Hundreds march for Genarlow Wilson's release

[struggle4progress]

By JEFFRY SCOTT
Published on: 07/14/07

With thunder overhead and rain threatening, about 2,000 marchers took to the streets in Douglas County today in support of Genarlow Wilson's release from state prison.

The group, led by the NAACP, marched from Douglasville High School to the county courthouse, chanting "Free Genarlow Wilson" and singing civil rights songs.

The case of Wilson, serving a 10-year sentence for receiving oral sex from a 15-year-old girl when he was 17, will be heard by the Georgia Supreme Court July 20.

Attorney General Thurbert Baker is appealing a Monroe County Superior Court judge's decision to reduce Wilson's felony conviction to a misdemeanor and free him from prison. Baker said the judge overstepped his authority when he granted Wilson's motion last month. Wilson's attorney is arguing his 10-year prison sentence is cruel and unusual punishment. ~snip~

http://www.ajc.com/gwinnett/content/metro/cobb/stories/2007/07/14/wilson_0714a.html

[Catherine Vincent]

1. I talked with my cousin last night and she said she was attending

Free Genarlow Wilson!

[napi21]

2. Why can't his attorney argue since the law has been overturned,

Mr. Wilson should benefit from the determination that he was convicted on bad law that should never have been a felony to begin with?

[struggle4progress]

4. As I understand it, the law was not overturned by a court but changed by the legislature,

which explicitly made clear that the changes were not retroactive.

In such situations, courts judge according to the law that was in effect at the time of the alleged crime

[Catherine Vincent]

3. Here is video, by the way:

http://www.11alive.com/news/article_news.aspx?storyid=100074

[struggle4progress]

5. Thanks!

[emilyg]

6. Thank you.