Jameis Winston, Florida State Quarterback, Awaits Prosecutor's Decision
Everything you need to know before police news conference today.
Dec. 5, 2013— -- A press conference by the Florida State Attorney at 2 p.m. ET today will tee up the conclusion to the year-long question over whether Florida State University star quarterback Jameis Winston will be charged with raping a former classmate.
The question has percolated in Tallahassee, Fla., during the final weeks of FSU's stellar season, in which Winston - a freshman starter - lead the team 12-0 and was named ACC Player of the of the Year. He is the first underclassman to receive the award in ACC history.
With just weeks to go before the end of the college football season and the announcement of which player will win the Heisman Trophy - for which Winston is a top contender - police will announce today whether they believe he raped the classmate in December 2012.
Below is a primer on Winston's background and potential fate ahead of today's announcement
Who: Jameis Winston
The standout 19-year-old quarterback for Florida State University was first team All-American and Alabama State Player of the Year as a high schooler in Bessemer, Ala. He red-shirted at FSU last year and became starting quarterback this year. On Saturday, the Seminoles will play for the ACC championship.
Winston is also one of the top contenders for the Heisman Trophy, the award given each year to the best college football player in the country. Coaches must vote for the Heisman winner by Monday, meaning today's announcement could affect how many votes Winston receives.
What: Winston is under investigation for sexual battery against a former classmate that allegedly occurred on Dec. 7, 2012. That night, a woman whose identity has not been made public called police and said she had been sexually assaulted, though she did not identify Winston as the culprit until more than a month later.
Over the next several months, investigators say they tried to work the case, but claim they met resistance from the accuser. The woman and her family contend that investigators did not actively work the case because of Winston's status at FSU.
The family says they pushed to have a DNA sample taken from Winston only to be told by a police detective that it would alert Winston and make the case public. The family said their attorney was warned by police that Tallahassee is a "big football town, and the victim needs to think long and hard before proceeding against him because she will be raked over the coals and her life will be made miserable."
Eventually, testing showed that DNA found on the woman's underwear matched Winston's DNA, leading a lawyer for Winston to state they had consensual sex that night in December.
Today, investigators will announce whether they are going to charge Winston, clear him of wrongdoing, or say there wasn't enough evidence to bring a case. Winston is expected to make a statement later today.
Where: Florida State University, Tallahassee
When: The alleged incident happened Dec. 7, 2012.
The press conference with the Florida State Attorney will happen at 2 p.m. today at the Leon County Courthouse.
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