STATE SENATOR OUTRAGED
BY ACTIONS OF DISTRICT ATTORNEY
By Sen. Emanuel Jones
July 13, 2007
ATLANTA – State Senator Emanuel Jones (D-Decatur), author of legislation that would have allowed the Genarlow Wilson case to be reviewed under the “Romeo and Juliet” provision adopted in 2006 to amend the existing law, has criticized the callous nature in which the videotaped evidence was handled by Douglas County District Attorney David McDade.
Jones said, “the continued showing of the videotape is turning Genarlow Wilson from a young man into an object to be vilified and hated. How can he receive any justice in our courts or any support in the Georgia General Assembly if these images are constantly being shown without any discretion?”
An edited version of the tape was played on some local newscasts, and copies of it were viewed by some legislators earlier this year at the state Capitol. At the time, lawmakers were being asked by Jones to consider passing a law that might have allowed a judge to reduce Wilson's sentence.
McDade has stated he was required to release the tape under the state's open records law because it was introduced as evidence at the trial. Former DeKalb County District Attorney J. Tom Morgan dismissed McDade's argument about the open-records law.
Morgan said distributing or possessing the video was a felony punishable by up to 20 years in prison unless it was done for reasons of law enforcement, educational, medical or scientific purposes. Morgan said even allowing reporters and legislators to view the video at the district attorney's office, which McDade has done, violated the law.
Sen. Jones has asked Attorney General Thurbert Baker to issue an opinion on McDade distributing the videotape depicting sexual acts with a minor in the Genarlow Wilson case. Sen. Jones will use whatever resource he has available to discontinue the viewing of the Wilson videotape. “We have young people on the videotape who are being dragged through the mud by insensitive and uncaring people. I will not allow Genarlow and the others in the tape to be dehumanized and electronically tarred and feathered.”
Also, U.S. Justice Department has indicated that McDade violated federal law when he distributed the videotape to legislators and journalists.
U.S. Attorney David Nahmias said federal law prohibits distributing the videotape because it depicted minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct and warned that people who had received it would be in violation of federal child pornography laws.
- Sen. Emanuel Jones (D-Decatur) represents the 10th District in the Georgia State Senate.
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