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Crime, Culture, Equality, Men, Motivational, News, OneGentlemansPerspective, Opinion, Rape, Sex, Sexual Assault, Social Media, Society, Women
The lawyer told him to plead no contest, which in criminal law is when a defendant will not contest the charge of a particular crime.
This is also used when the defendant receives a plea bargain, and the defendant does not want to say s/he is guilty but accepts the sentence recommended by the prosecutor, in exchange for not contesting the charge. The idea is that with the plea, they receive a lesser sentence.
His plea meant avoiding up to 41 years in jail. However, with this plea, Banks had to agree with the other sentencing of 18 months to five years. Well, no surprise here because Banks received the maximum sentence.
I remember leaving that courtroom
and going back into a holding cell
and just being angry at the world.
To continue her fabricated story, the accuser decided to sue the school system for a lack of security, winning a settlement of $1.5 million.
After five years behind bars, Banks was released at the age of 22. Upon his release, he had to register as a sex offender, and wear an electronic monitoring bracelet.
A few years later, Banks received a friend’s request on Facebook from his accuser. That is quite strange, right?
I immediately just—I froze. And I didn't accept the request.
Instead, I sent a message to her. And my message asked her,
Why would you friend request me?
What was her response you may ask?
She wanted bygones to be bygones. She wanted to see him and hangout.
She said…
What you been up to? What are you doing tonight? What are you doing tomorrow? Let's hang out.
Banks, with the help of a family friend, who happens to be a private investigator, decided to accept her request to meet. They set up hidden cameras, with the hope of getting her to clear his name. He asked her to assist in getting him exonerated and she said…
I mean, I will go through with helping you,
but at the same time—all that money they gave us...
I mean, gave me—I'm not going to give back.
That would take a long time.
They decided to meet for a second time and with the cameras rolling…
Investigator: Yeah, and I just need to hear from you that those things—and I’ll put it all in the piece of paper—and I’ll meet up with you and we’ll go from there…
Wanetta Gibson: You want me to say it now?
Investigator: Just so I could—did he rape you?
Wanetta Gibson: No, he did not rape me.
Investigator: Did he kidnap you?
Wanetta Gibson: No.
With assistance from the California Innocence Project, Banks shared the recording with the district attorney’s office, who then met with Wanetta Gibson. Eventually, they agreed to recommend exoneration to the judge.
It was not until a year later that she was ordered to pay back the $1.5 million, plus an additional $1.1 million in fees. According to different reports, she spent the funds from the lawsuit, so her repayment will be interesting to say the least.
More importantly, there are no criminal charges filed. How can he serve time for a false accusation, and yet, she not serve time for making the false accusation?
A few days after the exoneration, Banks received a phone call.
Caller: Yeah, I’m looking for a linebacker. You know where I can find one?
Brian Banks: Yeah, yeah, you got the right number, but who is this?
Caller: It’s Coach Carroll.
Coach Carroll is the same football coach from USC, who tried to recruit Banks ten years prior. That same coach went on to become the NFL head coach, for the Seattle Seahawks. The call was to extend an invitation for Banks, to try out for the team.
Pete Carroll: Well I told him how I—what a shot in the dark this was for him, such a long shot. You know, our guys have prepared their whole lives and never missed a beat and he missed 10 years.
He did not make the squad, but he was able to try out for the Atlanta Falcons. Sadly, he did not make it beyond the 2013 preseason.
However, and this is a beautiful story indeed, though he is not a player, he now works for the NFL as manager in the football operations department.
He sent out a Tweet in August of this year…
I am honored to say I’ve taken an amazing position w/ the front office of the @nfl! God is good! I’m moving to #newyork
To add to this story, director Lee Daniels will now direct a film about his story titled, The Brian Banks Story.
It is truly amazing how people continue spreading false rape statistics, and yet, as vocal as they are on these faulty statistics, they refuse to talk about individuals like Banks.
Rape is a terrible crime and victims can be of any race, sex, age, etc. If you can discuss rape, you surely can discuss false accusations.
When we undermine the existence of these accusations, I am not surprised that Banks served time, even with the evidence in his favor.
We are teaching young boys that everything they do is wrong. We are changing the physical crime of rape to mean everything, even hurt feelings. The culture that you are adamantly pushing to spread…I want no part of it.
I am at a loss as to what I can say to people like Banks, but I am truly sorry that the justice system failed you. We can address victims of rape, but we should also acknowledge that yes, false accusations do occur.
When it happens, we must address them and the women must face legal actions for the harm they caused.
However, this is my opinion on false accusations. I would love to hear yours. Please do not shy away due to the topic. Do you believe someone’s word alone, is enough to dismantle a man’s reputation?
Should the false accuser receive legal repercussions, when the false accusation becomes apparent? Should we ignore false allegations, because addressing the topic will limit real victims from coming forward?
I want to thank you for your time on this long post, but please…watch this speech from Banks when you can.
One Gentleman's Perspective 
I am glad you posted this! I recently also posted about rape ( http://undiscoveredandexposed.wordpress.com/2014/11/28/peoples-ignorance/ ), and I think it’s important for people to talk about. It is a controversial topic, but it’s one that needs to be discussed from all perspectives. It’s true that society has taught men that everything they do is wrong, and never thought about it until I read this post. I think back to interactions with some guys I’ve had and they apologized for looking at me with “desire.” It was really odd, and now I get why they might have apologized.
I think any false rape accusation should have a punishment. It’s not right for someone to ruin someone’s name and get off with it if it was false.
Then again, I could see how it could deter real victims from coming forward. But overall a very nicely written post! I hope more people comment because this is a topic that should have people talking.
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Thank you for your time and response. Please excuse this delayed message. My most recent upload was almost two weeks ago. With that said, I felt it was necessary to address the topic of false accusation and imprisonment.
I address controversial topics because I believe existing discussions are usually absent of objectivity, or they simply refuse to approach the topic and go against popular opinion. I do not have those restraints. LoL.
The current theme is to approach the subject of masculinity and males in general, with a complete lack of objectivity. If I were a young boy watching several news reports or YouTube videos, without the presence of a guardian, I would conclude that everything about me is wrong. This year, I have listened to different news reports, YouTube videos and read blog articles, addressing boys are as if they are innately evil, and in need of changing.
But I digress. The accusation of rape is serious, and in my opinion, the false accuser upon further investigation should face fines and imprisonment. We cannot view females who maliciously accuse someone falsely, with actual victims. This is what I see others doing. It is a huge mistake to give the same support to false accusers, as someone who experiences the traumatic experience of rape. I have more posts to address this topic, because I think the subject is worth discussing openly.
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Such a powerful post and story! To be completely honest I had never really thought about the possibilities of a woman lying about being raped. I have heard of certain celebrity instances, but that never hit home.
Such an important message!
This certainly opened my eyes to believing that women aren’t always the victims. Great post! 🙂
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Please excuse this delayed message. I have not been active, since my last post nearly two weeks ago. I genuinely appreciate you taking the time to read this hot button issue, and then sharing your perspective. Thank you. In my opinion, a great number of people do not believe women lie about this.
I can understand, because it is a serious crime that has physical and emotional consequences. The human side of us cannot fathom someone fabricating on such a traumatic incident. Sadly, the reality is that it happens. Some groups like to say it does not exist, but that is because they have an agenda to uphold. To admit women lie about things like this will derail their agenda, and create holes in their fear mongering that rape is everywhere, occurring by all men and no female is safe–ever. Objective statistics prove that the 1:5, 1:4 and rape culture on college campuses are blatant lies. However, facts are irrelevant if the goal is to create panic and push an agenda.
Is there an epidemic of false accusations, thus actual rapes do not occur? This is an exaggeration, and unlike those pushing the faulty fear mongering rape statistics, I will not exaggerate. However, false accusations do occur–that is a fact. I do not want to undermine rape and I surely would not try. I simply want people to understand that yes, false accusations occur and we must not undermine the lives ruined by these false accusations. It seems in the midst of supporting real victims, they want to push an agenda so much, they begin supporting false accusers and completely forget those whom are falsely accused. Well, I will not forget.
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Amen!
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Reblogged this on Nette.
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Thank you for the reblog. I appreciate you sharing this message
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Thank you for discussing this topic and posting a real-life story here! It showed that what we heard is not always the truth and how unfair the system can be! I feel very sorry for Brain and those who might have a similar experience! 😦
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Thank you for reading and sharing your response. I encountered him on Facebook, so I hope to set up an interview to post on the blog. I have not suggested it yet, but I will when the time suits us.
It showed that what we heard is not always the truth and how unfair the system can be!
This is the main reason I decided to approach false accusations. Right now, if you observe popular bloggers and certain groups, they push this idea that when it comes to rape, women do not lie. I then read the different stories, such as this one by Banks and I feel the statement is exactly why people rush to believe and condemn online, solely by someone’s word alone. That is illogical and dangerous. To some, in order to push their agenda on the subject, they make up faulty statistics, which by the way many western governments blindly accept. When you view the subject objectively and create statistics, it completely destroys the agenda. Sadly, fear mongering is more accepted than facts.
When that happens, people like Banks continue ending up on the wrong side of the system. It is such a shame. Because of this, I will continue discussing this topic, even if only those viewing my page will understand that yes, false accusations do occur.
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You’re welcome Althon. I completely agree with you. There are lots of people like Banks and we need bloggers like you to discuss this topic in getting people to be aware of these issues.
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Is it any surprise when the presumption of innocence is suspended that the legal system is subverted? My personal opinion is that a lot of the false accusers are mentally ill (Crystal Mangum, anyone?) and giving them an overly credulous legal system is like handing a gun to a deranged individual.
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Please excuse this delay. My activity has diminished since the upload of this post. Nonetheless, I definitely agree with your assessment on the analogy of handing a loaded gun to a deranged individual. Fear mongering is the name of the game currently, and we must spread the message by any means necessary (faulty statistics, governmental agreement on said faulty statistics and continue spreading that women will never lie about this subject). I must admit…it is surely working. I give them that. Their fear mongering has seeped into academia and public opinion. Now, if any male decides to say “Yes, women are capable of lying about rape,” he becomes a misogynist. Such a shame.
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Really good post. These things weigh heavy on my heart, too. What we are doing to boys with these attitudes is just atrocious. We’re also doing significant harm to relationships between men and women.
The women being harmed by rape hysteria is something I can really see, too. Of course women lie, but then there are others who aren’t really “lying,” they’re confused, disoriented, in a state of mental collapse, and rather then being met by calm and reasonable people willing to help her sort it all out, she is preyed upon by feminists and a system with an agenda. So at her weakest point, she’s got people playing with her emotions and exploiting her for all she’s worth. That’s just cruel.
There’s a couple of teen age girls I know who were pretty much forced into disclosing sexual abuse by their fathers. Both guys went to jail and so began the process of trying to recant the charges. These girls are all grown now, their fathers were eventually released, but they are keenly aware of how they were used by the system to promote an agenda. It doesn’t take a whole lot to force a get a false statement out of someone and it’s especially easy if they’re very young or mentally fragile.
The Fem that did the Rolling Stone article that they are now trying to backtrack on is a good example of this. The alleged victims was obviously confused and in a state of collapse and rather then question her farther, try to help her process whatever was going on, they exploited her for all she was worth.
So reason number 5498 that feminism is actually really cruel to women…
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Sorry for this delay IB. I have not been active since this post was uploaded. I hope you have been well. I have a few more ideas on this topic, because it seems those falsely accused are like the ugly ducklings. No one wants to acknowledge them. This situation could just as easily happen to me. If I only show concern when it happens to someone I know or me, that seems wrong in my eyes. I have a concern now because people like to believe that all individuals with a criminal record, are actual criminals.
The fear mongering in my opinion, helps no one except the one creating the fear. It causes a state of panic for females, that are not based on real statistics, thus reality. I hear females (regardless of age) and read comments online saying, I have to walk in fear the moment I leave my home. Actually, you do not. As a male, I am about four times more likely than you to be a victim of a violent crime outside. My size/strength is irrelevant when someone has a gun to my face. This is the excuse they often use…well, you are stronger than me.
Fear mongering harms both males and females. The 1:5, 1:4 and the 1:2 that I just heard yesterday (WOWZERS), are not based on objective nor rational minded conclusions.
I heard of a few cases involving children forced into this. In fact, the most recent one was a video I watched on YouTube (Dr. Phil) last year. The grandmother forced the granddaughter to lie, which the mother then believed. The grandmother coached the granddaughter, which destroyed the marriage and excommunicated the father. Bloody awful woman she is. It all unraveled because the father finally received closure, when it was discovered on the show that it was the grandmother’s doing.
In the face of this agenda, only those pushing the agenda wins.
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I guess I’m rather ignorant to this being a HUGE issue, (not ignorant that it’s going on) because I have a great “love/interest” in all cultures, I love diversity, so I personally would not assume a “black” man was guilty. It ridiculous that people are being judged guilty because of race, age, religion, gender, or statistics.
I see evil in general as increasing every where, lying, cheating, stealing…robbing all that is innocent and full of hope. I’m sorry for this man, and unfortunately he’s not the only one. There’s men and women that are abusive liars and there are men and women that are full of hopes and dreams and want to make this world a brighter place and prevail in making it brighter for others and the future generations, and there are men and women who’s hopes and dreams are stolen, essentially stealing from others around them and future generations.
It’s humanity at it’s finest and at the most deplorable and it’s every where.
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The false accusations occurs across all racial groups. The sad reality is that they tell us that women will never lie about rape, when in reality, women are human. Humans lie, regardless of the situation. When did women become nonhuman? I have several cases to prove how ridiculous this idea is. If not for The Innocence Project, a number of people would have no hope of being exonerated. If there is a cause to donate, this is surely it.
We cannot only support actual rape victims, but turn a blind eye when males are falsely accused. It sucks to hear that women will never lie, when people like Banks serve years and decades behind bars, based solely on someone’s word. I am at a loss for words. We play God with people’s lives, based solely on someone’s word. This is not the Salem Witch Trials. Your word alone is not enough to condemn someone to death/imprisonment. I remain neutral whenever I hear rape accusations. Sadly, if you observe stories online, the male is guilty solely by someone’s word. Evidence is irrelevant, because with subjectivity, your word is enough.
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off the subject…thought this was a pretty awesome video…I didn’t know where else to post this.
And OBVIOUSLY in this post this young man did not even fit the “profile.”
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What made you share the video? I checked it out, but how did you come across it?
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facebook…my brother posted it actually.
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Right…I hear what you are saying…I would be neutral as well…because like I said you never know cause people do lie and people do heinous acts. Someone’s telling the truth in the situation and someone is lying…and yes both men and women lie. I guess my whole point is of my comment is out of humanity there are those WOMEN included that lie and there are people including MEN that tell the truth. 🙂 I’m no expert of the post. I read and give my two cents. I’m spreading Christmas Cheer adding to people’s Christmas funds…ha ha
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I just read another story last week, which I want to use on the blog. I am just not sure how to go about it. It is truly a shame how there is minimal news coverage on false accusation cases.
When someone accuses an individual of rape, those stories capture media attention. When a false accusation is revealed, all you hear are crickets. They refuse to touch these cases, with the same approach as the initial accusation. I am not an expert either…simply a spectator observing how the media and public approaches false accusations
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