Free Genarlow Wilson

June 7th, 2007 • Related • Filed Under

Genarlo WilsonGiven a successful appeal to his case on Monday, the young adulthood of a black metropolitan Atlanta man will be spared. Genarlow Wilson was convicted under an aggravated child molestation law that punishes sexual conduct between minors in at least these circumstances: 1) if acts occur between a female minor of any age and a male at least three years her senior; and 2) if oral sex is performed by a female minor, the loophole that snagged the now 21-year old.

Wilson and five other boys took part in a wild New Year’s Eve gathering turned group sex party in a motel. The most graphic portions of the party were videotaped. Five of the “Douglasville Six”, as the defendants were dubbed, took plea deals while Wilson maintained that his involvement was simply “what kids do.”

Not long before the Wilson verdict, a Georgia high school football star named Marcus Dixon was sentenced to jail under the same law, which legislators fought tooth-and-nail against until a judge reversed the sentence and let him go free. Dixon is now at Hampton University on an athletic scholarship and plays defense for the nationally-ranked Pirates.

In both cases oral sex was performed consensually by a 15-year old girl on a 17-year old boy. As with Wilson, it was argued that the spirit of the law was ignored in the Dixon case, and it received such media attention that Marcus appeared on Oprah and the Georgia State Legislature later reduced the seriousness of this “criminal act” from a felony to a misdemeanor. Wilson, however, was convicted before the statute was changed and is now in year three of a mandatory 10-year sentence.

Genarlo Wilson at 17Wilson appeared in court yesterday as an attorney appealed for his freedom. The young man has kept his story straight the entire time, pleading again and again for a return to normalcy after admitting to a mistake that has robbed him of his early adulthood. Former President Jimmy Carter is going to bat for Wilson, citing that the aggravated child molestation law is disproportionately enforced against black teenagers.

I found YBP through a friend who forwarded the submission highlighting the Shaquanda Cotton case. In Georgia, another life is being interrupted by arcane laws enforced with the wrong intentions. Please Google Genarlow Wilson and read more about the case against him and join the long list of supporters hoping to see him freed this Monday.

Read more about this story.

Atlanta Journal-Constitution story: http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/stories/2007/06/07/0607metwilson.html

ABC News story: http://www.abcnews.go.com/US/WireStory?id=3249387&page=1

Genarlow Wilson Defense Fund: http://www.wilsonappeal.com

There Are 5 Responses So Far. »

  1. Comment by HotLanta Proud on 7 June 2007:

    This case is the very definition of insanity. Even the never-take-a-stand Washington Post is calling for Genarlow Wilson’s release. They write: “The time has come for Georgia to end this national farce.” If there is any good that may come out of this case let’s hope it will be the end of zero tolerance and mandatory minimums.

  2. Comment by ETS on 7 June 2007:

    This convo is bigger and deeper than race, class and law. The issue often ignored is sexuality. Why is consensual oral sex between a heterosexual couple looked at with such disdain that it’s illegal!?

  3. Comment by ceb on 7 June 2007:

    There is no bigger issue here than that of race. Prosecutors went after this kid because he was a black honor student with lots of promise. When will society admit that there are people in this country that want to break the spirits of black men one at a time? It is systematic and is happening all the time from the preschooler to the experienced professional in the corporate world.

  4. Comment by Glennis on 7 June 2007:

    Thanks to each of you for leaving a comment. As I understand it, the law was written originally to severely punish adult men who sought children for sexual favors. The law contains a provision that excludes boyfriend/girlfriend intercourse between a male who is not yet 18 and a girl less than three years younger. If Wilson and the girl had intercourse alone, we wouldn’t be having this discussion. But because they too engaged in oral sex, he is a criminal.

    We are seeing the law now expressly used to derail the future of promising children. And according to Jimmy Carter, black children at a higher rate than whites. Let’s see if the justice system leans on common sense in the possible reversal of his sentence.

  5. Comment by Fredric on 8 June 2007:

    an additional link.

    http://beta.cnn.com/2007/US/06/06/teen.sex.case.ap/index.html

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