A long time coming, Jameis Winston's disciplinary hearing at Florida State University (FSU) has arrived and is scheduled to take place Tuesday at noon.
Winston's hearing is a unique one, as he has not been charged with any violations and stands accused of four in relation to an alleged sexual assault in Dec. 2012. The hearing was delayed at the request of Winston's attorney and it is not exactly clear when to expect a decision to be returned.
According to the Tallahassee Democrat, testimony in the disciplinary hearing may take more than one day to complete and is confidential under state law. Winston is expected to give an opening statement, which will then be followed by witnesses and evidence.
However, since it is a student conduct code hearing, attorneys may be present but only to raise objections and feed their clients with questions. Tim Jansen, an attorney involved in the case, told the Democrat Winston and his accuser will likely be seating in different rooms. He also said the disciplinary board will be able to ask questions of their own before they deliberate.
FSU policy states that the accused will be notified of a decision within 10 days of the deliberation, but decisions are open to be appealed.
"We intend to put an end to this," David Cornwell, Winston's attorney, told the Orlando Sentinel.
Depending what he is found responsible of, if anything, his punishments could range from a written reprimand and probation to expulsion. Winston may also choose to drop out of school to negate any potential punishment and simply declare for the NFL Draft. However, Winston's attorney will try to keep his client on the field long enough to allow the Seminoles to finish their season.
"We're just making sure that she understands the context of the different witnesses, and she understands what she wants to talk about," John Clune, an attorney representing Winston's accuser, told ESPN. "It's not that strategic. If this were a jury trial with advocates on both sides, there would probably be a lot more strategy involved. Without the lawyers being in an advocacy situation, I think the people need to come in and tell what happened, and then the judge makes a decision. Hopefully, we'll finally get some closure on it."
