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DEL.ICIO.USEric Johnson and Genarlow Wilson: The prequel
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Before Senate President pro tem Eric Johnson and radio talk show host Neal Boortz went at it over Genarlow Wilson this morning, there was the CNN piece.
It aired last Saturday. Johnson wrote a long defense of himself the next day, which became the heart of an AJC story written on Tuesday.
On today’s ajc.com, former lawmaker and current commentator Matt Towery said the law that put Wilson in prison was broken.
But back to Saturday. A Typical Joe has gone to the trouble of posting a partial transcript of the CNN piece. Here it is:
EDDIE BARKER, DOUGLASVILLE PROSECUTOR: From what we’ve seen on the videotape and heard from the victim ourself, we do not believe there was any physical force used.
[CNN CORRESPONDENT RICK] SANCHEZ: No physical force? Doesn’t matter. Nor does it matter that it was consensual sex between two teens. Ten years, mandatory, no way around it.
The law that ensnared Genarlow is so illogical that if he’d had intercourse with the 15-year-old instead of oral sex, his punishment would only have been a misdemeanor.
Back to the Georgia legislature, which recently changed the law but didn’t change Genarlow Wilson’s punishment. Why not?
State Senator Eric Johnson took the floor.
ERIC JOHNSON, GEORGIA STATE SENATOR: Mr. Wilson participated in multiple sexual acts with a minor while she was unconscious.
SANCHEZ: Wrong. The girl was not unconscious. The senator also said she was raped. That’s not even what the prosecutor thought.
So we called the senator and asked for an interview.
(on camera) Do you feel bad about the fact that you characterized this as a rape when you were talking yesterday in the Senate?
JOHNSON: No.
SANCHEZ: You don’t have any problem with that?
JOHNSON: No.
SANCHEZ: Because it wasn’t a rape.
JOHNSON: It’s a rape in my mind.
SANCHEZ (voice-over): Here’s what it was in the minds of the jurors. We know; we talked to them.
MARIE MANIGAULT, JURY FOREPERSON: When we viewed the tape, there was absolutely nothing in there that showed us that he in any way encouraged this person, even invited the person to come.
SANCHEZ: So for now, the Georgia legislature has done nothing, leaving Genarlow Wilson behind these walls, hoping some day for justice.
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By Joe
March 1, 2007 4:24 PM | Link to this
Not sure if you caught Sen Johnson on Boortz this AM…follow up to last week’s interview. Apparently Sen Johnson sent Boortz a copy of the videotape of Wilson engaged in sexual acts with the 17 and 15 year old. Here’s the irony….that tape is considered by Federal Law as CHILD PORNOGRAPHY (18 USC 2252). When Sen Johnson sent the tape to Boortz, he himself committed a FEDERAL CRIME (18 USC 2252) of which if convicted could face 10 years in prison and have to register as a SEX OFFENDER.
In the interview, BOORTZ asked JOHNSON if he (Boortz) could watch the video since it depicted sex of minors….Johnson, sound “I think so…” Boortz asked Johnson if this was a set up, but the reality was that JOHNSON broke the law and NOT Boortz. Now, if Boortz fails to report the video and keeps it, then he is knowingly possessing Child Porn.
How IRONIC would it be for JOHNSON to be on the same Sex Offender registry as Wilson??
Check it out