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Wilson v. State

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Wilson v. State was a court case brought about to appeal the aggravated child molestation conviction of Georgia man Genarlow Wilson.

Wilson v. State
CourtMonroe County Superior Court
DecidedApril 28, 2006
Case history
Prior actionsState v. Wilson (trial in Douglas Superior Court); Wilson v. State 279 Ga. App. 459 (appeal to Court of Appeals of Georgia); Wilson v. State 2006 Ga. LEXIS 1036 (application to Supreme Court of Georgia for certiorari denied)
Subsequent actionN/A
Court membership
Judge sittingJudge Thomas Wilson
Case opinions

  • new conviction of misdemeanor aggravated child molestation substituted for original conviction of aggravated child molestation

Wilson had been convicted of aggravated child molestation because, at the age of seventeen, he had engaged in oral sex with a willing fifteen-year-old at a New Year's Eve party. Both Wilson and the fifteen-year-old are African American. The age of consent in Georgia is sixteen.[1][2]

Background

The conviction was based on an amateur video tape showing Wilson engaging in sex with a 17-year-old girl during a private party, and later receiving oral sex from a 15-year-old girl.[3][4] The video shows the 17-year-old girl on the bathroom floor, then later having sex with Wilson. She appeared sleepy or intoxicated during the sex act but did not ask Wilson to stop. [5] Waking up naked and in a stupor the next morning, she claimed to have been raped.[4] Investigating the alleged rape, police later found condoms and evidence of drinking, as well as the video camera, in the motel room used for the party.[5]

A jury acquitted Wilson of raping the older girl, but convicted him of aggravated child molestation against the 15-year-old. The "aggravated" nature of the charge refers to fellatio (oral sex) rather than a mere "immoral or indecent act." Had the two teenagers had intercourse without oral sex, Wilson would have been charged with a misdemeanor, punishable up to 12-months, with no sex offender status, instead of the 10-year minimum term that the judge gave him.[1]

Initial trial and plea deal

The 15 year old girl, who has remained unnamed in the press as a 'victim of a sex offense', has repeatedly stated that the act of oral sex was consensual, though she legally could not consent. The jury acquitted Wilson of the rape charge, but as the age of consent in Georgia is 16, they voted to convict him of aggravated child molestation for the oral sex incident, with the forewoman tearfully reading the verdict. Some jury members later complained they had not understood the verdict would result in a 10 year minimum sentence,[4] plus one year on probation.

Wilson received the 10-year sentence following a refusal to enter into a proposed plea bargain, stating of his adamant belief that "It's all about doing what's right [...] And what's right is right, and what's wrong is wrong. And I'm just standing up for what I believe in." [6] His decision, as well as his continued fight to overturn his conviction also take into account that sex offenders in Georgia must register themselves and are subject to penalty laws for life,[4] and that the law was not intended to penalize teenage partners[7] (a fact which has since been included in updated legislation). As the law stands, Wilson would not even be able to return to his own family after an early release, as he has an 8-year-old sister and would be forbidden contact.[8] The other young males involved (including one charged for the same oral sex acts as Wilson) accepted plea bargains with the possibility of parole; they are required to register as convicted sex offenders.[3] Wilson had been offered, and rejected, a plea bargain for a five year sentence with the possibility of parole before the trial. After the jury had returned the guilty verdict, the prosecutor offered the same 5-year plea bargain again, and Wilson refused again. Another young man involved in the case had accepted a similar 5-year plea bargain and was paroled after two years.[4]

Legislative action

In part because of the publicity surrounding this case, the law under which Wilson was convicted was changed after his conviction; the act would now be treated as a misdemeanor with a maximum sentence of one year in prison, and no sex offender registration.[4] While Wilson's attorneys argued that such a change in the law should end the prosecution[9], the Legislature specifically prohibited the bill (House Bill 1059 of the 2006 Legislative session) from being applied retroactively.

A bipartisan group of legislators introduced a bill in the 2007 Georgia legislative session (S.B. 37) that would allow Wilson's sentence to be reduced by the courts. This session was adjourned in April, before the bill could be considered.[10] Several legislators have subsequently called for a rare special session of the Legislature to reconsider the bill. [11]

Appeals

The case was appealed to the Georgia Supreme Court; the court twice refused to hear the case, with the presiding judge delivering an opinion that said she was "very sympathetic to Wilson's argument" but that she was bound by the Legislature's decision to make the law not apply retroactively.[12]

The governor does not have pardon power in Georgia, but the prosecutor has the power to set aside the verdict. The prosecutor Eddie Barker, apparently waiting for an admission of guilt, has said "the one person who can change things at this point is Genarlow. The ball's in his court."

Habeas petition

In response to a petition of habeas corpus filed by Wilson's attorneys, the Superior Court of Monroe County in the State of Georgia reduced Wilson's charge to misdemeanor aggravated child molestation, ordered that his name not be placed on the sex-offender registry, and resentenced him to 12 months and with credit for time served. Stated Judge Wilson, "The fact that Genarlow Wilson has spent two years in prison for what is now classified as a misdemeanor, and without assistance from this Court, will spend eight more years in prison, is a grave miscarriage of justice."[13]

Georgia's Attorney General Thurbert Baker, an African American, has appealed Judge Wilson's decision, staying Genarlow Wilson's release. Baker maintains the judge did not have the authority to overturn the conviction and says there is a plea bargain offer on the table.[14]

According to Baker, the plea deal could allow Genarlow Wilson to be eligible for First Offender Treatment, which would mean that he would not have a criminal record nor would he be subject to registering on the sex offender registry once his sentence had been completed. It could also result in Genarlow Wilson receiving a reduced sentence, possibly leading to his release based upon time already served. Genarlow Wilson's lawyer, B.J. Bernstein, would not accept the proposed deal because it would require her client to plead guilty to a felony with a fifteen year sentence; thus Genarlow would be forced to register as a sexual offender for up to fifteen years.[15]

Bond hearing

Following the grant of habeas and Baker's appeal, Bernstein urged prosecutors to allow her client to be set free on bond until the appeal could be heard. Whitney Tilson, a New York City investment manager, and others offered to finance a million dollar bond on Wilson's behalf, but Assistant District Attorney McDade noted that Wilson's crime, aggravated child molestation, prevented him from being released on bond. Douglas County Superior Court Judge David Emerson agreed with McDade and canceled a schedule bond hearing. Bernstein has announced that she will file an appeal. [16]

Georgia Supreme Court appeal hearing

Talk show host Shelley Wynter of WAOK Atlanta, 1380AM appears to be the first to have reported that the Georgia State Supreme Court had apparently agreed to hear Genarlow Wilson's appeal, making this announcment at about 2:15pm EST on July 9, 2007. This report was later confirmed at 2:31pm EST during a WAOK news report where it was stated that the Georgia State Supreme Court will hear Wilson's appeal on July 20, 2007, apparently a few months earlier than scheduled.

According to latest reports, the State Supreme Court voted on Monday, July 9, 2007 to expedite both cases involving Genarlow Wilson. The Court appartnely set a hearing for 10:00 a.m. July 20 to hear oral arguments in the case on two motions, with the first being a direct appeal by the state of the ruling to release him, and the second by Wilson's attorneys to have him released on bond while the appeals are heard.

Reaction

On December 21, 2006, The New York Times published an editorial[8] condemning the Georgia Supreme Court's decision, noting that Wilson was not a sexual predator, and that his behavior would have only been a misdemeanor if he had actually had sex with the girl, instead of having had oral sex (due to a loophole in the applicable law's provision intended to prevent exactly this kind of dubious conviction). Oral sex has long had a special criminal status in Georgia law; until 1998, oral sex even between husband and wife was punishable with up to 20 years in prison.[5]

On April 30, 2007, The New York Times published another editorial noting that Georgia's legislature has closed the loophole in the law and that if Wilson were tried today he would now be facing only misdemeanor charges for the same act. However, the State Senate adjourned for the year without taking up a bill allowing judges to review previous cases like Wilson's and Wilson continues to serve a mandatory 10-year sentence. The Times also noted that Wilson's attorneys have applied for a writ of habeas corpus with the U.S. Supreme Court and it urged the Court to grant it. In the same editorial, the Times lambasted prosecuting district attorney David McDade for continuing to publicly charge that Wilson participated in gang-raping a 17-year-old, even though he was acquitted of charges in that case.[17]

On May 24, 2007 former US president Jimmy Carter wrote a letter to state attorney-general Thurbert Baker in which he questioned whether Wilson's race had played a role in his treatment. He wrote: "The racial dimension of the case is likewise hard to ignore and perhaps unfortunately has had an impact on the final outcome of the case," pointing out that white defendants have received lesser punishments for similar conduct. [18]

Following the June ruling in Monroe County, both Attorney General Baker and Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue expressed concern that other convicted child molesters might attempt similar legal tactics to get out of prison. While Baker called the Wilson sentence "harsh", he also noted that he had taken an oath to uphold state law. [19]

Black leaders such as Rev. Joseph Lowery and the Congressional Black Caucus have criticized Baker's appeal of the Monroe County ruling. Meanwhile, Rev. Markel Hutchins, a civil rights activist in Atlanta, has criticized them for not having all the facts and failing to stand up for the victims in the case. He also questioned the motivations of Wilson's attorney, Bernstein, and urged her to attempt to find a resolution in the case. [20]

References

  1. ^ a b Georgia Man Fights Conviction as Molester - New York Times, Tuesday December 19, 2006
  2. ^ Why is Genarlow Wilson in Prison? - by Chandra R. Thomas, Atlanta Magazine
  3. ^ a b Teen’s 10-Year-Term for Consensual Sex Draws Attention to Georgia Law - from BlackAmericaWeb, 10 January 2006
  4. ^ a b c d e f Outrageous Injustice - Thompson, Wright, ESPN website, 24 January 2007
  5. ^ a b c Outrage After Teen Gets 10 Years for Oral Sex With Girl - ABC News, 7 February 2006
  6. ^ "Outrage After Teen Gets 10 Years for Oral Sex With Girl". ABC News. February 7, 2006. Retrieved 2007-07-02. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  7. ^ http://abcnews.go.com/Primetime/LegalCenter/Story?id=1693362&page=3 :A state legislator who helped pass the molestation law said it was never meant to police teen sex. "The legislative intent was to protect women and children from sexual predators," said Rep. Tyrone Brooks, a Democrat in the Georgia State Assembly.
  8. ^ a b "Free Genarlow Wilson Now". New York Times. December 21, 2007. Retrieved 2007-07-02. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  9. ^ Petition for a Writ of Certiorari, filed by Brenda Joy Bernstein in the Georgia Supreme Court
  10. ^ Genarlow Wilson: search for justice continues - Press release by State Senator Emanuel Jones, 10th District of Georgia
  11. ^ Law change sought in Genarlow Wilson case - by Carlos Campos, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, June 18, 2007
  12. ^ Order of the Court, Wilson v. State (PDF document)]
  13. ^ Judge Rules for Genarlow Wilson in Teen Sex Case
  14. ^ Read Georgia Attorney General Thurbert Baker's Open Letter regarding the Genarlow Wilson Case here: http://www.state.ga.us/ago/pdfs/TEB_Letter_for_Website.pdf
  15. ^ Last minute appeal in teen sex case sparks outrage
  16. ^ Judge says no bond for Genarlow Wilson, cancels hearing, by Shannon McCaffrey, Associated Press, June 27, 2006
  17. ^ "Georgia’s Shame" - The New York Times, Monday 30 April, 2007 "Every day that young Genarlow Wilson remains in prison for consensual sexual activity is a further indictment against the prosecutors, lawmakers and judges of the Georgia legal system. Lawyers for Mr. Wilson have applied for a writ of habeas corpus to challenge his cruel and unusual 10-year sentence. The Superior Court should grant it."
  18. ^ Judge to rule Monday in Ga. teen sex case Ledger-Enquirer, 6 June 2007
  19. ^ Baker defends Wilson appeal - by Jeremy Redmon and James Salzer, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, June 15, 2007
  20. ^ Civil rights leader meets with DA, AG in Genarlow Wilson case - by Shannon McCaffrey, Associated Press, June 15, 2007
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