LOS ANGELES — A California appellate court has annulled the rape conviction of former San Francisco 49ers player Dana Stubblefield, citing that prosecutors made racially biased remarks during the trial of the Black defendant.
Stubblefield was sentenced to an extensive prison term of 15 years to life in October 2020 after being found guilty of raping a woman in 2015, who prosecutors claimed had been lured to his home under the pretense of a babysitting opportunity.
The Sixth Court of Appeals determined that prosecutors had breached the California Racial Justice Act of 2020. This legislation was enacted following widespread protests triggered by the police killing of George Floyd, and it forbids attorneys from pursuing convictions or imposing sentences based on a person’s race.
Before the implementation of this law, defendants challenging their convictions on racial bias had to meet the challenging standard of proving “purposeful discrimination.” In its ruling, the appeals court noted that prosecutors employed “racially discriminatory language,” resulting in the necessity to overturn Stubblefield’s conviction.
Kenneth Rosenfeld, Stubblefield’s principal attorney, stated that the trial was flawed from the onset, describing it as “infected with tremendous error.”
In April 2015, Stubblefield met the then-31-year-old woman via a babysitting website and set up a meeting to discuss the potential job. Reports indicate that this meeting lasted approximately 20 minutes. Following this, Stubblefield sent her a message offering to compensate her for her time, leading her to return to his residence.
The woman later alleged that Stubblefield raped her at gunpoint, after which he reportedly gave her $80 before allowing her to leave. DNA evidence reportedly linked Stubblefield to the crime.
During the trial, prosecutors mentioned that law enforcement had not searched Stubblefield’s residence nor presented a weapon as evidence. They suggested that this was due to his status as a well-known Black figure, fearing it would create “a storm of controversy,” according to the appellate ruling.
The appeals court remarked that the insinuation that Stubblefield’s race affected law enforcement’s choices implied that a search would have resulted in the discovery of a gun if he were not Black. Such references connected Stubblefield to the racial tensions surrounding the aftermath of George Floyd’s death.
Stubblefield maintained that the sexual encounter was consensual and provided financial compensation. His defense argued that the trial was biased, as the judge did not allow the jury to hear evidence regarding the woman’s background as a sex worker. Rosenfeld characterized the encounter as a “transactional occasion.”
Stubblefield is currently detained and will have a hearing next week where his legal team plans to request his release. Prosecutors may respond by asking for a stay on the decision to possibly appeal to the state’s Supreme Court or consider refiling charges.
The Santa Clara District Attorney’s Office has stated that it is reviewing the appellate decision.
Dana Stubblefield began his professional football career in 1993 with the San Francisco 49ers, earning the title of the league’s defensive rookie of the year. He later achieved the NFL Defensive Player of the Year award in 1997 before moving on to play for Washington. Stubblefield returned to the Bay Area to conclude his NFL career, playing with the 49ers from 2000 to 2001 and with the Raiders in 2003.
This report has been updated to clarify that Stubblefield was convicted of rape but found not guilty on charges related to victim incapacitation.
