Re: Jameis Winston investigated for sexual assault - update: DNA match found
This has to be the most timid prosecutor I've ever seen. Normally, the tendency is to err on the other side. The only, again, only, thing I can see which would cause a delay in bring a case would be if there were no physical signs of forced penetration. I must say that I would be very surprised if she went to the hospital if there weren't any. So, count me, along with the other members in this thread whom I know are lawyers, as being mystified that probable cause hasn't been found. The whole matter reeks of special handling, or "home cooking," if you prefer. He has had a couple of other "difficulties" which have not come into the public eye. This one was too big and the victim's parents too persistent for that to work this time. At this point in time, I haven't much faith in the rule of law in Tallahassee. I would never want this black eye happening in Tuscaloosa...
I lost faith in the prosecutor when he went out and basically said he was waiting on talking to some more witnesses before he decided. For one, if there is any sort of tampering going on, when you go out and just announce hey, I'm going to base what I do on what the witnesses tell me, that's basically open season isn't it? By the way, I believe he's an FSU grad.
There are, in my mind, only two logical explanations for what is going on. The first is that there never was a case. There was no sign of violence at all, and despite her allegation, and subjecting herself to a rape kit, that there was no sign of rape, there was no reason to believe her version of events, and that there was contrary witness testimony from the start. That's the only valid reason I can think of that things would have been handled the way they have been thus far, and even then it doesn't explain why things weren't followed up on back then.
The flip side goes back to a cover-up, and the police not doing their job. We know there have been coverups regarding rape and football programs before, we know there have been multiple football players involved in sexual abuse before, there is every reason to believe an accuser that comes forward, and subjects herself to a rape kit, and goes through all of that if she has any signs of being attacked in any manner. You can't rely on "witnesses", you can't rely on the mechanism supporting the football program, you need to rely on the evidence and the victim. Remember, Sandusky's actions were reported, but the structure in place to support the football team allowed him to get away with it for quite a while.
Even if you believe what was said in that horrible Yardbarker "article", you end up with a woman who comes forward saying she was raped, with Winston's DNA on her, subjects herself to a rape kit, and has signs of being restrained (bruised wrists). What prosecutor doesn't move forward swiftly with that kind of evidence? As it stands now, if that is the Winston defense, it makes it easy to see why a sympathetic TPD and Winston's side (assuming they're not one and the same) would slow walk this. By waiting, it gave Winston time to heal up from any wounds, real or imagined and in doing so, you lose all physical evidence in that regard and we're just left with Winston's account, and furthermore it gives him plenty of time to let the FSU power structure do their work on any witnesses and get the stories lined up.
This whole thing stinks...
