The Marcus Dixon story is the topic on Nightline

[Catherine Vincent]

if anyone is interested. He is the boy that was sentenced to 10 years of prison for having consensual sex with a girl. I really do hope his case gets overturned. It should be taken to the supreme court. It's ridiculous.

[Muddleoftheroad]

1. Rape

If it is the case I am thinking about, he was sentenced to 10 years for statutory rape. That is a bit of a difference.

[Catherine Vincent]

2. No, it wasn't rape. It was something like child molestation or

something like that. They were interviewing one of the jurors and she explained how they made a mistake in finding him guilty. They were shocked when the sentencing was read. Some of them starting weeping. They realized it was two teens having sex.

This case stinks.

[Muddleoftheroad]

6. Sex with someone under age

Is statutory rape.

[Sparkle]

10. I think she knows what statutory rape is, she was talking about

what he was charged with.

[tkmorris]

3. He was not charged with statutory rape

What he was charged with was something along the lines of "Violence against a minor", a charge which the prosecutor in the case said applied because the girl lost her virginity during the admittedly consensual sex. If she had not been a virgin presumably it would not have applied.

10 years for statutory rape would be ridiculous in any case. The word rape is a misnomer in such cases since no "rape" occurs, the crime is in the age of a willing participant. Without consent the charge is different.

In this case 10 years is beyond ridiculous, it's Kafka-esque.

[Muddleoftheroad]

7. Minors can't give consent to adults

Hence the term rape.

[tkmorris]

11. Horsehockey Muddle

People that haven't yet met their 18th birthday do in fact have minds of their own whether you want to admit it or not. The only difference is that the LAW often decides to ignore what they say. They give consent just as well as you do believe it or not.

[Muddleoftheroad]

20. People younger than 18 can give consent in some states

The GIRL in question was, if I recall correcly, 15.

[whatelseisnew]

12. Where is your link to prove he was charged/convicted of rape?

you seem so certain, you must know for sure

[SaddenedDem]

18. NOT rape - Child molestation

http://www.blackcommentator.com/71/71_wise_sex.html

And at the end of the day, the jury was still forced to convict Dixon on the lesser-included charge of aggravated child molestation – yes, child molestation – because at the time of the consensual sex he had just turned 18 and the female in question was 2 years and 7 months his junior, making him eligible for prosecution under Georgia’s Child Protection Act, which makes any sex between such persons a felony.

[maveric]

4. He is black and the girl is white and this takes place in the deep south

I believe that the girls father is a very influential part of the town they live in.
Its a case of blatant racism to teach a black kid not to mess with a white girl.

[loudnclear]

5. Now you know why he got 10 years.

His family should lodge a civil suit against the girl's parents for not controlling their child whose consensual acitons have now deprived their son of life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness, caused them mental anguish, defamed their son's character.

[Muddleoftheroad]

8. Underage children should not be blamed

When adults take advantage.

[SaddenedDem]

13. Dixon was NOT an adult

Dixon, an "A" student at Pepperell High School in Lindale, had gotten a full football scholarship to Vanderbilt a week before being arrested on charges of raping a 15-year-old classmate.

http://www.ajc.com/tuesday/content/epaper/editions/tuesday/living_0430673204d112ef0065.html

He had JUST graduated from High School.

[whatelseisnew]

15. Well, 18 is legally an adult, but what was the charge/conviction

right now we have hearsay

[SaddenedDem]

17. The charge was aggravated child molestation

And at the end of the day, the jury was still forced to convict Dixon on the lesser-included charge of aggravated child molestation – yes, child molestation – because at the time of the consensual sex he had just turned 18 and the female in question was 2 years and 7 months his junior, making him eligible for prosecution under Georgia’s Child Protection Act, which makes any sex between such persons a felony.

http://www.blackcommentator.com/71/71_wise_sex.html

[truthspeaker]

16. true - but that's not what happened in this case

[Muddleoftheroad]

21. 18?

Last time I checked, that is a legal adult.

[Jokerman]

22. Is this Justice?

A teenager, one day short of his 18th birthday has sex with a girl from his high school with no penalty, but if the act happens the next day he gets 10 years in jail.

How can that be justified?

[Muddleoftheroad]

23. Justice?

You expect justice in the courts? You are optimistic.

Personally, I am happy if they simply apply the law fairly and evenly to all. I will accept equal injustice.

[hang a left]

24. A boy that is 18 and a girl that is 15 have

consensual sex, and that is rape. Give me a break! When I was 15, my first boyfriend was 18, and yes we did the dirty. But today he walks a free man.

[Sparkle]

9. A lot of Atlantonions (?) are saying that if these two kids were

both white (or black), the prosecutors wouldn't have fought hard to convict.

I think they are right. We'll never know.

[Brewman_Jax]

14. Another view of the case

Tim Wise highlights the case in his essay "Sex Across the Color Line" found at www.blackcommentator.com/71/71_wise_sex.html

[Devlzown]

19. NYT article

He was found guilty of statutory rape (a misdemeanor) and aggravated child molestation. The latter charge has a mandatory sentence, and five of the jurors said that they wouldn't have convicted him of that charge if they'd known it carried such a harsh penalty. http://www.nytimes.com/2004/01/22/national/22DIXO.html?th