Georgia high court overturns teen's sentence

[tishaLA]

If this has already been posted, forgive me. But this case has interested me for a while because of the prosecutor's (and the father's) unbridled racism and because of these stupid mandatory sentencing guidelines....

A teenager's 10-year prison sentence for having sex with a younger schoolmate was thrown out Monday by the Georgia Supreme Court.

The state's highest court ruled 18-year-old Marcus Dixon should have been prosecuted just on the lesser charge of misdemeanor statutory rape rather than aggravated child molestation for having sex with a 15-year-old in February 2003.

Dixon, who is black, has claimed he was targeted because he is black and had sex with a white girl. His case drew protests from the NAACP.

Dixon was acquitted on felony rape charges but found guilty of aggravated child molestation, which comes with a mandatory decade-long sentence, as well as statutory rape. Monday's ruling lets the statutory rape conviction, which carries a maximum sentence of one year and a $1,000 fine, stand.

<snip>
Dixon's case had led some lawmakers to push for change in the state's mandatory sentencing law, and members of the state House black caucus broke into applause Monday when the court's ruling was announced.
http://www.cnn.com/2004/LAW/05/03/teen.sex.charge.ap/index.html

[LittleApple81]

1. I saw this case discussed on TV some time ago. I am glad for

the kid. Those people trying to send him to prison for 10 years were so transparent.

[the_real_38]

2. I think only adults should have sex...

.. and how do you enforce that otherwise?

[Lizz612]

6. Geez, how long ago were you a teen?

Sure it may not be the most "psychologically healthy" (read: high school broken heart drama) thing for a freshman or sophomore in high school to date (and sleep with) a senior, but its going to continue to happen. If it was rape it was rape, but if the 15 year old consented to sex with the 18 year old the sentence should reflect that. 10 years is harsh. I know plenty of teens who date and sleep with older teens. Its technically illegal. The way you word it, any teen sex would become forbidden fruit. Abstinence only education has been shown not to work.

[Anjisan]

3. I'm not happy.

When I first read about this case, I'd have cheered for this ruling. It seemed so unfair that he'd get so many years for just having sex with another student. I didn't believe her when she said she said no to him.

However, as I read more and found out more about Dixon, it turns out that this isn't the first time he's been involved in sexual molestation. He's exposed himself twice before to girls in school and another filed a complaint against him for grabbing her breast. She later dropped the complaint at the urging of school officials.

Now it seems to me that what they've done is let another athlete get away with something that anyone else would serve time for.

[tishaLA]

4. I'm unaware of that history

and you may be right about it. Is there any place you know of where this is mentioned?

At any rate, it seems to me that race had a lot to do with this case and that, had he been white, there would have been a very different prosecution and he may have ended up with probation.

[qazplm]

5. he may have been guilty of something

before, then he again, that may just be innuendo and rumor started by people upset that he might get off...who knows?

Assuming the worst, it STILL has nothing to do with THIS charge, which was bogus, by ALL accounts it was sex that was consensual, and the only "abuse" was the breaking the hymen because she was a virgin.

That's what made this so over the top and wrong, and clearly indicative of racism.