The state of Georgia continues to amaze me with its complete and udder backwardness.
Lately, I am fed up with the District Attorney of Floyd County and her decision to appeal the Marcus Dixon case. For those of you not aware of this case, Marcus Dixon was an 18 year high School senior with a 3.96 gpa and a scholarship to Vanderbilt University. He attended Peperell High School in Floyd County, Georgia. One afternoon after school he and a 15 year old student who was just months shy of her sixteenth birthday had what was originally described by the victim as consensual sex. During this act, the girl's virginity was lost. Since I am not a woman, I can not speak with too much authority on this subject but I have heard and read that losing one's virginity can be quite a painful experience. Marcus Dixon was later charged with aggravated sexual assault as well as child molested by the Floyd County district attorney. The incident in question resulted in a jury convicting him in May 2003 of misdemeanor statutory rape as well as felony aggravated child molestation.

While the former charge carries a maximum one-year sentence, the latter carries a ten-year mandatory minimum sentence. The same jury simultaneously acquitted him of rape, aggravated assault, false imprisonment and sexual battery, leading many to question the jury's understanding of the felony charge, a fact that was later confirmed by the jury foreman and other jury members. Dixon's scholarship to Vanderbilt was subsequently revoked.

Following this conviction, Dixon filed an appeal with the Georgia Supreme Court, arguing that the Georgia legislature never intended for the behavior in this case to fall under the felony child molestation statute and further, that the ten-year mandatory sentence was cruel and unusual punishment under the U.S. Constitution.

Thankfully, the high court ruled in Dixon's favor. Now, the Floyd County district attorney is at it again. I guess the members of the Georgia Supreme Court are confused and unable to hand out justice in a fair and balanced manner as an appeal is being filed Floyd County District Attorney. The D.A., Leigh Patterson claims the court's 4-3 May 3 ruling was in error when it said Marcus Dixon should have only been charged with misdemeanor statutory rape, not aggravated child molestation, one of Georgia's "seven deadly sins" crimes.

This woman needs to be informed that racism is no longer tolerated in this state and people of her ilk are part of the reason that the southern states have a bad reputation. She also needs to be removed from her office but unfortunately that is for the people of Floyd county to decide.

Anyone who knows about this case should be outraged as me. Please help this person see the error of her evil ways and mail, fax, or call her at:



Ms. Leigh Patterson, District Attorney
3 Government Plaza, Suite 302
Rome, Georgia 30161
Telephone (706)291-5210
Fax (706)291-5163