Meh. Rape's practically legal anyhoo; I think you have to pretty much go some to get convicted of it.

AHHH... just noticed this thread... I actually looked at this article and me and my old man had an LOL over it, just cause of how wierd it looked that a prior offender got off like that.. So, few things

(a) The prior conviction was almost certainly admissible. In most criminal cases prior convictions are not admissible because they are considered too highly prejudicial and not relevant enough (after all doods on trial for THIS, not for what he did before, we beleive in rehabilitation like JJ said, etc.) However in sex offense cases, the normal laws of evidence go out the window, and priors are admissible, and even prior charges that dont result in convictions are admissible, and EVEN UNCHARGED AND PREVOUSLY UNREPORTED ASSAULTS FROM PEOPLE THAT COME OUTTA THE WOODWORK can get in (they wont always, but they can). And, womens sexual history is inadmissible. Sex offense law favors the plaintiff more than probably any other law out there.

(b) This all bein the case, i am definitely of a mond to think that the girls testimony, for whatever reason, was totally hopeless. I read an article that mentioned some testimony from some people at a party that the girls had bragged to about stealin drugs from the guy, and planning to accuse him of rape, or something like that.

The real thing of this is that when youve got drugs involved, and a lot of them, that introduces alot of possibility for ulterior motives to enter into the equation, and from the looks of it, the jury prolly thought the girls were lyin lil tramps, who consented in order to get at the drugs the dood had..it hapens on rare occasion...

As far as him still bein in prison for what he did in 91, meh... i mean, i am not pro-child molestation or pro rape (unless its date rape under just the right conditions, of a girl who is of age, obv.), but like i said earlier, the sex offense laws favor the plaintiff so heavily that I have mixed feelings about lockin all these guys up and throwing away the key...plus i think everyone oughta get like ONE shot to rehabilitate...the fact that here is a high risk of a repeat offense, to me anyway, doesn't justify not givin someone the opportunity to try and rehabilitate themselves...three strikes seems like a alot tho...two strikes sounds fair...lockin someone up for life for one sex offense wound be a violation of the 8th amendment anyway i think...

(c) Watchin the video i am pretty sure that the plaintiffs parents/loved ones were black. This dood was the ultimate trailer park living cracker (it even said he built the bunker behind his trailor, lol), and it WAS in south carolina... Now id like to think that our society has advanced far enough that the darkies can get a fair trial anywhere in the nation, even back in ole caroline, but i've heard alot of horror stories to the contrary, so i dunno....that could have somethin to do with it...that would be pretty sad...but i figure if that was an issue, idda heard the ACLU/Al Sharpton/Northview up in arms about it by now..