NH Supreme Court Unanimously Rules to Deny Ernie Willis' Appeal

The NH Supreme Court handed down it's unanimous ruling today that Ernie Willis' conviction stands on ALL counts.

The Concord Monitor has it's own story: "Supreme Court upholds rape conviction, rejects religious privilege argument."

"The state Supreme Court has unanimously upheld the rape and sexual assault convictions against Ernest Willis who is serving a 15-to-30 year prison sentence for forcibly raping his teenage babysitter twice, whom he knew through Trinity Baptist Church in Concord, in 1997." 

AP picked up the story, so it is in the media nationwide. Here is the version published by the Washington Post:  "NH high court rejects church rapist’s appeal of conviction; victim, 15, forced to apologize."

 "Ernest Willis was convicted in May 2011 of raping the girl in 1997. His lawyer argued that statements he made to the pastor of the fundamentalist Trinity Baptist Church should not have been used against him. But prosecutors countered that Willis’ statements were not protected by religious privilege because they involved the sexual abuse of a child."

The ruling of the justices is interesting reading and includes some trial testimony excerpts. You can read it in its entirety here.

It is good to see justice stand.