Darrell Williams’ supporters put their faith in God on Thursday night — and in the unifying power of the Rev. Jesse Jackson. Williams, 22, a suspended Oklahoma State basketball player from Chicago, is scheduled to be sentenced here Friday for molesting two women at a college house party. Williams was convicted of two counts rape by instrumentation and one count of sexual battery, but that means little to his supporters.
“Jesus was innocent but convicted,” Jackson said.
The civil rights leader, who addressed a packed church of all ages and races, told his rapt audience of the time he spent with Williams on Thursday in the Payne County Jail.
Williams’ supporters decry a jury that included no African Americans, a case that involved limited physical evidence and victims who reported the assaults at an off-campus house party on December 12, 2010, in an anonymous letter.
“We’re sensitive to the rights of women, sensitive to the judicial system,” Jackson said. “We want the case to be heard, open, free and fair.”
http://www.suntimes.com/14688553-76...tball-star-convicted-in-okla-sex-assault.html
Update -
A judge on Friday delayed sentencing for a former Oklahoma State basketball player convicted of sexual assaulting two women at an off-campus party so he can consider a motion for a new trial.
Darrell Williams, 22, was convicted last month of sexual battery and two counts of rape by instrumentation and was set to be sentenced on Friday. Jurors recommended one-year prison sentences for each of the rape counts. Williams was also acquitted of two additional counts of rape by instrumentation.
Defense attorneys claimed Williams was misidentified. As many as 80 people were at the party, including some of Williams‘ teammates who wore matching Oklahoma State warm-up suits. During Williams‘ trial, defense attorney Cheryl Ramsey also noted that neither woman suffered cuts or scratches and none of their clothing was torn.
At trial, one woman said Williams held her against her will and dragged her in a yard. She said the attack happened in the basement of the house and that no one came to her aid. “It made me feel violated and sick to my stomach,” she testified.
Several websites and Facebook pages have popped up in support of Williams and one online petition urging the judge to suspend his sentence and set him free has garnered more than 1,700 signatures.
Williams‘ supporters have long been skeptical of the prosecution’s case because it was built mainly on testimony from the two women and not physical evidence, such as a rape kit or DNA analysis.
The player’s family insists Williams, who is black, is the victim of misidentification by the white women at the party and of racial profiling by a jury of 11 whites and one Asian member who were picked from a largely white jury pool.
One of the women told The Associated Press ahead of the sentencing that she’s infuriated by the people who are “blindly” supporting Williams “without knowing the facts of what happened that night.”
“They don’t know what happened to me and the other girl,” she said.
She also blasted some of Williams‘ supporters who believe race played a role in his conviction or that she and the other victim had something to gain by coming forward. “That’s ignorance for people to say this is a race thing,” she said. “It’s not about race; it’s about rape. He raped two girls.”
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news...rs-senten/?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS
Liberal war on women continues.....Its ok to rape if you are a black basketball player and the victims are white
“Jesus was innocent but convicted,” Jackson said.
The civil rights leader, who addressed a packed church of all ages and races, told his rapt audience of the time he spent with Williams on Thursday in the Payne County Jail.
Williams’ supporters decry a jury that included no African Americans, a case that involved limited physical evidence and victims who reported the assaults at an off-campus house party on December 12, 2010, in an anonymous letter.
“We’re sensitive to the rights of women, sensitive to the judicial system,” Jackson said. “We want the case to be heard, open, free and fair.”
http://www.suntimes.com/14688553-76...tball-star-convicted-in-okla-sex-assault.html
Update -
A judge on Friday delayed sentencing for a former Oklahoma State basketball player convicted of sexual assaulting two women at an off-campus party so he can consider a motion for a new trial.
Darrell Williams, 22, was convicted last month of sexual battery and two counts of rape by instrumentation and was set to be sentenced on Friday. Jurors recommended one-year prison sentences for each of the rape counts. Williams was also acquitted of two additional counts of rape by instrumentation.
Defense attorneys claimed Williams was misidentified. As many as 80 people were at the party, including some of Williams‘ teammates who wore matching Oklahoma State warm-up suits. During Williams‘ trial, defense attorney Cheryl Ramsey also noted that neither woman suffered cuts or scratches and none of their clothing was torn.
At trial, one woman said Williams held her against her will and dragged her in a yard. She said the attack happened in the basement of the house and that no one came to her aid. “It made me feel violated and sick to my stomach,” she testified.
Several websites and Facebook pages have popped up in support of Williams and one online petition urging the judge to suspend his sentence and set him free has garnered more than 1,700 signatures.
Williams‘ supporters have long been skeptical of the prosecution’s case because it was built mainly on testimony from the two women and not physical evidence, such as a rape kit or DNA analysis.
The player’s family insists Williams, who is black, is the victim of misidentification by the white women at the party and of racial profiling by a jury of 11 whites and one Asian member who were picked from a largely white jury pool.
One of the women told The Associated Press ahead of the sentencing that she’s infuriated by the people who are “blindly” supporting Williams “without knowing the facts of what happened that night.”
“They don’t know what happened to me and the other girl,” she said.
She also blasted some of Williams‘ supporters who believe race played a role in his conviction or that she and the other victim had something to gain by coming forward. “That’s ignorance for people to say this is a race thing,” she said. “It’s not about race; it’s about rape. He raped two girls.”
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news...rs-senten/?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS
Liberal war on women continues.....Its ok to rape if you are a black basketball player and the victims are white