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SAN JOSE, CA (KPIX) — Former San Francisco 49ers and Oakland Raiders defensive lineman Dana Stubblefield was sentenced Thursday to 15 to life in prison for raping a woman at gunpoint in 2015.
The Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office said Stubblefield was sentenced by Judge Arthur Bocanegra to serve a minimum of 15 years behind bars. Before the sentencing, Bocanegra rejected a defense motion for a new trial, the DA’s office said.
“No meant nothing to this defendant,” said Deputy District Attorney Tim McInerny in a prepared statement. “Based on his status, I think he was never held accountable for prior criminal behavior. Today, he was properly held accountable.”
McInerny added that the victim “testified with bravery, poise, and grace and allowed the jury to get a true picture of the man.”
Stubblefield’s attorney Allen Sawyer told TMZ his client’s name would be cleared when an appeal was filed.
“We’re very confident that if the jury had the correct information, they would have (come) to a different conclusion,” Sawyer told TMZ.
Last July, the 49-year-old Stubblefield was convicted of the rape by force, oral copulation by force and false imprisonment of a disabled 34-year-old woman at gunpoint at his Morgan Hill home in 2015. He was found not guilty of rape and oral copulation of a person incapable of giving consent.
The victim had visited Stubblefield’s home to interview for a babysitting job.
“This was a triumph of resilience. The victim has struggled her whole life with learning disabilities and challenges to be self-sufficient. If we are not fighting for her, then who are we fighting for?” said District Attorney Jeff Rosen said in a press statement back in July. “It has been a long road for this remarkable woman and we are thankful to the jury for providing her some closure and, for our community, justice after an unconscionable and violent crime.”
The victim went to Stubblefield’s home after he contacted her through a babysitter website. Following the rape, the victim immediately went to the Morgan Hill Police Department to report the crime.
“The victim in this case has been a model of resilience. It has been a very long road for her,” said Rosen outside the courtroom following the verdict. “Despite her learning difficulties and learning disabilities, she has preserved.”
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