Back into 2003, Genarlow Wilson, a former high school football star who became a national symbol for the extremes of getting tough on sex offenders, was sentenced to 10 years in jail from receiving oral sex from a 15 year old when he was only 17. Well yesterday a judge ordered Wilson to be released and called his mandatory 10-year sentence for consensual teen sex and his future listing on the child sex offender list "a grave miscarriage of justice." Wilson, the once homecoming king of his school, has served more than two years of a mandatory 10-year sentence for aggravated child molestation, was captured on videotape having consensual oral sex with the 15-year-old girl in 2003. (sound familiar)
Unfortunately for Genarlow and his family and friends, Georgia's attorney general announced he would appeal, a move that will keep the honor student behind bars for now and possibly for a few more months.
While Genarlow has spent 2 years for being a minor having sex with a minor, our dear friend R. Pissy celebrates 5 years of being free last week. It was five years ago today that a Cook County grand jury indicted R&B superstar R. Kelly on 21 counts of child pornography for allegedly videotaping himself engaging in sex acts with an underage girl. The girl, who allegedly was 14 years old when the tape of her and Kelly was made, will celebrate her 23rd birthday in September. In those 5 years, Michael Jackson was charged, tried and acquitted of child molestation charges; Martha Stewart was charged, tried, convicted and served her sentence; and Lil Kim also was convicted, served her sentence and shot a reality TV show about her ordeal for BET.
Unfortunately for Genarlow and his family and friends, Georgia's attorney general announced he would appeal, a move that will keep the honor student behind bars for now and possibly for a few more months. Since his imprisonment, his family and supporters have had a new law passed called the "Romeo and Juliet" law. This new Georgia law would have allowed him to avoid the sex offender registry and only face one year of jail time. While some supporters, including former President Jimmy Carter, have said it raised questions about race and the criminal justice system. Opponents of Wilson's release said it could open a floodgate for other cases. Georgia prisons currently hold 189 inmates who were sentenced for aggravated child molestation when they were 21 or younger. Of those, 56 percent were white and 44 percent black, state figures show.
"If this court or any court cannot recognize the injustice of what has occurred here, then our court system has lost sight of the goal our judicial system has always strived to accomplish ... justice being served in a fair and equal manner,"Judge Thomas H. Wilson wrote, who is no relation to Genarlow Wilson.
While Genarlow has spent 2 years for being a minor having sex with a minor, our dear friend R. Pissy celebrates 5 years of being free last week. It was five years ago today that a Cook County grand jury indicted R&B superstar R. Kelly on 21 counts of child pornography for allegedly videotaping himself engaging in sex acts with an underage girl. The girl, who allegedly was 14 years old when the tape of her and Kelly was made, will celebrate her 23rd birthday in September. In those 5 years, Michael Jackson was charged, tried and acquitted of child molestation charges; Martha Stewart was charged, tried, convicted and served her sentence; and Lil Kim also was convicted, served her sentence and shot a reality TV show about her ordeal for BET."It's ridiculous that it has taken five years to get to trial," said New England School of Law Professor Wendy Murphy. "There's no excuse for it. But this is a tried-and-true tactic when it comes to sex-crimes cases: 'victory by delay.' Witnesses end up moving away. They die. You tend to see a lot of delays for defendants who are wealthy. You don't tend to see a lot of delays when the defendant is a poor kid from the inner city."
Too bad for the Genarlow Wilsons of the world because there is truly two judicial systems in the world.
17 comments:
amen amen amen... ive been following this story since 2003 and saw a ray of hope and justice yesterday until the district attorney decided to file an appeal... this is a travesty.
All I can say is this is a shame!! After the judge made the ruling the district attorney should have just let it be. So sad.
The sad thing is that so many feel outraged by what Kelly allegedly did, but continue to support his music. Yes, I believe this is a society of innocent until proven guilty, but we have given Kelly a free pass and paid him to give us more controversy through his music. He loves life drama... personal and professional. Justice will be served.
It completely sickens me that the pompous airbags of so called justice have no real inkling of what justice should truly be. We live in a time where Congressmen can stalk young boys online and not serve 1 day in jail. We live in a time where young BLACK boys are targeted because in this society if you're young and BLACK you are no good...if you speak you are being aggressive....if you stand and talk to friends you're in a gang. We live in a time where you can commit crimes as long as your bank account has enough depth. They say justice is bline - Well I say justice isn't blind at all - it sees perfectly...it sees wealth and status. Genarlow Wilson is a young black man who indulged in what most Americans indulge in - oral sex; although too taboo to discuss. "Justice" has taken over two years of this young man's life; two years he can NEVER get back. Lawmakers felt the law was ridiculous enough to change, well that should be enough to realize that if the law was ridiculous then quite possibly the sentence was just as ridiculous. Bring that boy home to his family free of incarceration and free of a label that could do just as must damage while he's free than if he spent 10 years in jail. America has a chance to get right for a change - Although, Black History says they won’t.
Damn...I only saw the news breaks while they were still waiting on the judge, I thought they let him go. Thats terrible.
Classism is the new racism ... which is unfortunate considering that we haven't completely gotten rid of racism, so how has something replaced it!? SMH.
Interesting......
yet another reason cameras should be kept out of the bedroom... unless you are with cocodorm
All I can say is this, I've been involved with the judicial system in Cook County, and three things make a difference for your benefit, clout and money and power. With the use of all three, you can do the imaginable.
R. Kelly may walk away a free man.
Thanks for the update on this. Since this isn't a local story for me, I haven't heard anything about it since ESPN ran a story about a month ago. I'm sorry this kid had to go through what he went through and lost 2 years of his life in the process.
With that said, I DESPISE R. Kelly...with a passion. Not only is his music just not appealing, but the added element of his improprieties make the sound of his voice stomach turning. I don't listen to any of his music. If it comes on the radio, I turn.
I read your post a couple of days ago, and meant to comment, but once I read it I started talking to my co-workers and it went into an all out back and forth conversation... but in the end... your right, R Kelly should go to jail, and stop talking about he's a flirt!
Even though I do love that song!
And on top of that, besides that song, the album is so wack, so what's the point?
no no no no never said he should go to jail. I am not the judge and jury nor do I have all the facts of the case, I just believe that he needs to face the charges he has been indicted on.
Let's put R. Kelly in prison where he belongs.
Judge Vincent Gaughan
Mailing address:
Cook County Building
Criminal Court
Attention: JUDGE VINCENT GAUGHAN
2650 S. California
Chicago, IL 60608
The DA whose receptionist said to me over the phone, "Free R. Kelly!" is:
Richard Devine
69 W. Washington
Chicago, IL 60602
Let's write to these two men and find out what's taking so long? The evidence is on tape. Since when did you have to have permission to prosecute a pedophile from his victim. They can compare the tape to the girl's school photo when she was 11 and identify she's the little girl being raped and urinated on in the video.
Since many in our community are idiots or just don't care that he's raping little sisters...Those of us who do care need to write.
Simply tell these men that not all of us think this pedophile is exempt from being prosecuted for rape.
Dang...that fool put out "Heaven I Need a Hug" and gets five YEARS worth of delays?! Wow. And I have to admit, I hadn't even realized that this case hadn't even gone to court yet. That's a bonafide mess.
The girls mother even says this crap is crazy and unfair. Just goes to show you how far back we really are.
Now, here's proof that this man is troubled, people need to do some minor investigating to find the truth...
LET'S TAKE A LOOK
AT SOME OF THE NAMES KELS USES TO DESCRIBE HIMSELF AND HIS BUSINESS
(you can look this up for yourself to verify):
1) CHOCOLATE FACTORY:
He took the idea of Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, the
character Wonka being a grown man who invited children to his place
of business for amusement.
2) PIED PIPER:
While the parents in the
village were in church, the Pied Piper played his pipe, attracting
all the children...130 boys and girls followed him out of the town,
where they were lured into a cave and never seen again.
3) Songs: Move
your body like a snake, come to daddy...
...all references from the
tape...
4) Song: Age ain't nothin but a number
- he wrote for Aaliyah
5) Song: Champ from Double Up says it all...I'M THE OPPOSITE
OF THE DEMON THAT FACES ME, I'VE BEEN THROUGH HELL, LIVE IN THE BELLY
OF THE BEST, I CONFESS MY SINS BUT STILL DIDN'T FIND PEACE."
He knows what he does is wrong, so he prays and asks God for forgiveness, the
only problem is that you still are accountable, that's why he doesn't
have peace. That's just being real! Parents need to teach their
daughters, don't mess with older men, even if it's Kels or a
celebrity...molesters aren't always ugly, weird men; some are hot,
can sing, and have the ability to charm...it's bigger than consensual
sex...
I found out the girl was in a Christian singing group from Oak Park around the time the video was made, 1998, called: "4 THE CAUSE", the song was: "STAND BY ME", they even have a myspace page with the old group videos, they have since replaced her in the group...on wikipedia it says she was born in September 1984 (her name is Reshona Edwards aka Shorty)...the proof is out there in the open and everyone knows he's been targeting girls for YEARS...it's incredible that our justice system works for those who have the ability to fight their case...but in the end, he has to deal with the energy he puts out into the world...I hope none of this happens to him or his family, he has daughters and should seek help.
America, dayum WAAAAKKKEE UUUPPP...!
You're all wrong if you are 15 you have enough sense to step out of the way if you get pissed on, and the girls looks much older than 15 and at that she told r Kelly she was older and now who's the one that lied about their age first of all, who is the one that got on their knees and put the dick in their mouth it was the lying girl, oh my god 15 I was accountable and responsible for my actions and now I believe this girl should be put in DT to show what a man can go through for a stupid girls lies and deception no r Kelly has reasonable thought to believe she was 18 and she is the one that got on HIS stage dancing with him and now r Kelly did nothing wrong this girl engaged it all any one of you guys don't check ID right if you get a girl? No its suppose to be honest what should happen is the poor kid should be let out and given money for his troubles he's a minor having sex with a 3 year younger minor and now people you know I'm sure have a more drastic age difference and their in love, now what makes it wrong for a 17 or 18 year old to fall in love with a younger girl 18 is barely an adult and at 18 no one has experienced life 17 and 15 that was probably his first time I fell in love with a girl that was 4 years younger than me I gave her the world and I made her happy I believe if both people are happy why ruin that? Why ruin something that makes the people in the relationship happy if that girl is happy even marrying r Kelly who are we to judge how they feel and what should be done? Sex isn't a factor when you love someone and waiting until they turn 18 is no problem I told her when I was 18 at the time she was 14 and I told her I loved her and she loved me more than anything and her dad wanted her daughter happy and he was happy that she was happy with me, and I told her I would wait until she was 18 that sex didn't matter and she was so special to me I would wait however she is 17 and I'm 21 I'm still waiting because I really love her and if a 15 year old has sex with another 15 year old then what makes it different they are still sexually active and if a 15 year old has sex with another 15 year old compared to a 18 or 19 year old odds are an older guy wouldn't make the mistake of getting them pregnant and girls like older guys cuz they are caring and a young guy is immature and stupid and just flat out rude and a 16 year old minor is always horny and therefore would only fuck your daughter and then drop her like a piece of trash however if a 18 year old guy gets to know a 14 year old girl and she lies and says she's older and he actually cares about her and they fall in love and he finds out she's younger the love is still there age isn't that important to me unless the girl hasn't hit puberty or is a virgin then its just wrong but a sexually active 15 year old wants it from an older guy and they tend to do anything to get it even lie cuz they think the guy will like them if they are older now remember we are sexual beings every human gets horny and turned on people get to serious about a teen having sex a teen may be naïve but they know what they are doing they definately do know remember being 15? Were you a stupid monkey that couldn't make common decisions? No you already knew how to do everything an adult does only you have less experience in this big vast world, no r Kelly deserves nothing who are we to judge? Just use your brains people if you're 15 and you suck a dick you know what you're doing you may not have experience but still you know you are in the wrong? So really she decieved him and got him by the balls ask yourselfs who is really at fault and if you were in his shoes and thought this girl was older before you judge ask yourself *would you be the same and make the same choice?* who pisses on someone? Obviously a 15 year old girl knows how to not get pissed on and she probably asked him to just for the reason of trying to sue r Kelly and take him for all he's worth so she would not only be a lying little slutt she would be a rich lying little slutt think people
Post a Comment