I have always felt that the case of Genarlow Wilson, like that of Marcus Dixon, was a total sham, to say the least. I feel that had he been a white kid, he would have never seen the inside of a jail, much less received a 10-year-sentence.

Today, a judge threw out his sentence, calling it “a grave miscarriage of justice.” Wilson was 17 when he was videotaped having consensual oral sex with a 15-year-old classmate at a party. The judge amended the ruling to misdemeanor aggravated child molestation. Because he has already served two years, he would have been free to go.

I say “would have” because the Attorney General of Georgia says he intends to appeal the case, which means, for now, Genarlow Wilson remains in jail.

Obviously, this has created some very staunch opposition:

Black community leaders planned a protest outside Attorney General Thurbert Baker’s office late Monday. Baker, who is black, is now pushing to keep Wilson in prison, arguing that his sentence is valid.

In his notice of appeal, Baker argued that Georgia law does not give a judge authority to reduce or modify the sentence imposed by the trial court. He said he would seek an expedited ruling from the Georgia Supreme Court. And he noted that a plea deal is on the table that would release Wilson in a maximum of five years and also remove him from the sex offender registry.

Not good enough, said Wilson’s lawyer, B.J. Bernstein.

“It is really ridiculous when you consider that we had a judge that just said it is a misdemeanor that carries no sex offender registration,” she said.

“It is extremely, extremely disturbing that the attorney general would take this action now.”

So, here’s to hoping that the Genarlow Wilson saga will soon be over and that he’ll soon be back with his family.

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