Jameis Winston might have avoided criminal charges for sexual assault, but the reigning Heisman Trophy winning quarterback is far from out of the woods.
Several legal experts told the Associated Press that Winston's rape accuser has four years from the night in question to file a lawsuit against him. She alleges the Florida State Seminoles QB raped her one night in Dec. 2012, but she did not report the crime until months later because she could not identify her assailant until she saw him on campus.
Of course, with a lawsuit comes the possibility of an out-of-court settlement, which may appeal to both sides since Winston figures to be coming into millions of dollars when he eventually declares for the NFL. The complainant may also get to keep her identity hidden.
The alleged victim's attorneys told the AP there is no pending settlement offer between the two parties and Winston's representatives are preparing for a suit.
"I'm not sure that she will ever lose her leverage until the statute of limitations runs out," David S. Weinstein, a private attorney in Miami who was once a federal prosecutor, told the AP.
David Cornwell, an attorney representing the Winston family, called the lawsuit his client's sexual assault accuser will inevitably file a "shakedown of a 20-year-old student."
But Winston's accuser has every reason to wait and see what happens, because Florida State is currently conducting a Title IX investigation of the incident. Winston's adherence to the school's student conduct code will be a subject of investigation, meaning he could be punished.
The QB of the reigning National Champs could also declare for the NFL, though some evaluators believe many teams would not take him very high, due to off-field issues not including the rape allegations against him. Regardless, entering the NFL has its obvious benefits for Winston.
"While Winston is in school, the hearing board has real teeth," Robert Jarvis, a law professor at Nova Southeastern University, told the AP. "Once Winston leaves school, the hearing board loses much of its teeth."
