Glenarlow Wilson [previous coverage here and here] has rejected a plea offer from the State.

The Douglas County man imprisoned for having oral sex with a 15-year-old girl when he was 17, has turned down a plea deal a prosecutor offered in writing this week, his attorney said Friday.

B.J. Bernstein said Genarlow Wilson won’t accept the deal offered by Douglas County District Attorney David McDade because it would require him to plead guilty to a felony with a 15-year sentence and serve five years in prison.

Bernstein pointed out that a Monroe County judge granted her appeal this month, changed Wilson’s conviction to a misdemeanor and ordered him freed from prison. Attorney General Thurbert Baker, however, is appealing that judge’s ruling to the Georgia Supreme Court.

Bernstein is also concerned that Wilson would be forced to register as a sex offender under the deal, despite McDade’s contention that he could plead to an offense that does not normally require registration.

The plea deal itself is a little ambiguous or mysterious, if you prefer:

McDade spelled out his plea deal in a letter to Bernstein’s co-counsel, Rodney Zell, Monday. In the letter, McDade offers to let Wilson plead to a felony “that reflects his criminal actions with the victim in this case.”

McDade, however, does not identify possible charges. But he says Wilson could plead guilty to an offense that does not normally require sex offender registration, which has been one of the main sticking points in the case.

A series of court decisions and legislative actions, however, make it unclear whether Wilson can avoid registering as a sex offender regardless of the plea deal, said Mark Jackson, director of legal services for the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.

McDade said his offer would also let Wilson get credit for the time he has already served in prison and that he would not oppose parole for him.

HT: Audacity

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