[Dean's World] Ron Coleman: Choose your attorney carefully

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Posted by Ron Coleman:
Choose your attorney carefully
http://www.deanesmay.com/posts/1181146216.shtml


   But not for the reason he seems to think:

     Genarlow Wilson . . ., now 21, is serving 10 years without the
     possibility of parole after a jury found him guilty of aggravated
     child molestation for having consensual oral sex with a 15-year-old
     girl [at a party]. He was charged with rape for being one of
     several male partygoers to have sex with a 17-year-old girl, but
     was acquitted.

     Wilson's sentence has been widely criticized, even by members of
     the jury that convicted him and the author of the 1995 law that put
     him behind bars.

     "The law was designed to protect kids against really, really bad
     people doing very bad things," said the sponsor, former state Rep.
     Matt Towery, a Republican. "It was never intended to put kids in
     jail for oral sex."

     Wilson, clad in a white prison uniform, watched the hearing begin
     Wednesday morning. His legal team will again try to free their
     client as a Monroe County Court hears a claim that Wilson's
     constitutional rights are being violated.

     The lawyers will argue that his legal counsel during his 2005 trial
     was ineffective. Among other things, his lawyer did not subpoena
     the 15-year-old to testify. The petition also argues that the
     sentence was grossly disproportionate.

     Wilson's appellate lawyer, B.J. Bernstein, compared --

   What?

     Wilson's appellate lawyer, B.J. Bernstein, compared --

   Never mind. Forget I said anything. B.J. Bernstein -- end of story.
   He's going to argue ineffective counsel? B.J.?