One of the more outrageous convictions in recent years took place in Georgia. The defendant is black, was 17, and was given a ten year sentence for... having consensual oral sex with a girlfriend who was then 15. How can anyone have allowed this to happen?
Well, finally the sentence has been overturned. While Genarlow Wilson was in jail, the Georgia legislature thought better of the law and recast it as a misdemeanor with a top sentence of one year. But they refused to allow that change to be applied to Wilson's case. For two plus years he's been in jail -- and will now be released, thanks to the Georgia Supreme Court.
The state of Georgia's veneer of civic responsibility got badly scratched in this case. Why is it that certain states seem to want to stick it to themselves, particularly when they're dealing with minorities? Let's hope Wilson is able to get past this -- and fast. Georgia won't get past it so fast. The bad PR on this will keep Georgia on our minds for years to come, and not with pleasant associations.
