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Sometimes, Justice is Done
Sweet Justice.
See, this is why habeas corpus is so important. That's how he was released. Read the GA Supreme Court Order linked to in the article.
See, this is why habeas corpus is so important. That's how he was released. Read the GA Supreme Court Order linked to in the article.
Comments
... eventually
Awesome.
The thing that makes this case unjust is that he was a minor too.
What happened here is that a law designed to protect minors from adults was used to punish a minor. Because both people were minors neither one of them should have been prosecuted under this law.
The legislature made a determination that they wanted to protect children from sex - presumably because it is harmful to them. The age of consent was established to be 16 years of age. Wilson was 17. The victim was 15. Thus, what he did was against the law. Period.
While you may not agree with this particular law, don't portray this kid being innocent because he was a minor. The statute merely prohibited people over the age of 16 from having sex with those under the age of 16. The statute didn't care about minors. It drew the line at a different age. You stated that "neither one of them should have been prosecuted under this law." That's not true. He should have been prosecuted under that law. You just disagree with the law in the first place.
To take your argument further, you guys appear to be comfortable with a 16 year old having sex with a 3 year old. Both are minors, no?
I do, however, applaud Georgia for changing the law.
No, I did not read the law. To me a minor is anyone under the age of 18. Age of consent in CT is 16 but you will not see me chasing 16 year old girls for sex (or anything else).
When I say he shouldn't have been prosecuted, I mean that the prosecutor should have used his discretion instead of going forward with such a concrete reading of the statute. Add to Steve's analysis the similarity of ages (15 as opposed to 17), and it'll be golden.
What if they were both 16 and having sex and then one of them turns 17, is it now illegal?
Interestingly enough, Boston Legal's episode last night dealt with this very issue. A man who was 17 had sex with a 16-year-old girl. She accused him of rape and he served six years in prison. She later recanted and the conviction was expunged from his record.