Brian Banks....

[peppy]

This is such a nightmare.

Onetime top football prospect exonerated after rape accuser recants | Fox News

LONG BEACH, Calif. – The kidnap-rape conviction of a once-promising prep football star was dismissed Thursday following a recantation by his accuser.

Brian Banks collapsed in sobs on the counsel table during a court hearing where a prosecutor quickly conceded the decade-old case and moved for the dismissal.

In the summer of 2002, Banks' future looked bright: He was a 17-year-old high school football star being heavily recruited by a number of colleges. But in a single day that changed with the accusations of kidnapping and rape by a female student.

He maintained there was no rape and their sexual contact was consensual, but his lawyer urged him to plead no contest rather than risk a sentence of 41 years to life in prison if convicted. He followed the advice and went to prison for six years, shattering his dreams of gridiron glory.

Lawyers for the California Innocence Project were prepared Thursday to argue he should be exonerated.

In a strange turn of events, the woman who accused him a decade ago friended him on Facebook when he got out of prison. Wanetta Gibson explained she wanted to "let bygones be bygones."

According to documents in the case, she met with Banks and said she had lied; there had been was no kidnap and no rape and she offered to help him clear his record.

But she subsequently refused to repeat the story to prosecutors because she feared she would have to return a $1.5 million payment from a civil suit brought by her mother against Long Beach schools.

She was quoted as telling Banks: "I will go through with helping you but it's like at the same time all that money they gave us, I mean gave me, I don't want to have to pay it back."

Justin Brooks, a lawyer who heads the innocence project, said that Banks has remained on probation, under electronic monitoring, has had to register as a sex offender and has had trouble getting a job.

He said Banks continues to train for what he hopes will be a future chance at a football career.

Click for more from MyFox8.com.

Read more: Onetime top football prospect exonerated after rape accuser recants | Fox News

[ckissick]

Wanetta should not only give back the money, she should go to prison for exactly the same number of days as did Mr. Banks. And still that wouldn't be enough.

[widgeon13]

That time is gone, she ruined his life. Unfortunately the system will not do anything to her and even if it did, the damage has been done to Mr. Banks.

[tweezers74]

^^^^ totally agree. She should stand trial for all the emotional and financial trouble she caused him.

I hate to say it but this is why true victims aren't heard when they come forward. Because idiots like this who take advantage of the situation. And to read that quote of hers, that she was scared that they would take away the money?!!!! What about his life? His dreams? His reputation? His money? She took all that away, which was heck of a lot more than $1.5 million. Women like that make me sick. Makes me so mad to be a woman sometimes...

[Zeke]

He can sue her in civil court. I hope he does, gets an injunction to freeze the money and takes her down big time.

I hope he resists the temptation to slice her into sushi first.

[Noah930]

She's ruined some guy's life and her biggest worry is having to return the money.

[biosurfer1]

Originally Posted by Zeke

He can sue her in civil court. I hope he does, gets an injunction to freeze the money and takes her down big time.

I hope he resists the temptation to slice her into sushi first.

What are the chances that she has any of that money left 6 years later?

[Rikao4]

after 5 yrs of thinking about what he would do to her if he could..
IMO..
I'd let him decide..
oh and Mommy dearest gets the same..

me....I'd scorch the whole clan...
as I'm sure they all knew as well...

Rika

[Zeke]

Originally Posted by Noah930

She's ruined some guy's life and her biggest worry is having to return the money.

Well, you do have to consider what kind of person she really is. If she were fed to the hogs, it wouldn't be good enough for me.

However, the mere fact that she would have to appear in court, most likely in front of a legion of TV cameras, to settle the suit might place enough anguish on her that she just could suffer a small percentage of the grief Banks experienced while imprisoned for 6 years.

I hope Banks writes a book about this.

[speeder]

She is hopefully in a very large amount of legal trouble over this. Sickening story.

[vash]

that sucks..i feel for the guy. damn.

[Noah930]

Originally Posted by Zeke

Well, you do have to consider what kind of person she really is. If she were fed to the hogs, it wouldn't be good enough for me.

Or the hogs.

However, the mere fact that she would have to appear in court, most likely in front of a legion of TV cameras, to settle the suit might place enough anguish on her that she just could suffer a small percentage of the grief Banks experienced while imprisoned for 6 years.

One can hope, but doubtful. Not sure she's capable of anguish.

I hope Banks writes a book about this.

I hope he wins the freakin' lottery.

[rsNINESOOPER]

If she were to receive the kidnapping and rape tomorrow as punishment it would still not be enough.

sorry if that sounds harsh but telling a lie that destroys someone's life and robs them of some of the best years of their life while they rot behind bars is just plain cruel.
What possesses someone to do that to another human.

[Tobra]

She needs to lose all she has, and everything she might have had. Killing is too good for her.

Good point about the money Brett, I guarantee she has very little left.

[A930Rocket]

What a sack of schit she is.

As mentioned above - Same time in prison and he gets the $1.5m from her.

[Dottore]

Surely they would put her away for perjury, obstruction of justice etc.....

[Joe Bob]

Ummmmm....do the math. The lawyer got 1/3 to 1/2.......so 750K. She bought a car and condo......200 ish.......50k on jewelry. The rest she put up her nose and paid for 'pre pregnancy care'......it's gone, Beavis.

BTW, I'm willing to bet that the condo is in foreclosure.

[onewhippedpuppy]

Saw him on the news this morning, when asked the question about what should happen to his accuser he took the high road and said that she should be accountable, but that he was focusing on his future and not thinking about the past. Good answer, but I hope he's doing all that he can in the background to bury that worthless POS ghetto rat woman. She deserves to have her future destroyed and her dignity (what little remains) taken from her, as she did to him.

[biosurfer1]

This reminds me of a situation to a guy I knew in high school. He was at a party with his GF and they fell asleep. Being young, they had done teenager stuff in the past but that particular night they truly just fell asleep. Anyways when the GF finally woke up she realized she was hours past curfew. When she got home the parents were obviously pissed so she blurted out that she was raped to deflect the blame. Of course the parents freak out, guy gets arrested and is in jail for 3 days before her friends finally forced her to reveal the truth. The parents of the girl immediately went to the police to explain. Unfortunately the police informed them that because he had admitted to having sex with her before, they were pursuing a statutory rape charge (he was 19, she was 17). Since it was in the hands of law enforcement, there was noting the parents could do.

Never did hear what the final outcome of all that was but it sure was a wake up call to me and my friends.

[David]

As bad as what she did is, at least she finally came clean even if it was by hidden camera. She obviously doesn't have the money so Banks needs to go after the police department for their terrible investigation or lack of investigation.