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GENARLOW WILSON Released By The Georgia Supremes
On Friday, October 26, 2007, in an historic decision the members of the Georgia Supreme Court ruled 4-3 to release Genarlow Wilson age 21, from prison.
Wilson is the Atlanta man who has spent more than two years in prison for having oral sex relations with a consenting minor 15 year-old female at a party in 2005. At the time the incident took place he, himself, was 17, an honor student, football star and homecoming king at his school.
The majority opinion of the judicial panel decided upon Wilson’s release because his sentencing was excessive. In their opinion for the State of Georgia it was described as cruel and unusual punishment. At the time of his conviction Georgia law mandated the crime be punishable by 10 years in prison and registration as a sex offender. The law has since been changed by the legislature to something more reasonable. Those who come under Georgia law who are now found guilty of behaving in this manner face a punishment of no more than a year in prison and no sex offender registration.
The Georgia high court is led by the Honorable Chief Justice Leah Ward Sears who herself is a history fact in that she is the first female, the first black and the
youngest person to ever serve on the Georgia Supreme Court.
Wilson, whose case has received world wide attention and the involvement of national civil rights leaders and their respective organizations, experienced, not only the interruption of his promising academic and athletic career but a long legal battle administered by his attorney B.J. Bernstein.
Wilson plans to enroll in college to study sociology. At a news conference following his release yesterday he declared to his supporters :
“You will not be disappointed. I plan on succeeding in life.”
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