Genarlow Wilson To Released From Prison

The Georgia Supreme Court has upheld a ruling that Genarlow Wilson's 10-year prison sentence for having consensual oral sex with a fellow teenager is cruel and unusual, and ordered him released from prison.

The court's 4-3 decision upholds a Monroe County judge's ruling that the sentence constituted cruel and unusual punishment under both the Georgia and U.S. constitutions.

The majority opinion said the sentence appeared to be "grossly disproportionate" to the crime and noted that it was out of step with current law.

Wilson was expected to be released Friday afternoon from Al Burruss Correctional Training Facility in Monroe County, according to his lawyer.

Wilson was convicted in February 2005 of aggravated child molestation for having oral sex with the girl at a 2003 New Year's Eve party in a hotel room.

The crime carried a mandatory 10-year sentence with no parole. However, the law was changed in 2006 to make the crime a misdemeanor, with a maximum 1-year sentence, if it involved teenagers within certain age ranges.

"Although society has a significant interest in protecting children from premature sexual activity, we must acknowledge that Wilson's crime does not rise to the level of culpability of adults who prey on children ..." wrote Supreme Court Justice Leah Ward Sears in the majority opinion.

More on Genarlow Wilson Here

california Forest Fires From Space

Image by NASA/AP

A satellite image taken on October 21, 2007, shows plumes of smoke drifting westward from the Santa Clarita and Castaic area in California.

Major wildfires in southern California have burned about 240,000 acres (97,125 hectares) and uprooted hundreds of thousands of people as of October 23.

Stoked by fierce winds in Malibu, California, on October 22, 2007, hot embers from a wildfire glow and float, leaving bright streaks in this long-exposure photograph. (Watch a video report.)

As of today, October 23, more than a dozen wildfires across southern California have destroyed some 1,300 homes; forced approximately 300,000 residents to evacuate; and charred 400 square miles, according to state and local officials.

The destruction has led President George W. Bush to proclaim the region, which includes Los Angeles and San Diego, a disaster area. The declaration clears the way for federal troops to aid Californians.

source:nationalgeographic

Santa Anas likely to worsen

Ken Hively / Los Angeles Times

"The strongest winds have not occurred yet. They're going to peak [on Monday]," said Ken Clark, a Rancho Cucamonga-based expert senior meteorologist for Accuweather.com.

The fires raging across Southern California are being fueled by gale-force winds that meteorologists say will worsen in the next two days as temperatures rise and humidity levels continue to plummet.

Forecasters from the National Weather Service and other meteorological organizations said they couldn't recall such intense winds in Southern California, even in the heart of the Santa Ana season.

The conditions have been exacerbated by a La Niña weather pattern that meteorologists have warned about for months, saying it will bring a drier-than-normal winter in a region already dealing with the driest year on record.

Winds are expected to pick up at least until Tuesday, when forecasters say it's possible that Los Angeles will match the all-time high of 95 degrees for that day.

"Not only is it a strong event, it's one of the strongest events you'll get in any Santa Ana season," said Ken Clark, a Rancho Cucamonga-based senior meteorologist for Accuweather.com. "And the strongest winds have not occurred yet."

Firefighters in Malibu were beating back flames amid gusts that neared 50 mph. In the Newhall Pass and Port Hueneme, gusts blew up to 78 mph Sunday, qualifying as hurricane-force.

In Fremont Canyon in the Santa Ana mountains, southeast of Yorba Linda, gusts reached 86 mp
s Santa Ana winds move from high to low elevations, crossing deserts and mountains, they heat up.That is bad news for firefighters, because the winds heat and dry already-parched vegetation.

Santa Ana wind, a local Southern California reference to Föhn winds, a meteorological phenomenon occurring as a layer of wind is forced over a mountain range -- drying the air -- which then passes over the crest and begins to move downslope -- heating -- and becoming a strong, gusty, warm and dry wind which can raise temperatures as much as 30°C (54°F) in a few hours. The risk of fire danger increases by the winds' warm and dry conditions.

"The relative humidity went from 60% to 70% around dawn to single digits: 5, 7, 8%," Kenneth Reeves, director of forecasting for Accuweather.com said.

"It's a classic example of drier air combined with wind to really cause some problems."

Source:latimes.com