Marcus Dixon Update (teenager on Oprah a few weeks ago)

[CBRorBust]

Hey guys,

Let me apologize in advance if this topic has already been covered here on the DIS. I haven't been around in about a week because school is insane!

A friend of mine who had been following the case told me today that the Georgia Supreme Court over turned his case and he is going to be released from jail.

I know there was a big thread right after his interview on Oprah aired, and I'm just really happy to hear the news.

Just my FYI for the day.

 

[CBRorBust]

Bump for you Morning Disers!

 

[wendyl]

I saw that announcement on msn.com yesterday. I was sooo glad. That story was terrible. I hope he is able to move on and have a happy and successful life!!

 

[honeywolf7]

Yay!

 

[Desiree]

Would you mind posting what happened originally? I'm clueless on what happened as to why he is in jail?

 

[EsmeraldaX]

He was accused of raping a child. The "child" in this case was his 15 year old girlfriend at the time. He was 18 (I think). They were in the same high school.

Marcus was a talented athlete, a great student, popular and had a good home life. He had no prior crimes, and was an all around excellent kid.

After having sex with his girlfriend (consensual, even she later said in court) she claimed he raped her. She is white. He is black. Her father is a hardcore racist which many suspect had a great deal to do with it.

Well after the allegation it went to the courts who found him guilty of statutory rape and sentenced him to something like 20 years in prison. He lost his scholarship he had worked so hard for, and his family (he was adopted by a white family as a small child and loved them dearly) struggeled financially and emotionally.

I am SO glad that the courts overturned the ruling. I hope he gets his scholarship back. Yes, teens should not probably be having sex that young, but this was consensual sex between two high school students who were boyfriend/girlfriend at the time and a young mans life should not be ruined because a girl is afraid of her racist father.

I really feel sad for the girl here. I suspect she has a horrible home life, and has probably lost a very nice young man who may have grown up to spend his life with her had she been able to stand up to her dad.

I'm just glad Marcus is going to be able to have a life again.

 

[wendyl]

I will give the basics, someone else may be able to give more details.

He was an honor student, good athlete, well liked African American young man in a High School near or in Rome Georgia (northern part of state). After school one day, he ended up in one of the trailer classrooms with a friend of his (white female) and they ended up having sex. Since he was an 18 year old Senior and she was a 16 yr old , they said it was Statutory Rape and sent him away. There was evidence, by witnesses, that the sex was not forced, but was consentual. But they sent him to jail anyway.

He lost scholarship opporunities, etc... There was a background story of the caucasian family that had adopted him many years back, because he wasn't being taken care of, and they fell in love with him. The people of the town loved him. It was a sad story

 

[SoonerKate]

Marcus Dixon (a black athlete) was sentenced to 10 years in prison for having consensual sex with a white classmate who was 15 at the time.

Although the jury acquitted Marcus of rape and three other counts of violent acts, the prosecutor also charged him with "aggravated child molestation." Consensual sex with a virgin fits into the technical reading of this Georgia statute. The statute had never been applied to consensual sex between two teenagers with less than three years age difference, until now. Aggravated child molestation carries a sentence of 10 years in prison, which is what he was given.

The jurors have spoken out many times since the trial, saying that they had no clue that he would be sentenced to 10 years in prison. However, the way the law was explained to them, they had no other choice but to convict him under it.


edited to add that he had been offered a football scholarship to Vanderbilt. Who knows if the offer will still stand, or if he'll be able to play anywhere.

 

[Desiree]

Oh gosh.. How horrible. I hope they do give his scholarship back as well. And I hope the girl can get some therapy that she needs.