Rapists Vs. Drug Dealers
So, "my man" Clarence Williams (another Clarence Williams is pictured to the left, not the rapist) 
and his raping ways have opened a discussion about the statute of limitations of rape charges in NY state. Now I’m not usually a fan of any new technology that makes it hard for criminals to get over, but I do think that it is great that rapists can be identified through DNA samples taken from them and their victims and (in theory) be prosecuted for the horrible crimes they committed (1 t? 2t’s?).
However, the problem with this is that the statute has expired for all of the crimes that Clarence committed (the AP reports "at least 25 women from the 1970’s through 1991"), as the statute is only 10 years. What I found fucked up about that (other than the obvious; getting away with rape even if you get caught) is that, according to the AP, "Murder, kidnapping and certain serious drug offenses are the only crimes with no statute of limitations."
Now thats just special. If I had (and I’m not saying I did either way) move a few (or a few hundred) bricks of that brown back in the late 80’s for whatever reason (starving kids, curing AIDS, getting that cake), even if I curtailed my wayward ways I would live my life with that shit hanging over my head and knowing at any moment, I could be popped by 5’s for it.
However, if I had hidden deep in my past say a 6 week period of being the Duct Tape Rapist during early march to mid april 1995, i would have popped the Cris (or more likely Andre) last week because there is no way I could EVER be charged for those crimes regardless of DNA evidence, eyewitness testimony, etc.; the statute of limitations had expired.
So, just like when I see people in jail for 20 years for going hand-to-hand on the corners when they were 19, I say to myself. "IT’S ROCKEFELLER Y’ALL"
May 31st, 2005 at 12:27 pm
james- you really write very well and people like you as a person.