No Sexual Assault Charges Filed Against FSU QB Jameis Winston

The state attorney’s office in the second judicial district announced today that they will not be filing charges against Florida State University’s star quarterback Jameis Winston, after he was accused of assaulting a former female Florida State student in December 2012.

According to the state attorney, the evidence collected did not meet the burden of proof required to get a conviction.

Winston, who is in the running for the Heisman Trophy, has been under national scrutiny since rape allegations became public knowledge on Nov. 13 despite the fact that he denied assaulting the woman and had several witness statements backing his account.

According to a Florida Department of Law Enforcement report, Winston’s DNA matched a sample taken from the victim’s underwear. However, two DNA samples were apparently taken from the woman’s underwear and the state attorney could not identify the second sample.

Florida State football coach Jimbo Fisher said in a statement Thursday, “As you might imagine, I was pleased to hear that the State Attorney’s Office exonerated Jameis in the matter. I’m not going to answer any questions about the situation, but I would like to point out that our community and our university are blessed to have really good people in place to review matters like this. I know Jameis is pleased he can focus on being a student at a great university and he’s excited about helping our team achieve its goals this year. “

Rape cases are usually highly emotional for all parties involved. Just the mere allegation of sexual assault can send the media into a frenzy creating severe social stigma, which can seriously impact your personal and professional life. A conviction can follow you around for the rest of your life. That is why you must enlist the help of a sex crimes defense lawyer as soon as possible after being arrested for or charged with rape. A rape charge should never be taken lightly as it carries severe penalties if the prosecution obtains a conviction, including multiple years behind bars and registration as a sex offender. Being labeled a sex offender can have a lasting impact on your life, not only affecting your privacy and reputation, but limiting where you can live and who will hire you.

Rape cases can be quite complex, as false accusation of sexual assault are common. Due to the backlash of public scrutiny that is attached to a simple rape allegation, it is very important to speak with a Florida Sex Crimes Lawyer at Whittel & Melton right away to determine how to best handle a sex crimes charge. These cases generally boil down to “he said, she said’ events which is why you need a sex crimes defense lawyer to uncover the facts of the matter and present them effectively on your behalf.

If you have been arrested for or charged with rape or sexual assault anywhere in the state of Florida, please contact a Florida Sex Crimes Defense Lawyer at Whittel & Melton right away by dialing us statewide and toll-free at 866-608-5529. We can begin investigating your case right away and work with prosecutors to possibly have these charges reduced, dismissed or dropped entirely.