black…MYstory

In a 4-3 decision, the Georgia’s Supreme Court has ordered the release of Genarlow Wilson from the jail at which he was serving a 10-year-sentence for aggravated child molestation.

In what I, and others, called a gross miscarriage of justice, Genarlow Wilson was convicted for have consensual oral sex with a 15-year-old schoolmate when he, at the time, was 17 years old. Ironically, had Wilson had vaginal sex with the girl instead, he would have been facing misdemeanor charges.

Critics, myself included, have long pondered if his sentence was related to the fact that he was a young black boy who had wild, drunken sex with a young white girl. I believe that had they both been of the same ethnicity, the original conviction would have never happened.

Regardless of how they arrived at their ruling, a majority of Georgia’s Supreme Court concluded that his sentence constituted cruel and unusual punishment. The year after Genarlow Wilson was convicted, the law was changed so that young people in similar situations would face, at most, a misdemeanor charge and not have to be registered as sex offenders.

At any rate, Genarlow Wilson is out of jail. I just hope that he will be allowed to get on with his life.

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