[memyselfI]

Originally Posted by jrowe

A basic understanding of the appeals process and the rights granted to the GA supreme court and governor provide and easy answer to why they haven't stepped in. They can't under the law. It gives the governor the right to pardon in limited circumstances and the court can only review certain aspects of the case to see if legal standards were violated in reaching a conviction. They don't have a magic wand to do whatever they want.

Also, the prosecutor is bound by his oath of office to prosecute all crimes that fit the criminal code without injecting his own personal standards. He was simply keeping his word to the people. Yes, there is limited prosecutorial discretion. This was exercised by offering a plea AFTER conviction - something that is unheard of. If the plea would have been accepted, with parole, it would only have been two years time, the same amount of time as regular intercourse.

This kid sits in jail due to a series of bad choices he has made and continues to make. Yes, his punishment is excessive, but he is not a victim.

Yeah, yeah, but there is more than just 'the law' going on here. The legislature made new law and then refused to make it retroactive. The SC voted 4-3 on the case down racial lines. Apparently, the prosecutor can ask for a reduction of the charges. He's offered 5 years. He's hunkered down and now, with all the publicity making him look like an embicil, he's probably not going to back down at all.

For some reason, everyone is sticking to the letter of the law. And yes, the young man made some bad choices that individuals his age make EVERYDAY. What makes this case unique and UNFAIR is that the individuals older and more experienced than he are making decisions they don't make every day (witness the lack of prosecution/conviction for similiar circumstances) and seem to be making an exception in this case to make a point.

When you have cowards hiding behind 'the law' to exercise other demons then it's quite difficult for an individual to learn a lesson about right and wrong.