Court of Appeal overturns Dana Stubblefield’s rape conviction

More than four years after he was convicted of rape and condemned 15 years to life imprisonmentFormer NFL defensive lineman Dana Stubblefield received some very good news.

A California appeals court overturned the ruling.

Via Associated Press, the court noted that prosecutors “racially discriminatory language” during the trial, which is a violation of state law.

Stubblefield is said to have contacted a then 31-year-old woman through a babysitting website in 2015. After a 20-minute interview, Stubblefield allegedly texted the woman and explained that he wanted to pay for her time. When she returned, he allegedly raped her at gunpoint and then gave her $80.

During the trial, prosecutors said police didn’t search Stubblefield’s home for a gun because doing that to a famous black man would “cause a storm of controversy.”

Stubblefield’s attorney separately argues that the trial judge refused to allow evidence to be presented proving that the alleged victim was a sex worker and that the incident was “transactional.”

While Stubblefield remains in custody, his lawyers plan to seek his release next week. Prosecutors must decide whether to appeal the decision to the California Supreme Court, refile the charges or 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, Defensive Player of the Year in 1997, Defensive Rookie of the Year in 1993, three-time Pro Bowler and one-time first-team All-Pro.