Content warning: This post contains references to rape and sexual assault.
Kellen Winslow Jr. asked. From the former NFL ends his 14-year prison sentence commuted on the grounds that the physical trauma he suffered while playing football entitles him to a shorter stay behind bars under a new California law, according to California law. Brent Schrotenbauer in USA Today.
Winslow reportedly sent a handwritten habeas corpus in November from the state prison in Tehachapi, California, and is representing himself without an attorney.
Previous Cleveland Browns First round draft pick and Pro Bowler He was sentenced to 14 years in prison in March 2021 Under a guilty plea order that saw Winslow convicted of forcible rape, rape of an unconscious person, assault with intent to commit rape, indecent exposure, and lewd conduct in public. He was originally facing life in prison.
Why Kellen Winslow Jr. That he should get out of jail early
The petition reportedly argues that Winslow’s trauma from football played a role in the crimes that landed him in prison and currently make him ineligible for parole until July 2028:
“Petitioner claims to have suffered physical trauma as a result of Brian’s (sic) mild traumatic disorder, as well as the potential for CTE. This trauma was a contributing factor to the commission of the crime,” Winslow wrote in his handwriting, referring to CTE, a disease Associated with head trauma in football. “The petitioner is now seeking pretrial detention to appeal the sentence based on AB124. The petitioner argues that physical trauma contributed to the crimes…the court should impose a shorter term (from sentencing considerations).”
Bill Winslow indicates, 124- Assembly draft lawwas signed into law by California Gov. Gavin Newsom in 2021. According to USA Today, the bill was intended to help criminal defendants who have previously suffered “psychological, physical, or childhood trauma, including, but not confinement, abuse and neglect, exploitation, or sexual violence,” that require consideration of such cases during plea bargaining, sentencing, or re-sentencing.
Winslow’s lawyers reportedly made a similar argument during sentencing, claiming that he likely took more than 1,000 blows to the head during his playing career, in addition to head trauma from a 2005 motorcycle accident. He was still sentenced to 14 years in prison.
The San Diego County District Attorney’s Office has reportedly said it has not yet received Winslow’s petition, but will consider it when it arrives:
“We have not received a subpoena for Mr. Winslow,” said Tania Sierra, a spokeswoman for the San Diego County District Attorney’s office. “Once we receive it, we will assess it for next steps. We believe Winslow received a fair trial and sentence for this serious sexual assault case. We will review everything, but with justice for the victims at the forefront of our concerns.”
In an earlier petition, Winslow also reportedly asked the court to waive the ban on him leaving California during his parole period, because he wants to move to Florida, where he attended college in Miami, to begin a coaching career.
How Kellen Winslow Jr Received a 14-Year Sentence
The 14-year sentence was the result of a years-long legal battle after Winslow was accused of rape and multiple sexual offenses against five women in Southern California. It was Originally convicted in 2019 of raping a 58-year-old homeless woman in San Diegobut the jury deadlocked on six additional felonies.
Winslow He later pleaded guilty to the rape of an unconscious 17-year-old girl in 2003 and the sexual beating of a 54-year-old hitchhiker in 2018 and He later revised the plea bargain In a way that fixed the maximum sentence at 14 years, which he received.