James Brown’s Latest Distinction: Cautionary Example

After rewiring the space-time technology of popular music and racking up a list of…incidents with the law, you’d think the departed Godfather could just enjoy his cloud while staying out of trouble, but instead, according to the Associated Press, he’s being claimed as the reason Illinois lawmakers have rewritten the state’s rape laws:

The law, which was signed Monday and takes effect Jan. 1, suspends the statute of limitations when the victim has been intimidated or manipulated into staying quiet. Currently, a person accusing someone of rape has just two years to sue in Illinois.

The shift is a response to a legal defeat for a state resident named Jacque Hollander, a former publicist for Brown, who died late last year. She says the singer raped her at gunpoint in 1988 and threatened to have her killed if she told anyone.

Because Hollander put off bringing her charge to light for almost 17 years, the court dismissed it, with Brown’s camp issuing the expected blanket denial. The AP reports that Hollander is pleased by the newly amended law because she hopes it will prevent women in the future from delaying coming forward for too long.

James Brown Case Sparks Ill. Law Change [Yahoo via AP]