LONG BEACH, Calif. -- The kidnap-rape conviction of a once-promising prep football star was dismissed Thursday following a recantation by his accuser.

Brian Banks collapsed in sobs on the counsel table during a court hearing where a prosecutor quickly conceded the decade-old case and moved for the dismissal.

In the summer of 2002, Banks' future looked bright: He was a 17-year-old high school football star being heavily recruited by a number of colleges. But in a single day that changed with the accusations of kidnapping and rape by a female student.

He maintained there was no rape and their sexual contact was consensual, but his lawyer urged him to plead no contest rather than risk a sentence of 41 years to life in prison if convicted. He followed the advice and went to prison for six years, shattering his dreams of gridiron glory.

Lawyers for the California Innocence Project were prepared Thursday to argue he should be exonerated.

In a strange turn of events, the woman who accused him a decade ago friended him on Facebook when he got out of prison. Wanetta Gibson explained she wanted to "let bygones be bygones."

According to documents in the case, she met with Banks and said she had lied; there had been no kidnap and no rape and she offered to help him clear his record.

But she subsequently refused to repeat the story to prosecutors because she feared she would have to return a $1.5 million payment from a civil suit brought by her mother against Long Beach schools.

She was quoted as telling Banks: "I will go through with helping you but 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."

Justin Brooks, a lawyer who heads the innocence project, said that Banks has remained on probation, under electronic monitoring, has had to register as a sex offender and has had trouble getting a job.

He said Banks continues to train for what he hopes will be a future chance at a football career.

I'm glad she finally told the truth. I think she and her mother should have to pay back some of that money. Poor guy.

RedBedroom wrote:

I'm glad she finally told the truth. I think she and her mother should have to pay back some of that money. Poor guy.

And how about charges against her for bogus crime reports? You know what I didn't see in this report? ANY explanation for why she made it up in the first place.

She needs to serve the same amount of time he served.

Shale wrote:

I am so angry just reading this, gotta tell you srsly, I would probably do a murder suicide and write on the wall in her blood FUCK THE MONEY - FUCK THE SYSTEM!

And if memory serves, Shale, YOU were the one getting on my case last year for being too bloodthirsty about the Casey Anthony verdict.

Supernova wrote:

And if memory serves, Shale, YOU were the one getting on my case last year for being too bloodthirsty about the Casey Anthony verdict.

I think this is a little different. The Casey case failed to prove her guilt. This travesty of such personal injustice to a young man from a conniving, lying, evil bitch who got rewarded by the system for her lies pales in comparison.

Granted I see the tragedy from an old man perspective and he is still young and has a lifetime to try to get beyond this - but can you ever get beyond being fucked over like this and having the person who did it to you get rewarded?

Yep, I'd gut her (she said rape? That would be the beginning - and not with my dick).

(I'm going to have to watch Law Abiding Citizen or Taken just to calm down after reading this.)

Shale wrote:

[size=18]I think this is a little different. The Casey case failed to prove her guilt. This travesty of such personal injustice to a young man from a conniving, lying, evil bitch who got rewarded by the system for her lies pales in comparison.

Yeah and there's also a difference in what you said, and my suggesting if SHE wound up ditched in a swamp for 6 months, nobody would even care she was gone, or bother digging her up.

this is one of the reasons why i dont believe in testimony alone... especially for capital murder cases.

the problem here is that they were teenagers. There are several ways something like this could happen--- she had lousy communication with her parents and did not want to admit to having sex (perhaps she was caught somehow and had to blame rape).... or perhaps she really felt raped at the time.

i was almost 15yrs old when i first had sex... with the same boy i had been dating since my 13th birthday. it was one of those situations where he kept pushing and pushing... and although he expected and accepting me saying no--- he was a horny teenaged guy and pushed the limits anyway. One night i just got tired of saying no, and kinda gave up--- just get it over with attitude. after we did it... and i was glad it was over, he looked at me and said, "you want it again?" and i was like "Want what? u on top of me like a dog?"

after that, he thought he was going to get it all the time. i felt "raped"... i KNEW i didnt say no, and I KNEW that he didnt force me, but emotionally... i felt raped. And i ended it with him. 20yrs later we hooked up on FB--- and BAM! did we have a great time... and we talked about our first experience and how i felt. I dont feel like that anymore tho! LOL

there ARE reasons why teens should not be having sex... emotional ramifications is one of them

Why the fuck would he have anything to do with this (don't look if you're easily offended)

Spoiler:

after he got out of prison? I would have been afraid she would accuse me again. She wants to let bygones be bygones?! You fucking lied about me bitch and I had to live in prison for 6 years and now you want to be my friend? Fuck you. Maybe it's lucky he did because he had his name cleared but still. They should make her give the money to him.

I'd fuck her up. Real talk. Or get someone to do it.

I'd have to go Ike Turner on her for that.

Marc™ wrote:

I'd have to go Ike Turner on her for that.

Bring a Ouija board.

People are just plain sick.

Alan Smithee wrote:

Why the fuck would he have anything to do with this (don't look if you're easily offended)

Spoiler:

after he got out of prison? I would have been afraid she would accuse me again. She wants to let bygones be bygones?! You fucking lied about me bitch and I had to live in prison for 6 years and now you want to be my friend? Fuck you. Maybe it's lucky he did because he had his name cleared but still. They should make her give the money to him.

I agree, this fuckin bitch, especiall the bolded part, WOW!!