It was good news to hear that high school football star/honor student Marcus Dixon was released from jail after the Georgia Supreme Court threw out his 10-year prison sentence for sexual offenses with a 15-year-old classmate.
Marcus had been in jail for 15 months before being released today. The court ruled that Marcus should have been prosecuted on misdemeanor stat rape rather than aggravated child molestation.
The supreme irony of it all was that it was consensual teenage sex between a black boy and a white girl -- and the original ten year sentence seemed motivated in part by racial differences
We at the Luau (along with act4justice.com-- where we found out about his case a few months ago) are pleased the harsh punishment has been overturned
Although we do decry the loss of the time for this young man, who had been granted a scholarship to attend Vanderbilt University -- and we remain aware that in some parts of our country, there still are pernicious vestiges of racism that really need to be addressed once and for all, so that all may have justice, equal treatment, and liberty
Some background from act4justice:
This true story took place in rural Rome, Georgia, USA just last year 2003!
Marcus Dixon,� an 18-year old African American high school senior was accused of rape by a classmate (a white girl only a few months shy of 16, a sophomore). The jury quickly came back with Not Guilty verdicts on all rape & use of force, they agreed the sex was consensual (only took them 15 minutes)
However, the prosecutor added the charge of aggravated child molestation since the girl was under 16.
He was found guilty by this charge per se and sentenced to a mandatory minimum 10 year sentence.
No high school boy or girl has ever been charged with child molestation of a classmate less than three years his or her junior until Marcus. Marcus was a star on the football team, an Honor Student (3.96 GPA) and had a full scholarship to Vanderbilt University.
Marcus had served 15 months prior to his conditional release today
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