救贖之路

After wrongful felony conviction， NBA hopeful gets assist to Darrell Williams on fulfilling dream.

達(dá)雷爾·威廉姆斯被錯(cuò)誤定罪后，NBA希望能協(xié)助他重圓夢(mèng)想。

Darrell Williams was sitting in jail， thinking about unfulfilled dreams.

達(dá)雷爾·威廉姆斯坐在牢房里，想著未實(shí)現(xiàn)的夢(mèng)想。

It was July 2012. Williams should have just finished his senior season at Oklahoma State， where the forward averaged 7.1 points and 7.3 rebounds the year before. He should have been a college graduate. He should have been preparing for a career in professional basketball.

那是2012年7月。威廉姆斯本該結(jié)束自己在俄克拉荷馬州大的大四學(xué)期，前一個(gè)賽季，這個(gè)前鋒場(chǎng)均能拿到7.1分7.3籃板。他本該從大學(xué)畢業(yè)，他本該在職業(yè)籃球聯(lián)賽謀得一席之地。

Instead， he was sitting behind bars， his life was flashing in front of his eyes. He thought about basketball， which gave him access to a college education and promised a better life for his family， including his one-year-old daughter. He thought about his older brother， who had been shot and killed in 2009. He thought about his upbringing in Chicago， surrounded by violence， and how he had chosen to pursue his education， only to find himself in a cell in Oklahoma.

相反，他坐在牢房里，眼睜睜地看著自己的人生就這樣被毀。他想到了籃球，是籃球讓他有機(jī)會(huì)得到大學(xué)教育，讓他有機(jī)會(huì)為家人、包括他1歲的女兒謀求更好的生活。他想到了哥哥，后者在2009年被槍殺。他想到了自己在芝加哥的成長(zhǎng)經(jīng)歷，想到了從小被暴力圍繞的生活，想到自己主動(dòng)接受教育，最終仍然淪落到俄克拉荷馬的監(jiān)獄。

Days earlier， a Stillwater， Okla.， jury had convicted Williams of two counts of rape by instrumentation and recommended one year in prison for each count. The conviction stemmed from a December 2010 off-campus party， after which two female students accused Williams of thrusting his hand down their pants and penetrating them. In February 2011， he was charged with one count of sexual battery and four counts of rape by instrumentation. But Williams had always maintained he was innocent， even going against the advice of his lawyers and declining the prosecutor’s offer of no jail time in exchange for pleading guilty to misdemeanor battery.

幾天前，俄克拉荷馬靜水市的一個(gè)陪審團(tuán)判決威廉姆斯兩項(xiàng)強(qiáng)奸指控成立，并建議每項(xiàng)指控判處一年監(jiān)禁。指控源于2010年12月校外的一個(gè)派對(duì)，兩名女學(xué)生在派對(duì)結(jié)束后指控威廉姆斯用手侵犯了她們。201 1年2月，威廉姆斯被起訴一項(xiàng)性暴力罪和四項(xiàng)強(qiáng)奸罪。但威廉姆斯一直堅(jiān)稱自己是無辜的，他甚至不顧律師的建議，拒絕控方提出的無須坐牢、承認(rèn)輕罪傷害罪的辯訴交易。

“Oh my Jesus God，” Williams cried as the jury read the verdict， slamming his hands on the table. He looked at the jury. “I didn’t do it！”

“哦我的上帝啊?！甭牭脚銓張F(tuán)讀出判決后，威廉姆斯一邊大哭，一邊用手拍著桌子。他看著陪審團(tuán)，“我沒干那事！”

Nearly two years later， Williams would be exonerated with help from a new team of lawyers and the Chicago Innocence Center. But redemption was a long way away.

近兩年后，在新律師團(tuán)隊(duì)和芝加哥無辜者中心的幫助下威廉姆斯洗清了罪名。但救贖，仍有很長(zhǎng)的路要走。

Behind bars， Williams was living a nightmare. For the first few days， he would wake up every hour， nervous something would happen to him.

監(jiān)獄生活對(duì)威廉姆斯而言就是一場(chǎng)噩夢(mèng)。最初幾天，他每過一小時(shí)都會(huì)醒來，擔(dān)心自己身上會(huì)發(fā)生什么事。

“This can’t be right，” Williams kept repeating to himself. “I can’t see myself spending no more time in here.”

“這事不對(duì)?！蓖匪共煌５貙?duì)自己說，“我覺得我不應(yīng)該在這里再待下去?！?/p>

His basketball career—the foundation for all of his dreams—appeared to be dead.

他的籃球生涯——他所有夢(mèng)想的基礎(chǔ)——看上去也死了。

Then he called Randy Brown.

這時(shí)，他給蘭迪·布朗打了電話。

Brown， a 12–year NBA veteran who won three titles with the Bulls， was Chicago’s special assistant to the general manager when Williams was charged. Brown knew of Williams from his AAU days， when he played with Derrick Rose. One of Brown’s high school friends， Tyrone Bullock， coached Williams at Dunbar Vocational Career Academy in Chicago.

布朗是在NBA效力12年的老將，曾隨公牛奪得過三次總冠軍。威廉姆斯被起訴時(shí)，他正擔(dān)任公?？偨?jīng)理特別助理。威廉姆斯在AAU和德里克·羅斯做隊(duì)友時(shí)，布朗就認(rèn)識(shí)他。布朗高中時(shí)的朋友泰倫·布洛克，曾在芝加哥的杜巴度假生涯學(xué)院做過威廉姆斯的教練。

On the phone， Williams told Brown he thought his basketball career was over. But Brown demurred， telling him everything would work out for the best， however unlikely it seemed.

“When you are released from prison， I’m going to be there to make sure you get that second chance，” Brown told Williams.

威廉姆斯在電話里對(duì)布朗說，他認(rèn)為自己的籃球生涯已經(jīng)結(jié)束。但布朗不同意，他說盡管看上去不可能，但一切都會(huì)好起來?！暗饶惚会尫?，我會(huì)保證你得到第二次機(jī)會(huì)?！辈祭蕦?duì)威廉姆斯說。

“I’ve got your back， D.”

“我支持你，D?！?/p>

An unlikely friendship was born： One man was spending his time trying to help the Chicago Bulls win a championship， while the other was worrying about his future in a Payne County Jail cell.

一段看似不可能的友誼誕生了：一個(gè)人一輩子都致力于幫助公牛贏得總冠軍，而另一個(gè)人則在佩恩郡的監(jiān)獄里擔(dān)憂著自己的未來。

Brown could relate to Williams. They both grew up in tough conditions in Chicago； Brown hailed from the West Side， and Williams spent his youth in the Robert Taylor Homes， one of the most violent housing projects in the city’s South Side. Both took refuge in basketball.

布朗能夠理解威廉姆斯的感受。他們都成長(zhǎng)于芝加哥艱苦的生活環(huán)境中；布朗出生在芝加哥西區(qū)，而威廉姆斯的童年則是城南最暴力的住房工程區(qū)羅伯特·泰勒家園度過的。兩個(gè)人都把籃球當(dāng)作避難所。

“Some people deserve second and third chances. I felt Darrell was one of those guys，” Brown says. “I wouldn’t go to bat to give this kid a second chance and then he goes back to something that he’s not. I just knew deep down inside it wasn’t him， he doesn’t deserve to be in prison， and if he is going to make something positive about his life， he needed a second chance.”

“有些人值得擁有第二次和第三次機(jī)會(huì)，我覺得達(dá)雷爾就是其中一員?！辈祭收f，“我不會(huì)為一個(gè)孩子爭(zhēng)取第二次機(jī)會(huì)，接著他又去做不該做的事。內(nèi)心深處我知道，他不是那樣的人，他不應(yīng)該蹲監(jiān)獄。如果他想為生活帶來積極改變，他需要第二次機(jī)會(huì)?！?/p>

As Williams served his sentence， scrutiny of his legal process increased. In Stillwater， advocates organized rallies， including one attended by Jesse Jackson. The Cowboys athletic department continued to support him as well； Oklahoma State coach Travis Ford had testified as a character witness at his trial.

威廉姆斯服刑期間，外界也開始越來越關(guān)注他案件的訴訟流程。在靜水市，支持他的人組織了集會(huì)，連杰西·杰克遜都參加了。牛仔隊(duì)運(yùn)動(dòng)部門主管也一直支持他；俄克拉荷馬州大主教練特拉維斯·福特在審判期間也作為品格證人出庭作證。

At Williams’s sentencing in October 2012， he again maintained his innocence. Despite the jury’s recommendation that Williams should serve two years， the judge decided against further jail time， giving him a one-year suspended sentence and releasing him. But despite mounting questions about the fairness of Williams’s trial， the judge ruled against a new trial.

2012年10月宣判刑期時(shí)，威廉姆斯仍然堅(jiān)持自己是無辜的。盡管陪審團(tuán)建議判處兩年監(jiān)禁，但法官卻不認(rèn)同陪審團(tuán)的意見，最終判處威廉姆斯一年緩刑，將他釋放。盡管外界對(duì)威廉姆斯的審判是否公平的疑問越來越多，但法官判決不再重新審判。

Following his prison stint， Williams returned home to Chicago. He was no longer behind bars， but he wasn’t free： He had to be registered as a convicted sex offender. Public parks were off-limits， meaning he couldn’t even take his daughter to the park. He had to register with police.

在監(jiān)獄停留一段時(shí)間后，威廉姆斯回到了芝加哥的家。雖然不再坐牢，但威廉姆斯并不自由：他必須登記為被定罪的性侵犯者。他不能去公園，所以他不能帶女兒去公園玩。他必須去警察局登記。

But perhaps more than anything， Williams worried that his sex offender label would end his basketball career.

但更重要的是，威廉姆斯擔(dān)心，性侵者標(biāo)簽會(huì)終結(jié)他的籃球。

In early November， Williams attended a Bulls home game against the Thunder with friends， including Bullock. Williams was ecstatic to be back in Chicago， watching his hometown team. But he couldn’t help but think about what could have been.

1 1月初，威廉姆斯和包括布洛克在內(nèi)的朋友一起，去公牛主場(chǎng)看了公牛與雷霆的比賽?；氐街ゼ痈纭⒖醋约杭亦l(xiāng)球隊(duì)的比賽，這讓威廉姆斯異常興奮。但他忍不住會(huì)想起自己本該擁有的未來。

He met up with Brown at the arena that night， and Brown pushed him not to let go of his NBA dreams.

那天晚上他和布朗在球館見了面，布朗鼓勵(lì)他，不要放棄自己的NBA夢(mèng)想。

“I just wanted to let Darrell know that everyone wasn’t giving up on him，”Brown says.

“我只想讓達(dá)雷爾知道，并不是所有人都放棄他了?！辈祭收f。

Adds Williams： “It meant a lot coming from a person that actually played in the NBA.”

威廉姆斯補(bǔ)充道：“能從一個(gè)真正打過NBA的人口中聽到這些話，確實(shí)意義重大?！?/p>

In April 2014， the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals reversed Williams’s convictions， ruling that he had not received a fair trial due to jury misconduct. Williams was stripped of his sex offender label. A few weeks later， the district attorney announced there would not be a new trial.

2014年4月，俄克拉荷馬刑事上訴法庭推翻了對(duì)判決，認(rèn)定由于陪審團(tuán)失職，他沒有得到公正的審判。威廉姆斯終于摘掉了性侵者的標(biāo)簽。幾周后，地方檢察官宣布，他們不會(huì)再對(duì)威廉姆斯提起新的訴訟。

Brown had always told Williams that if he stayed out of trouble and excelled on the court， he would try to give him a look with the Bulls. Suiting up for the Chicago Bulls might have seemed unlikely—preposterous， even—to Williams when he sat helpless behind bars， labeled a sex offender. But in the two and a half years after his release， his resolve would not be denied.

布朗總是對(duì)威廉姆斯說，如果他不惹禍，而且在球場(chǎng)上有優(yōu)異表現(xiàn)，他會(huì)試著在公牛幫忙找些機(jī)會(huì)。當(dāng)威廉姆斯無助地坐在牢房里、被貼上性侵者標(biāo)簽時(shí)，成為公牛一員似乎不太可能——甚至有些荒唐，但被釋放兩年半后，沒有人能拒絕他的決心。

Last summer， Williams put on a Chicago Bulls jersey in Las Vegas Summer League. Williams， who also worked out for the Mavericks， averaged 3.6 points and 4.8 rebounds in 9.4 minutes， including nine points and 13 rebounds in 28 minutes in Chicago’s final contest. It was nearly exactly three years after he had been charged.

去年夏天，威廉姆斯在拉斯維加斯夏季聯(lián)賽中穿上了公牛戰(zhàn)袍。也參加了小牛試訓(xùn)的威廉姆斯在9.4分鐘上場(chǎng)時(shí)間里場(chǎng)均拿下3.6分4.8籃板，在公牛的最后一場(chǎng)比賽中，他還拿到了9分13籃板。這時(shí)距離他被起訴，已經(jīng)過去了整整三年。

Now 26， Williams is playing professionally in Europe. In 11 games this season for Belgian club Verviers-Pepinster， he averaged 17.2 points and 10.7 rebounds. Last week， Williams joined Belgrade–based KK Partizan NIS， the most successful club in Serbia， on a transfer. He’s playing well， and he enjoyed experiencing a new culture in Belgium for a few months， despite knowing only a few words of French. His goal is still to make it in the NBA.

現(xiàn)年26歲的威廉姆斯正在歐洲打球。本賽季在為比利時(shí)佩皮斯特競(jìng)爭(zhēng)者效力的1 1場(chǎng)比賽中，他場(chǎng)均能得到17.2分10.7籃板。上周，威廉姆斯通過轉(zhuǎn)會(huì)加入了貝爾格萊德游擊隊(duì)，這是塞爾維爾最成功的職業(yè)球隊(duì)。他的表現(xiàn)很好，盡管只會(huì)幾個(gè)法語單詞，他還是很喜歡在比利時(shí)體驗(yàn)不同文化的那幾個(gè)月。但他的目標(biāo)，仍然是進(jìn)入NBA。

“He got a chance to play on an NBA team in the Summer League and got a professional job in Europe， which was gratifying for me，” Brown says.

“他有機(jī)會(huì)在夏季聯(lián)賽為NBA球隊(duì)效力，在歐洲職業(yè)聯(lián)賽得到工作，這讓我很高興?！辈祭收f。

When Williams took the floor in his first Summer League game as a member of Brown’s team， there were no nerves. He had waited for that opportunity for too long to be nervous.

當(dāng)威廉姆斯作為布朗球隊(duì)的一員第一次踏上夏季聯(lián)賽的賽場(chǎng)時(shí)，他一點(diǎn)也不緊張。為這個(gè)機(jī)會(huì)，他已經(jīng)等待了太久。