Friends of Jean Celestin have been coming forth saying what a great guy he is and how they believe in his innocence. I'm really interested in what makes so many friends believe his innocence. The only things I've heard is that he's a great person and the jury and victim was white; therefore racism was present.

As a member of Men Stopping Rape, I know that it is a fact that the false reporting of rape/sexual assault is at 2-3 percent. I know rape/sexual assault committed by acquaintances occur far more often than strangers, and the effects of sexual assault and rape, whether acquaintance or stranger, are very similar for the victim(s). I also know that most of the time the acquaintance offenders are very rarely viewed as a threat before the incident by the victim and after by friends. The sad truth is people often times find more fault or blame with the victims than offenders.

As an administration of justice graduate, I know that race undoubtedly has effects in the criminal justice system. There are multiple studies that show racial disparity in sentencing and arrests. I don't completely doubt that race played a factor in this case, but the extremely light sentencing in this case makes me believe that it was not as strong a factor as some make it seem.

Jean certainly has the right to an appeal, but until the appeal is completed you must go with the fact that he was convicted. If you want to respect his sentence, you have to also understand that he is a convicted felon, no matter your opinion of his innocence.