Guilty of rape with absolutely no evidence

STILLWATER, Okla. -- A suspended Oklahoma State basketball player accused of sexually assaulting two women at a house party was convicted Monday night of sexual battery and rape by instrumentation, but jurors acquitted him on two other counts.

Darrell Williams broke down in tears as the verdicts were read, saying "Oh my Jesus God" as he bent over and banged his hands on the defense table. He then turned to the jury and yelled, "I didn't do it." Others in the packed courtroom, including his teammates and coach, left without commenting, and an inconsolable female relative was helped out as Williams was taken away by sheriff's deputies.

The 22-year-old was charged with four counts of rape by instrumentation, but he was acquitted on two of those counts. Jurors, who deliberated for about eight hours, recommended that he be sentenced to a year in prison for each of the rape counts. His formal sentencing is set for Aug. 24.

Payne County prosecutors accused Williams of groping the two women and reaching inside their pants without their consent during a party in December 2010. With little physical evidence to bolster their case, Assistant District Attorney Jill Tontz had to rely on testimony from the two women.

" 'No' means just that: It means 'no,' " Tontz said during closing arguments earlier Monday. "These girls felt dehumanized, embarrassed."

Both women testified during the trial and said they identified Williams as their attacker after police showed them a photo of the Cowboys basketball team. One woman said Williams held her against her will and dragged her in a yard. She said the attack happened in the basement of the house and that no one came to her aid.

"It made me feel violated and sick to my stomach," she testified.

After the verdicts, Tontz said the women "waited 16 months to tell a jury what Darrell Williams did to them. This verdict represents justice."

Defense attorneys had tried to cast doubt that Williams was the perpetrator. Witnesses testified that several players at the party wore similar Oklahoma State warm-up suits, and his attorneys claimed that could have led to a misidentification.

Defense attorney Cheryl Ramsey referred to the case as a "he said, she said situation" during her closing argument. She noted that no one heard anyone scream at the party, saw any struggles or reported anything inappropriate. Neither of the women suffered any cuts or scratches, and no clothing was torn after the alleged incident.

After the verdicts were read, Ramsey said she was "very disappointed." She had asked the judge to release Williams pending his sentencing, but the judge denied the request, noting Williams' sudden outburst in court.

The outburst prompted Tontz to quickly move to the other side of prosecutors' table and cry as she clutched a sheriff's deputy. The prosecutor later said she felt intimidated.

Williams has long denied the allegations, and did so in a recorded interview with police that attorneys played at the trial last week.

"I don't know what happened in the basement," Williams said on the audio recording. "I was probably misidentified."

Oklahoma State basketball coach Travis Ford testified on Williams' behalf Wednesday, saying he believed the young man was innocent. The coach declined comment after the verdicts Monday.

Williams was suspended from the team in February 2011. Before that, he led the team in rebounding and averaged 7.1 points per game.

 

Wow. If they were groped by "instrumentation" how can that be rape? Isn't rape sexual intercourse??

 

Terrible.

 

His reaction doesnt look like that of a guilty man to me

 

Groping and touching without consent is bad, but in college so much worse goes on. Like actual vaginal penile penetration by several men on ONE woman without her consent.

A year in prison seems harsh, but he probably gets out early.
His lawyer must have been pure shit. No DNA, no witnesses to corroborate.
What if he 'only' grabbed her breast, what would the sentence have been??

I tend to believe the girl who said he dragged her into the yard or wherever and claims he assaulted her.

Very few woman actually lie about being sexually assaulted.

SOOOOOOOooo many women are raped/sexually in college though, it's hard for me to totally sympathize with the guy. Kinda feel like something happened but the sentence seems harsh.

I mean I've had women playfully smack me in the crotch before, and I in return have returned that smack right back to the cooch.
Consent is key I guess.

 

damn....thats says so much without saying anything

 

After this, is he now a registered sex offender? If so, game over.

 

If this is true, that is fucking sad. Even if he gets aquitted, his life is ruined.

 

He got 4 years.

 

Per the paltry "evidence", I don't know that he deserved jail - perhaps mandatory counseling, community service, etc. I think he was responsible, especially when he said: "I was probably misidentified."
Possibly was intoxicated at the time, too. When he cried: 'I didn't do it" he really meant 'I didn't mean to do it/I'm so sorry for doing it". And I believe him.


@ his release: The sex offender registration is like a Scarlett Letter. It doesn't bode to the severity - either you are or you are not. It really needs different labels for the crime. ie: child sexual predator
or rapist, adult rapist, statutory rapist, etc...

 

Oh boy...........

no evidence and nothing but testimony = 4 years

his only crime was being stupid and not choosing his words more carefully

way to go America:smt039

 

I Googled his attorney's name and she seems to be highly regarded. Recently represented another high profile athlete. How can he get such an unfair punishment with such good representation??

 

in other news

water is wet

:shock:

 

How do u say his only crime was....?? :smt107 You don't know that. Two different women testified against him.

The issue here was the questionable indictment, a conviction based on a lack of forensic evidence, and his excessive punishment.

 

If I paid a bunch of money to get the best and there isn't much evidence then I expect more than this.

 

at ease

 

Blame your caffeine pills you've been peddling round this joint. They have me a bit....happy. :lol:

 

in the immortal words of philly's own Cassidy

'i can sell raid to a bug, im a hustla, i can sell salt to a slug'

 

"I got game like you wouldn't imagine. Boy I can talk a cat off a fish wagon.
Or sell an eskimo ice and get him twice. Mayne I'm that nice."-Mac Dre

 

I'd believe it!

Haha, great lines! (both artists).

Side note, my late father would always say to me 'you could sell ice to an Eskimo!' TY for the sweet memory trip.