Genarlow Wilson ordered released by Georgia Supreme Court

[The_Hutt 11]

CNN - The Supreme Court of Georgia has ordered the release of Genarlow Wilson, imprisoned as a teen-ager in a consensual-sex case.

Read about it here.

I think that's great. He never should have been convicted in the first place.

[topcliff 1]

It's amazing how much can be undone with today's technology. Here we are, releasing convicts thanks to new evidence such as DNA, and other stuff too. How long's he been in prison?

[The_Hutt 11]

Actually, he was released because the court determined the law that imprisoned him was 'cruel and unusual punishment (he had consensual oral sex with a 15-year old and received a mandatory 10 years in prison - which is simply beyond absurd)

[hamsterTK 93]

finally...

[Duke87 1,070]

In most places the age of consent is either 16, 17, or 18... but, as this case aptly demonstrates, this causes problems when the age gap is small but the line of demarcation happens to fall between the two. For that reason, I maintain that 14 is an ideal age of consent- if you're old enough to physically have an interest in sex, you're old enough to make the decision. And even then it should only apply as a restriction when one of the people involved is an adult (18+). Because honestly, I'd hardly consider a 17 year old with a 15, 14, or even 13 year old child molestation. You can't be a child molester if you're still a child yourself, after all.

Now, I recognize there is potential for high school aged girls to get taken advantage of by older men, but I don't think that making any sort of such sexual contact illegal is the answer. It's not the government's job to protect them from such things, that responsibility falls on their parents- and themselves.

Now, I know a lot of people think that people that young shouldn't be having sex at all, but really, who are you to judge? So long as they're doing it safely and responsibly, it affects no one but the people involved, so it's not your business, or the government's, to be involved in.

[Meg 368]

I agree that it's idiotic for a 17 year old to be sentenced to 10 years in jail for having consensual oral sex with a 15 year old. 

The idea of considering the age difference makes sense to me.  There is a huge difference between two teenagers getting involved and an adult and a teenager getting involved.  I'm fine with laws that protect children and teens from adults.

It is possible for a child to be a child molester.  There have been cases of a 5 year old boy performing oral sex on a 3 year old boy, imitating what was done to him earlier.  No, the 5 year old didn't fully grasp the situation but the 3 year old understood less.

[hamsterTK 93]

Oral sex isn't even honestly sex

some may disagree

[Meg 368]

Originally posted by: hamsterTK

Oral sex isn't even honestly sexquote>

It's dishonestly sex? 

some may disagreequote>

Well, there are those who say that anything involving climaxing qualifies as sex.

I guess it depends on your definition of the word "is" 

okay . . . old joke

[Duke87 1,070]

You hear a lot of people claim that oral sex doesn't count, but I really don't see the grounds on such a claim. Sure, there's no pregnancy risk, but the STD risk is still there. Though, with oral sex it's generally a lot easier for a man to give a woman and STD than vice versa, since most STD-causing viruses and bacteria aren't found too much in saliva.

It's still intimate sexual activity, though, so whether or not it's "sex" is really just a semantics argument, it changes nothing. Besides, if oral sex doesn't count as sex, does that them mean that it's okay for some guy to get a 5 year old to perform oral sex on him? I think not.

It is possible for a child to be a child molester.  There have been cases of a 5 year old boy performing oral sex on a 3 year old boy, imitating what was done to him earlier.  No, the 5 year old didn't fully grasp the situation but the 3 year old understood less.quote>

That's still not child molestation. After all, 5 years is too young to be convicted of a crime, even as a juvenile. He could kill someone and get away with it. Something like that actually happened once shortly after columbine. A first grader, imitating what he had seen on the news, brought his father's gun to school and shot (and killed) his teacher. And though he did end up going into some serious psychotherapy, there was no criminal investigation or anything, because of the kid's age. I do believe you need to be at least 14 to be convicted of a crime... at least that's in Connecticut, it probably varies from state to state.

[Insane Child of Bodom 1]

14?

thats BS I got my ass tackled by cops when i was 11 for Jay walking...

[MayorTim 16]

Originally posted by: Insane Child of Bodom 14?

thats BS I got my ass tackled by cops when i was 11 for Jay walking...quote>

I seriously doubt that, and watch the language!

Anyway, even though most of the replies are rather off topic, I think it's fantastic that this guy finally got released. The punishment was ridiculous, and it couldn't even be counted as sex between an adult and a minor, he was still 17.

[ShortStraw 1]

This was a clear cut case of racism in the local judicial community.  If there had been no national media attention Mr. Wilson would have served the full sentence and probably be transformed into a genuine criminal by his prison experience.  This is one of those cases where the "nosy media" did a good thing.

[hamsterTK 93]

You hear a lot of people claim that oral sex doesn't count, but I really don't see the grounds on such a claim. Sure, there's no pregnancy risk, but the STD risk is still there. Though, with oral sex it's generally a lot easier for a man to give a woman and STD than vice versa, since most STD-causing viruses and bacteria aren't found too much in saliva.quote>

The way I see it, In a case like this where the two are young, the most imminent thing is the risk of unwanted pregnancy.

If I was a judge, my stance would vary depending on the actual act committed

It's still intimate sexual activity, though, so whether or not it's "sex" is really just a semantics argument, it changes nothing. Besides, if oral sex doesn't count as sex, does that them mean that it's okay for some guy to get a 5 year old to perform oral sex on him? I think not.quote>

Hell no, and why is that relevant

[panthersimcity4 162]

Oh come on, if everyone who had sex as a teenager went to jail, the entire highschool I used to go to would be eating jail slop now. Not to mention alot of them smoked pot too...

[crazyyaya 4]

I've been watching this case for awhile, not only am I glad to see him released, I hope he is being repayed for a debt he never owed.