Photo Credit: Zennie AbrahamLicense Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/2.0/deed.en. Jameis Winston throws the football to another member on his team.[/caption]
Thursday, December 5 at 2 pm, in Tallahassee, Florida, police announced that there will be no charges brought against Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston. The state attorney for the Second Judicial Circuit, Willie Meggs, made the announcement, saying, "We've carefully examined all the evidence in this case and have concluded that no charges will be filed against anyone in this case, we have a duty as prosecutors to determine if each case has a reasonable likelihood of conviction. After reviewing the facts in this case, we do not feel that we can reach those burdens." The announcement came just two days before Winston’s number one ranked Seminoles defeated the Duke Blue Devils 45 to 7 to win the ACC Championship.
Shortly after Meggs made the announcement, attorney Patricia Carroll, who is representing the accuser, released a statement, saying, "The victim and her family appreciate the state attorney's efforts in attempting to conduct a proper investigation after an inordinate delay by the Tallahassee Police Department. The victim in this case had the courage to immediately report her rape to the police and she relied upon them to seek justice. The victim has grave concerns that her experience, as it unfolded in the public eye and through social media, will discourage other victims of rape from coming forward and reporting."
Despite the assault being reported on December 7, 2012, the allegations toward Winston didn't become big news until early November of 2013. Around the same time, Winston was presumed the favorite to win the Heisman Trophy, and after being cleared it is almost an absolute certainty that Winston will win the award when it is announced on Saturday, December 14.
Winston, an Alabama native, led the Seminoles to a 13-0 season, an ACC Championship, and a place in the BCS (Bowl Championship Series) National Championship Game against second-ranked Auburn. During the season, Winston threw for 3,820 yards, 30 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions. Winston also had a 67.9 completion percentage and a QBR (Quarterback Rating) of 90.9, while also leading the Seminoles to an average margin of victory of 42.3 points. Despite Winston’s superb statistics and undefeated team, many believed he would have lost his Heisman chances if the ruling had been different in the sexual assault case.
Winston and the Seminoles will play Auburn for the National Championship on January 6, 2014. If Florida State is victorious and Winston wins the Heisman, he would be the first freshman to win the Heisman Trophy and National Championship in the same season, concluding a bright season that avoided a dark cloud.
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