Cloudflare Ray ID: 78b7f8507a61494b Brian Banks, a promising football star whose hopes for a professional career were dashed when he was falsely accused of rape and convicted 13 years ago, lashed out Monday at a judge in the case of Stanford swimmer Brock Turner. He got a tryout from. Brian Banks Accuser Remembered In The Wake Of Roe V Wade Debate. . According to the true story, he hired a friend's father who was a private investigator, hoping he could get a confession recorded. Gibson then sued the Long Beach Unified School District, claiming the school was not safe; she won a $750,000 settlement. At the time of his arrest, Banks had just verbally agreed to a football scholarship at USC. His story is the subject of a new sports movie, releasing August 9. Justin Brooks (who also serves as an executive producer alongside Banks) and some dramatic twists involving the accuser. Persky elected not to send Turner to state prison and came up way short on the maximum 14 years he could have handed down. Turner,20, who is White, was convicted on three felony counts related to a 2015 sexual assault on an unconscious and intoxicated woman. Brian Banks DNA was not found on accuser Wanetta Gibson or her clothing, nor was there any other evidence found to support Gibson's claims. Offers may be subject to change without notice. Former NFL Player Brian Banks Denies Sexual Assault Allegations, Claims Encounter Is All on Tape Brian Banks, whose NFL career was sidetracked after he was wrongfully convicted of rape,. Nevertheless, later that day, a fleet of cop cars pulled up to Long Beach's Polytechnic High School, where Brian attended. Brian Banks made a "no contest" plea. document.getElementById("ak_js_1").setAttribute("value",(new Date()).getTime()). Gibson was an acquaintance of Brian Banks at Long Beach Polytechnic HighSchool when she accused him of raping her in a school stairwell. Copyright 2023 Interactive One, LLC. A woman whose false claim of rape sent former prep football star Brian Banks to prison was ordered to pay a $2.6 million judgment in connection with the case. As a star high school linebacker, the muscular 6-foot-3 player was slated to attend USC and play . According to Brian, this is true. Wanetta unwillingly ruined the boy's life. The judge offered Brian no apology for a justice system that had failed him. Even though Brian eventually found success, Wanetta's actions were inhumane. After Brian Banks got out of jail, his accuser "friended . "Although it is my dream, it is not my life. Sign up for NewsOne's email newsletter! Gibson said she wanted to let "bygones be bygones," writing that she was immature back then. However, it's not money that they will likely ever see. Banks did play his cards right. Brian was a 16-year-old aspiring high school football player at the time of the wrongful conviction. After Parish helped him obtain Gibson's recorded confessions, he teamed up with the California Innocence Project to approach district prosecutors and get the rape conviction thrown out of court. His attorneys said he "chose the lesser of two evils" when he pleaded no contest. Yes. "He said, 'I am never going to be out of prison. In this May 24, 2012 file photo, Brian Banks, center, reacts with his mother, Leomia Myers and . Also, we have no idea about his brother and sister, and we dont know their names either. He also had tryouts with the 49ers, Chiefs, Vikings, Chargers, Eagles and a good preseason run with the Falcons, yet, nobody signed him. [26], A feature film project based on Banks' story, co-executive produced by Banks and Justin Brooks of CIP, premiered in 2018 and was released in August 2019. She ruined the life of a young woman who had big dreams and was looking forward to a bright future in football. Banks was an all-American. You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked. Back in 2002, when he was accused, Banks (Aldis Hodge in the film) was a rising high school football star. [27][29], Last edited on 12 December 2022, at 20:10, A feature film project based on Banks' story, List of wrongful convictions in the United States, "Brian Banks released by Atlanta Falcons", "Brian Banks, football player exonerated in rape case, to sign with UFL team", "Brian Banks signs with Las Vegas UFL team", "Pete Carroll excited to give Brian Banks a chance", "Exonerated Brian Banks signs with Atlanta Falcons", "Atlanta Falcons sign exonerated Brian Banks", "Exonerated Football Player Brian Banks Back on the Gridiron After Five Years in Prison", "Brian Banks makes NFL debut after false rape conviction", "Exonerated of rape, Brian Banks now realizing NFL dream in different capacity", "Banks' NFL Dream Leads To League Office", "Exonerated Football Star Brian Banks Getting Divorced", "Brian Banks spent five years in prison after being falsely accused of rape, but now he finally has a career in NFL", "Ex-Poly standout has rape and kidnapping conviction reversed", "A 10-year nightmare over rape conviction is over", "Brian Banks and His Mother Join "Innocence March" to Protest Wrongful Convictions", "Long Beach Unified wins judgment against accuser in false rape case against Brian Banks", "Prosecution of false accuser in rape case seen as difficult", "Tiffany Dupont Joins Greg Kinnear in Brian Banks Drama", "Brian Banks Movie Production Filming In Memphis, Seeks Football "Fans", "Brian Banks takes his next step with the UFL", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Brian_Banks_(American_football)&oldid=1127081783, This page was last edited on 12 December 2022, at 20:10. "I was facing 41 years to life at this time," he says. I've also worked hard myself, and I'm just thankful for this opportunity.". Cloudflare Ray ID: 78b7f8830d89498f He finally agreed to undergo 90 days of observation in Chico State Prison with assurances from his attorney that he would then get probation. He is a retired football player who is 36 years old. One of Banks' roles was to help out in the officiating department analyzing replays on game days. Like, Actually. In a way, it's like she and Wanda got away with their revolting crime. He made one tackle before the UFL suspended its season in October. I'm going to be a convicted sex offender the rest of my life.' After being released from prison, Brian Banks met with his accuser, recorded her statements and contacted Justin Brooks again. "My lawyer on this day looked me square in my eyes and said, 'Brian, I guarantee you will get that probation. You'll have to watch Brian Banks to see how the rest of those years unfolded for Brian and to understand how he made the leap from prison cell to the NFL, but you should know that in 2011, while he was still on parole, Brian received a Facebook friend request from his accuser, Wanetta Gibson. Brian finds a glimmer of hope in Justin Brooks (Greg Kinnear), an attorney who heads the California Innocence Project. Brian's life was forever changed due to the incident, as his NFL dreams were dashed, and he managed to spend 11 years under the observant eye of the law. He also credits Justin Brooks (played by Greg Kinnear), co-founder of the non-profit California Innocence Project, as having played an instrumental role in helping prove his innocence. [19][20], In March 2011, Gibson contacted Banks on Facebook, met with him, and admitted in the presence of a private investigator Banks had hired that she had fabricated the story. The outlet reports that Bryant does volunteer work for the California Innocence Project; a movie is being made about his life; and that he makes a living as a speaker at schools throughout the nation. At that time, however, there had not been sufficient evidence of Banks's innocence for them to take on the case. In June 2002, Wanetta Gibson, 15, accused junior Brian Banks, 16, then a standout football player at Long Beach Poly High, of dragging her into a stairwell and raping her. Banks is back in [] Kinnear is well-cast: Like a jaded game show host, he can appear slick and . Gibson's current recant means that once again, she is accusing Brian Banks of rape, not that anyone believes her about that, or anything else. -California Innocence Project, In researching the Brian Banks true story, we learned that this is what both Banks and his lawyers believe. To everyone's astonishment, it was also caught on tape. May 3, 2022 02:59 PM. Brian Banks was an outstanding football star in high school, and he was accused of rape by his classmate Wanetta Gibson, this made him spend six years behind bars and a five years' parole. Many people are outraged by her because she makes life more difficult . In a recent interview with, Banks (played by Aldis Hodge in the film) also worked as an executive producer on the film that examines the most difficult period of his life. "I would have absolutely pressed charges against her if I could. I saw a young man who was dealt a bad hand, but he refused to allow it to deter him from pursuing his dream to be part of the NFL.. They seem to happily share their time together and post their photos on Instagram. Brian Banks, then 17 and a student at Polytechnic High School, in Long Beach, California, spent five years in jail after Wanetta Gibson falsely claimed he had kidnapped and raped her. Also Read:Did Michelle Lodzinski Really Kill Her Son Timothy Wiltsey? But only after five years of the incident, it was revealed that Wanetta Gibson's accusation against her alleged "rapist" was false. The original science fiction epic, written and directed by James Cameron, broke multiple b, Even for the cynics among us, the end of the year and the start of a new one tends to encourage a sense of optimism. (Susan Watts/New York Daily News) Brian Banks was 16 years old in the summer of 2002, a 6-foot-2, 220-pound linebacker with speed at powerhouse Long Beach Polytechnic High in Southern. "But if you walk in there right now and start selecting a jury, I can guarantee you that you're going to end up selecting a jury that's going to be an all-white jury and they're going to find you guilty because you're a big black teenager," Brian recalls the lawyer saying. "He missed the opportunity to hone his physical and mental skills as it relates to football, but his competitiveness shined through and he battled so hard for that chance, and did a phenomenal job with his opportunity," said Carroll.Banks played linebacker and special teams for the Las Vegas Locomotives of the United Football League until the league folded in 2012 after Banks had played just two regular season games. Brian Banks (43) works out with the Seattle Seahawks, Wednesday, June 13, 2012, during NFL football minicamp practice, in Renton, Wash. Banks, a former prep star, got his tryout just weeks after . NFL Brian Banks Accuser Many individuals wonder about the whereabouts of Wanetta and did she got detained after she was observed liable . Brian Banks (American football) Brian Keith Banks (born July 24, 1985) [1] is a former American football player. The world recognizes Brian Banks as the man who was wrongfully incarcerated for a crime he didn't commit when his classmate, Wanetta Gibson, accused him of raping her in 2002. [20], Prior to the taped confession, Banks had asked for help from the California Innocence Project (CIP), a nonprofit law school clinic run by the San Diego-based California Western School of Law that investigates and litigates cases of actual innocence. Banks has since been invited back for a more formal tryout at the team's mandatory offseason minicamp. Why? "The statute of limitations was expired for perjury," Banks told theGrio. Nonetheless, Brian is subsequently accused of kidnapping and rape. Not only did Banks' parole agreement forbid him from having contact with her, she was the last person he'd want to see. Carroll phoned Banks and invited him to Seattle for a tryout the day after all the charges against him were dropped. In 2002, the real-life Banks was, at the age of 16, accused of rape by a high-school acquaintance. "I remember closing the laptop, like real quick and just thinking like, 'What did I just see'," he told CBS. On the one hand, Wanetta wanted to help clear Brian's name. The change was made for legal reasons. He never mentions her by name in the book, nor is it stated that she had been sexually assaulted in the past. To his surprise, Banks received a Facebook friend request from Gibson after he got out of prison. Many people are curious about Wanetta's whereabouts and whether she was imprisoned after her allegation proved wrong. "I said, 'I don't actually take [innocence] cases of people out of prison,'" Brooks said. In 2012, his conviction was overturned when his accuser confessed that she had fabricated the entire story. During their first meet-up, Gibson confessed that she faked the rape accusation and expressed a desire to help him. All Rights Reserved. Yes. Banks was also relieved of his record as a sex offender, allowing him to resume his sports career. This is quite literally what happened in 2002 to Brian, when he went to a secluded area of his high school to make out with Wanetta Gibson, his girlfriend at the time. Yes. But instead of getting the probation she promised, he got the maximum sentence: five years in prison. We were just young and having a good time, being curious, then all these other people got involved and blew it out of proportion." But more importantly, you have to go after people like this because a person such as herself makes it harder for a woman who is raped to come forward confidently and share their story and hope something is done about what happened to them. Though Banks considered the job a fulfillment of his dream to be part of the NFL, he too believes he has a strong message to share and he has since resigned from the NFL to pursue public speaking opportunities. The woman who falsely accused Atlanta Falcons linebacker Brian Banks of rape has been ordered to pay the Long Beach Unified School District $2.6 million, the . He signed with the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League (NFL) on April 3, 2013. After he was released but . [18], Gibson and her mother Wanda Rhodes sued the Long Beach Unified School District, claiming the Poly campus was not a safe environment, and won a $1.5 million settlement. Though Brian Banks proved his innocence in 2012, he did not bring Wanetta to court for the false accusation that ruined his life. "Before I could get to trial, my lawyer pulled me into an interview room And she sat me down with this huge grin on her face as I sat on the other side of the glass. His career as a public speaker will undoubtedly flourish after the release of his book and the movie about his life. But on the other hand, "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." If he raped me, I wouldn't be here right now. . Per multiple reports, Wanetta Gibson, the woman who falsely accused linebacker Brian Banks of rape when they were both students at Long Beach Polytechnic High School, has been ordered to repay $2.6 million in damages related to the $1.5 million she . Part of my life was taken away because of her. But what happened to Brian Banks' accuser, Wanetta Gibson? He was let go when the roster was finalized. "I was walking into court to select a jury to go to trial," Brian explained in an interview with the Innocence Project. This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. It was over $1 million." Brian Banks' accuser's name was indeed fictionalized for the movie. In 2002, his Junior year, Banks verbally committed to USC. They have no children. Following his lawyer's advice, he pleaded "no contest" and spent five years in jail and four years as a registered sex offender. On game days, he helps out in the officiating department with replays, reports the New York Daily News. "I stopped what I was doing and got down on my knees and prayed to God to help me play my cards right," he said. He didn't accept her request. Tried as an adult, Brian's incompetent lawyer tells him to plead "no contest" or face a possible sentence of 41 years to life. Now, 10 years later, he has another shot at the pros. He was held in jail for a year, despite the lack of DNA evidence, until his lawyer presented him with a crushing option. Banks spent a year in juvy before it came time for his case to be heard. Once released, he had to register as a sex offender, wear an ankle monitor, and essentially live his life as a prisoner on the outside for a crime he didn't commit. After the work out Thursday, Banks expressed his gratitude during a press conference. At only 17 years old and without the ability to consult his mother, Brian was given 10 minutes to make a call on this impossible dilemma: essentially plead guilty to a crime he didn't commit, or risk facing life behind bars. "We met, hugged, started talking and agreed to go to an area on our campus that was known as a make-out area," he said. Banks is now hoping to jump-start his football career as a 27-year-old rookie for the Falcons. Banks made headlines for battling his . Brian Banks' NFL Debut After Five Years in Prison 714,302 views Aug 11, 2013 6.5K Dislike Share Save ABC News 13.2M subscribers Football player plays first game after he served time for a crime. Following her confession that was caught on tape, Wanetta Gibson told CBS2 News that Banks had offered her a $10,000 bribe to confess and that he really did rape her. No one put him on their roster.Coach Carroll noted that it was evident he had missed the physical development a player gets as a college athlete. Learn more about the Brian Banks true story by watching the interview with him below. He served five years in prison for a rape he didn't commit, and then spent the next five years on parole. He attended minicamp with the Seattle Seahawks, whose head coach, Pete Carroll, had offered Banks a scholarship in 2002 when he was head coach at USC. A few weeks later, he was hired to join the NFL Department of Operations. She explained that Wanetta and her mother, Wanda Rhodes, sued the Long Beach school district for the "lax security" that "allowed" her rape which she admits never occurred to take place. However, NFL coaches told him to keep trying. Brian Banks' unwavering fight to clear his name made headlines for it's unlikely twist (spoiler alert: his accuser admitted on camera that he didn't rape her). What is accurate about the movie's portrayal of their relationship is the difficulty Brian faced when dating in general. Brian Banks was an upcoming footballer making a name for himself by showing up and ready to join the University of Southern California after high school, but his every fantasy turned to dust after he was framed for assault. On July 24, 1985, Brian Banks was born in Long Beach, California, United States of America. I think he will not be a danger to others., I would say its a case of privilege, Banks said. The action you just performed triggered the security solution.