More than four years after he was convicted of rape and sentenced to 15 years to life in prison, former NFL defensive lineman Dana Stubblefield has gotten very good news.
A California appeals court has overturned the conviction.
Via the Associated Press, the court found that prosecutors used “racially discriminatory language” during the trial, in violation of state law.
Stubblefield allegedly contacted a then-31-year-old woman in 2015 via a babysitting website. After a 20-minute interview, Stubblefield allegedly texted the woman, explaining that he wanted to pay for her time. When she returned, he allegedly raped her at gunpoint, before giving her $80.
During the trial, prosecutors said that police didn’t search Stubblefield’s house for a gun because doing that to a famous Black man would “open up a storm of controversy.”
Stubblefield’s lawyer separately contends that the trial judge refused to allow the introduction of evidence proving that the alleged victim was a sex worker, and that the incident was a “transactional occasion.”
While Stubblefield remains in custody, his lawyers plan to request his release next week. Prosecutors will have to decide whether to appeal the decision to the California Supreme Court, to refile the charges, or to dismiss the case.
Stubblefield spent 11 years in the NFL, with the 49ers, Washington, and the Raiders. He was a member of the Super Bowl XXIX championship team, the 1997 defensive player of the year, the 1993 defensive rookie of the year, a three-time Pro Bowler, a one-time first-team All-Pro.
