Marcus Dixon

Marcus Dixon was a star football player and high school honor student, who was convicted for having underage sex with a minor.

He was 18 at the time, while his partner, Kristie Brown was 15.

A jury later acquitted Dixon of rape and other charges, but he was found guilty of statutory rape and aggravated child molestation.

He was sentenced to 10 years in prison.

The fact that Marcus Dixon was an African American and Kristie Brown was a Caucasian female led legal experts, journalists and spectators to speculate that the case was possibly racially motivated, especially since the case was tried in the state of Georgia, which carries a stigma of racial profiling.

The case was featured on popular news and entertainment broadcasts including The Oprah Winfrey Show, Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel, 60 Minutes, and FOX News, each with sympathetic reports and bringing scrutiny and national attention to the case.

The Georgia Supreme Court, with a ruling of 4-3, later overturned the conviction and Dixon was released on May 3, 2004.

He had served 15 months in prison.

He received and accepted a football scholarship to Vanderbilt University. In his time in College he was a three-time team captain, with a 3.33 grade-point average and was involved in no off-the-field controversies. He is hopeful to be selected in the 2008 NFL Draft.

• "It would be entirely incongruous with the intent of the Legislature ... if the state retained the discretion to prosecute the exact same conduct as either misdemeanor statutory rape or felony child molestation." - Chief Justice Norman Fletcher.

• "Clearly, when, as here, the sexual act involves injury to the victim, the General Assembly intended that the aggravated child molestation statute apply," - Justice Harris Hines.

• "I don't take my freedom for granted now. My thing was just, 'All right, every day I wake up, I'm proving that you made the right decision. I'm proving that I wasn't that guy that was supposed to be in prison.'" - Marcus Dixon

Marcus Dixon was a star football player and high school honor student, who was convicted for having underage sex with a minor.

He was 18 at the time, while his partner, Kristie Brown was 15.

A jury later acquitted Dixon of rape and other charges, but he was found guilty of statutory rape and aggravated child molestation.

He was sentenced to 10 years in prison.

</small> The fact that Marcus Dixon was an African American and Kristie Brown was a Caucasian female led legal experts, journalists and spectators to speculate that the case was possibly racially motivated, especially since the case was tried in the state of Georgia, which carries a stigma of racial profiling.

The case was featured on popular news and entertainment broadcasts including The Oprah Winfrey Show, Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel, 60 Minutes, and FOX News, each with sympathetic reports and bringing scrutiny and national attention to the case.

</small> The Georgia Supreme Court, with a ruling of 4-3, later overturned the conviction and Dixon was released on May 3, 2004.

He had served 15 months in prison.

</small> He received and accepted a football scholarship to Vanderbilt University. In his time in College he was a three-time team captain, with a 3.33 grade-point average and was involved in no off-the-field controversies. He is hopeful to be selected in the 2008 NFL Draft.

• </small>

• "It would be entirely incongruous with the intent of the Legislature ... if the state retained the discretion to prosecute the exact same conduct as either misdemeanor statutory rape or felony child molestation." - Chief Justice Norman Fletcher.

• "Clearly, when, as here, the sexual act involves injury to the victim, the General Assembly intended that the aggravated child molestation statute apply," - Justice Harris Hines.

• "I don't take my freedom for granted now. My thing was just, 'All right, every day I wake up, I'm proving that you made the right decision. I'm proving that I wasn't that guy that was supposed to be in prison.'" - Marcus Dixon

1. Height; 6'4"
2. Weight 294 lbs
3. Defensive End
4. Served 15 months in Prison
5. Reportedly Paramount pictures has life rights to his story with director Thomas Carter attached
6. Had a scholarship to Vanderbilt University
7. Enrolled at Hampton University in Virginia

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• Also try: The Oprah Winfrey Show

• Google Blog Search: Marcus Dixon

• YardBarker: Will he make the most of his 2nd chance? (April 24, 2008)

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