2013 Heisman Trophy goes to Jameis Winston of Florida State ...
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ESPN
Dec 16, 2013
Jameis Winston became the youngest Heisman Trophy winner when he was named college football's most ..
Two Colorado attorneys who have handled ground-breaking
federal lawsuits in sexual assault cases involving athletes have been retained
by the woman who alleged she was raped by Florida State's Heisman
Trophy-winning quarterback, Jameis Winston, FOX Sports has learned.
Attorney John Clune confirmed to FOX Sports that he and one
of his law partners, Baine Kerr, have agreed to work with Patricia Carroll, a
Florida lawyer representing the woman who accused Winston of raping her at an
off-campus apartment in December 2012.
Their work, Clune said, will be wide-ranging "to
evaluate the conduct of a number of individuals and entities in this matter and
assess their civil and criminal liability."
The criminal investigation of the alleged sexual assault was
put on hold for nine months by Tallahassee police before it was revived in
November by State Attorney Willie Meggs. Ultimately, Meggs decided there was
not enough evidence to file criminal charges against Winston, the redshirt freshman
who burst onto the national scene last fall and led the Seminoles to the
national championship.
Winston's attorney said the encounter between the player and
the young woman was consensual. The work of Kerr and Clune is expected to
include an examination of the conduct of Florida State officials and the
potential of a federal lawsuit under Title IX, the gender-equity law that has
become a powerful tool in sexual assault cases involving students.
Officials from Florida State could not immediately be
reached for comment.
Clune and Kerr both have done extensive Title IX work.
Carroll told FOX Sports she brought Clune and Kerr in
"to determine the most appropriate civil actions to pursue."
"After meeting with them," Carroll said, "I
am confident that anyone who has liability in this case will be held
accountable and justice will be served for my client at the end of the
day."
The case centered on the allegations filed by a Florida
State student, who told police early the morning of Dec. 7, 2012, that she had
gone out drinking with friends at a Tallahassee bar, that someone she did not
know bought her a shot of alcohol and that from that moment on she had only
scattered memories of events. She said she ended up in a cab with several
people and was taken to an apartment, where she said she was raped. She said
her attacker then put her on a scooter and drove her back to the Florida State
campus. After consulting a friend, she reported the incident to university
police, who in turn notified Tallahassee police because the incident occurred
off-campus.
At the time she made the report, she told investigators that
she did not know the identity of her attacker. The next month, however, she
called police and identified Winston as the suspect after seeing him in a
class.
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