Justice Leah Ward Sears writing for the majority and Justice George Carley giving the dissenting opinion.

[humbled_opinion]

27. My son was in a similar situation

Initiail charge was lewd and lacivious on child under 16 then they changed it to contributing to the delinquency since he had just turned 17 and had been with the girl when he was 16.... kids exploring thier sexuality and he gets slammed with a crime... shameful.. but like I said lucky for my son.. so I am glad for this boy.