Some people just make me sick

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Does it really matter if someone mentions that someone else is black? It's not abusive it's just acknowledgment. Don't say that you're one of these people that assumes you can't say the words black, White or Asian without it being racist.

How did you infer I was accusing the OP of racism and using abusive language from the word 'relevance'? :rolleyes:

I'm not in the business of supposing racism whenever an injustice is committed against a 'non-white' person, so I asked that question to see if the person's ethnic origin was directly pertinent to any aspect of the case; I would have asked the same thing if details of the accused's eye colour or shoe size were included, for example. Regardless of the person's ethnicity, being wrongfully accused and imprisoned for something as heinous as rape is objectionable.

Reply 81

Original post by fudgesundae

Tried as whatever he was. He was probably tried as a minor seeing as he was only 16. Minors can still be given pretty harsh sentences.

All it would require is a DNA test probably. They didn't take a DNA test as he pleaded no contest. No contest means the defendant neither admits nor disputes the charge, so the public would not find it difficult to imagine. In a wrongful murder case in this country a few years someone plead guilty after being pressured by the police. There didn't seem to be anyone thinking he still did it because he pleaded guilty after he was exonerated.

This is an only assumption but I guessed they might have had sex... I'm not sure if correct but surely DNA could not be used unless straight after the alleged incident, if she reported it 'later', then DNA evidence would be lost.

Original post by fudgesundae

I agree that the justice system needs to be changed. The problem is it is inherently racist. Which means it will take time as it will need new people in charge to bring new attitudes to the system.

The justice system can't/won't be changed if black people keep pleading guilty when they are innocent because they are scared of getting longer sentences. I can completely understand why people don't want to take the risk but I really feel this is a cause that needs 'martyrs' if a real change is going to be made. Isn't race also used when picking jury members (I watch legal dramas so this may not actually be true..) In a case between black guy/white girl, I would have thought about 50% would be black, to help reduce racism.

Also, if they had gone to trial, as is often the case, if the girl would have been called to the stand, it is likely she would have broken down and admitted to the lies.

Reply 82

samyakatack

this post is quite far into this thread so probably won't be read as much, but I'll say it anyway:

her, and pretty much all cases like her in the past and future (false rape claimants) will/have not be jailed/prosecuted etcc.
on the basis that the act of punishing her in any way or fashion could deter other people who have made fake rape allegations scared to come out and confess hereby
keeping the wrongly incarcerated person in prison.

Reply 83

The Doggfather

Original post by Axion

I feel sorry for the accused person

wow imagine watching that in 3D!

Reply 84

navarre

What a scumbag she is. She is a living insult to every rape victim and anyone falsely charged with a crime. Lock her up for five years and she how she likes it.

Reply 85

fudgesundae

Original post by Pin

He was arrested less the same day the alleged incident took place and he said they never actually even had sex. DNA tests could have confirmed this.

The onus should not be on them to sort out the justice system. They are forced into this position because of what they know goes on.

Isn't race also used when picking jury members (I watch legal dramas so this may not actually be true..) In a case between black guy/white girl, I would have thought about 50% would be black, to help reduce racism.

Not too sure how US jury selection work. But a quick google has told me (from a Duke University study) that only 28% of all trials had 1 or more black juror. On juries without a black juror (72% of all trials) the conviction rate for black defendants was 81% and for white defendants 66%. However on juries with only one black juror the conviction rate was almost identical (71% vs 73%).

Death row is another issue. A report sponsored by the American Bar Association in 2007 concluded that one-third of African-American death row inmates in Philadelphia would have received sentences of life imprisonment if they had not been African-American.

And on a related issue, since 1977, 77% of all death penalties have been given where the victim was white. Despite the fact that roughly equal numbers of black and white people have been murdered. Many prosecutors have also said that they would be more likely to ask for the death sentence if there was a white victim. Black people were 3 times more likely than white people to be given a death sentence in the case of a white victim.

There are just many deep, underlying problems in the root of their justice system. I just can't see how they can be fixed.

Also, if they had gone to trial, as is often the case, if the girl would have been called to the stand, it is likely she would have broken down and admitted to the lies.

Depends how guilty she felt. Took her 10 years to contact him and try to reconcile. If she had broken down on the stand the prosecutor would likely have taken her down and just said she was still distressed from the incident or something.

Reply 86

lankymanky

For anyone claiming that "racism" played a role, ask yourself why is the accuser also black?

Just do a google image search for the accuser's name, Wanetta Gibson or whatever her name is, and then think again.

(edited 11 years ago)

Reply 87

lankymanky

Original post by fudgesundae

If you read the article it shows that he actually pleaded guilty because his lawyer convinced him that a jury would never believe a large black football player in a rape case. Basically his lawyer knew the US justice system is inherently racist.

Original post by callum9999

Presumably because, rightly or wrongly, it's a widely held belief that the US justice system is racist.

Though to the OP, I don't see why this is really an example of why "some people just make you sick". There are millions of crimes being committed far worse than this...

Have any of you seen an image of the accuser?

I'd recommend doing a google image search of her before assuming that "racism" was a factor in his conviction...

Reply 88

fudgesundae

Original post by lankymanky

Have any of you seen an image of the accuser?

I'd recommend doing a google image search of her before assuming that "racism" was a factor in his conviction...

huh? I know the woman was black. His lawyer recommended he plead no contest due to the fact that they believed it was unlikely a jury would find a large black teenager innocent in this rape case.

His attorney's words, not mine. But yeah had it been a white male and black female, I imagine he would not have been told to plead no contest, and it could have turned out very differently.