WARNING: This has nothing to do with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
There is nothing more disgusting to me than flagrant injustice.
What I'm about to tell you about is the most horrible tale of a failed judicial system in the State of Georgia and a sad realization of the state of affairs in much of the country.
Genarlow Wilson has spent the last 23 months in prison for breaking a law that is no longer on the books. In fact, the law was repealed because of Wilson's case. Yet the Georgia Supreme court has rejected his motion to reconsider.
The circumstances of the case are better described here. Here's the long and short of it. Wilson, at 17 received consensual oral sex from a 15 year old. He was tried and conviced of aggravated child molestation, as Georgia law at the time said that minors having sex was merely a misdemeanor, whereas oral sex between consensual teenagers is a felony with an unbelievable 10 year mandatory sentence and the tag "Child Molester" attached to him for the rest of his life.
Wilson had the opportunity for a plea bargain, but could not accept that if he agreed, he couldn't sit at home with his younger sister, again because of the pedophile tag.
It gets worse. The Georgia Legislature changed the law to prevent things like this from happening again. Unfortunatly, they decided not to make it retroactive. So Wilson sits in Jail, possibly for the next 8 years for a law that, post facto, was declared un-just.
Wilson was a promising undersized but enthusiastic football player with offers from all sorts of schools as a scholar-athlete. In an age when so many players ride college just as a trip to the Pro's, Wilson is an honest to good Student Athlete, as they are supposed to be.
His childhood is being sucked away in the Georgia Penal system. I'm no legal expert, but this will probably have to go all the way to the US Supreme Court. That is probably the most expensive adventure anyone could possibly embark on. I will never ask any of you for a dime, but if you've got a few to spare, please consider donating to his legal fund. Justice deserves better than this, Wilson deserves better than this.
When you watch the Super Bowl, remember that Wilson is in jail for a decade, Tank Johnson, who's got a house full of guns, surrounded by shady elements, and had to have a judge "allow" him to play in the Super Bowl will only serve 40 months probation.
Justice.
-C