DNA connecting Jameis Winston to the woman accusing him of sexual assault only proves the Florida State phenom had sexual relations with the accuser and in time will be vindicated by eyewitnesses present on the day in question, Winston’s attorney Tim Jansen said at a press conference on Thursday.
Winston, the hot-shot redshirt freshman quarterback who has led No. 2 Florida State to a 10-0 record, volunteered a DNA sample last week to the Tallahassee Police Department for its investigation. ESPN reported
Wednesday night his DNA matched a sample taken from the underwear of the unnamed accuser, a Florida State student from the Tampa area. Jansen initially told reporters sex between his client and the alleged victim last December was “absolutely” consensual. Later, however, he backed off the statement.
“I’m not saying that,” Jansen said. “I’m saying the eyewitnesses that were there will verify that any material that was found, or any evidence that was found, is consistent with him [doing] nothing wrong.”
Jansen said he found out about the DNA tests by watching television Wednesday night and wasn’t surprised to see the connection.
“This DNA has no impact whatsoever on this case,” he said. “The two eyewitnesses that were present will exonerate [Winston].
“We’re not surprised [Winston’s] DNA was found. We anticipated that would be found. We’ve never ever said he wasn’t there. We never said any of that.”
Tallahassee police handed over information to prosecutors last week about the 11-month-old case after two media organizations began requesting records associated with the incident. State Attorney Willie Meggs has said his office may make a decision regarding the case within the next few weeks.
This news comes after the alleged victim claims, through a statement released by the woman’s family on Wednesday to the Tampa Bay Times, being told by a Tallahassee detective her life could “be made miserable” if she followed through with the case.
The statement said detective Scott Angulo told the accuser’s attorney Tallahassee is a “big football town” and the client needed to “think long and hard before proceeding against [Winston] because she will be raked over the coals” if she pursued a case against the star quarterback.
“In early January, when the victim identified the perpetrator as Jameis Winston, the family grew concerned that she would be targeted on campus,” the family’s statement read.
Wednesday night, Tallahassee interim police chief Tom Coe said the accuser stopped cooperating with police in February. Coe contended the Tallahassee police made the case inactive only after the accuser stopped communicating with the police force.
With AP