Tallahassee Police Sit on Rape Case for 11 Months to Protect Football Player

From Change.org:

“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.”

That, according to the family of the woman who filed a police report implicating FSU quarterback Jameis Winston in a sexual assault, is what her attorney was told by Tallahassee Police Department Detective Scott Angulo when she approached him about filing charges against the star player.
That statement is even more disturbing in light of the fact that the Tallahassee Police Department (TPD) had the case for 11 months before handing it over to the State Attorney’s office in late November, only after press began to inquire about the investigation when FSU became a BCS National Championship contender.
Prosecutors have now said that they don’t have enough evidence to charge Jameis Winston with a crime. But TPD let this investigation sit for nearly 11 months. How can survivors feel like law enforcement has their best interest at heart if it takes 11 months for police to share information? And what evidence could have been lost in the nearly year long gap between the time of the police report and the time state attorneys were informed?
As a rape survivor, I know how traumatizing it must have been for this young woman to wait all that time for police to act while she was forced to attend the same school as her accused rapist. As a Florida mom, I need to know that police take sexual assault reports seriously and are following proper investigative procedures no matter who the accused person is or how many football games he has won.

Please join me in asking the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the Department of Justice to conduct an investigation into the Tallahassee Police Department’s handling of the Jameis Winston case.

...

Here's the link to the petition:

https://www.change.org/petitions/investigate-tallahassee-police-department-s-handling-of-jameis-winston-case

Anyone want to take action on this? Me, too.

That's not good.

Additional information: http://www.usatoday.com/story/sport...winston-sexual-battery-investigation/3874353/


Also, he's at the front of the line to win the Heisman Trophy - is one of six finalists, but it's predicted it will go to him. http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/os-jameis-winston-heisman-finalist-1210,0,5549046.story


I'm sure there's no cover-up in this case. There just wasn't any evidence. /sarcasm

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/co...florida-state-jameis-winston-case-mishandled/

This is some bullshit. The police need to be investigated (by someone NOT on the police force, drr).
Why is FOOTBALL always more important than JUSTICE?
And why do they not realize that this is going to be attached to his name forever, whether they bring charges or not? If he didn't do it, he should have a chance to clear his name. If he did do it, he deserves to be punished, not rewarded, no matter how good he is at football.

FSU = "Fuck Shit Up"

shameful

This sounds just like the Daisy Coleman case - the police claim she wouldn't talk, she says she did want to and they never followed up. It was reported the night it happened, and then no follow up.
I know who I believe.

When was the last time the Justice Bowl packed 70k excited people into a stadium?

I am just guessing here but if OJ would have been found guilty of murder, there would have been one hell of a riot party afterwords!

You're right. Everyone cares about football. No one cares about women's lives. I guess we should all give up and go home now.

I have heard many commentators over the years compare football to 'war', 'gladiators', and 'combat'. Seems the analogy is accurate right down to the inherent, tacitly approved, unprosecuted rape of female by-standers.

Brutality begets brutality.

Well, just because "we've always done it that way" doesn't mean we always have to or always will. Sometimes longstanding behavioral patterns and social norms change. The gladiator meme is strong, but it's still just a meme, isn't it?

I'm not sure. Maybe male humans are actually genetically programmed to murder each other violently (as opposed to murdering each other peaceably I suppose), and there is also a rape culture basically programmed into this set of male behaviors. I suppose you could transplant humans to some distant planet and see if we repeat the same behaviors, but I think it's basically ingrained.

That would be suggestive that the act of rape was about procreation or sexual satisfaction rather than about control and humiliation.

forgot to say, in the majority of cases

I think a lot of it comes down to three things. One is money; there is big money in sports. Another is power and connections.
Even more than that, many men know that as men, they have the upper hand by default, and some of them want to keep it that way. The fight against birth control is rooted in the same thing. If you can keep women fearful and having to constantly fight to avoid becoming pregnant or to avoid rape, they won't have any energy left over to do anything but survive, and the gender hierarchy remains intact.

Please note, I did not say ALL men. Many men are beyond that and are true allies to women. It was great to see so many at the rally for Daisy and the ones in Steubenville. But some will cling hard to whatever power they feel they have, and this may be a deeper part of the motivation behind ignoring these cases in the hopes that the victims will shut up and go away.

Here's a link to an article that describes the investigation. They focused on investigating the victim and tearing her story apart, and didn't even bother speaking with the accused.
http://jezebel.com/what-you-need-to-know-about-jameis-winstons-accuser-1482405244

http://tracking.si.com/2013/11/20/dna-reports-connect-florida-state-jameis-winston-to-accuser/

Sports Illistrated

Repeated for emphasis

So, this looks pretty shitty. Anyone want to do something? Ideas?

This is ripe for action. Rapes involving elite athletes, who seem to get away with it, are in and of themselves one of the causes of perpetuation of rape culture IMO.

Right now they and the lawyer are demanding a investigation of the investigation.
http://www.talgov.com/tpd/tpdhome.aspx

report a crime
http://www.talgov.com/tpd/OnlineCrimeReporting.aspx

The results of the internal investigation:

http://www.talgov.com/tpd/news/4026.aspx
http://www.talgov.com/uploads/public/documents/assets/news/tpd-documents.pdf
Check out the Tallahassee Police Department report page 4
(I can't copypasta) The police arrived to question a witness and the soon to be Heisman Trophy winner. The campus cop said he was the representative for the players....thefuck?

Contact Information for the above case

David Northway, TPD Public Information Office, (850) 891-4255
All the reports from the police are there. Basically they treated it as a he said/she said and say they didnt proceed because the victim wouldnt talk to them. Of interest when her lawyer started with the case, she hadn't got a copy of the report yet but the defense lawyer already had it...and the police don't know how that happened.

Assholes protecting Assholes.

http://espn.go.com/college-football...ston-not-charged-sexual-assault-investigation

Then there are these powerful people

http://trustees.fsu.edu

Upcoming meeting on January 24, 2014. The agenda isn't published yet. Perhaps we should help them do so.

contact information:

Contact Us
For more information on the Florida State University Board of Trustees please contact:

University Relations
Florida State University
216 Westcott
Tallahassee FL 32306-1350
Phone: 850/644-1000
Fax: 850/644-3612
eMail: trustees@www.fsu.edu

""
Derrick Brooks
Allan Bense, Chair
1405 West Beach Drive
Panama City, FL 32401
850/769-3477
email: agb@gaccontractors.com

Allan Bense, a Panama City resident, is the President and CEO of Bense Enterprises, Inc. which is involved with road building, mechanical contracting, insurance, and golf courses. He represented Florida's 6th District from 1998 to 2006 in the Florida House of Representatives, where he was speaker from 2004 to 2006. A double alumnus, he holds a Bachelor of Science degree and an M.B.A. from Florida State.

Bense serves on numerous Boards and Councils, and is Chairman of the Board of the James Madison Institute. He is the immediate past chairman of the board of the Florida Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise Florida, HCA Gulf Coast Medical Center, Florida Taxation and Budget Reform Commission, and the Florida Council on Military Base & Mission Support. He serves on the Board of Directors of Gulf Power Company, the Florida Council of 100, and The Foundation for Florida's Future. He also serves on the boards of charitable organizations and as chairman of the board of the Bense Family Foundation, which makes contributions each year to various state and local not-for-profit causes.

Kathryn Ballard
Kathryn Ballard
403 East Park Avenue
Tallahassee, FL 32301
email: kathrynballard@embarqmail.com

Kathryn Ballard has a long history of charitable and community work, including service on the Board of Directors of the Florida Special Olympics, the Florida State University College of Human Sciences Board and the Board of Trustees of the Maclay School of Tallahassee. She also served as Chairman of Maclay School Capital Campaign.

A lifelong FSU fan, Mrs. Ballard has been honored for Outstanding Achievement by the Florida Trust for Historic Preservation and the Tallahassee/Leon County Historic Preservation Commission for her efforts to restore Tallahassee's historic Lively House.

Mrs. Ballard graduated from Florida State University in 1987 with a Bachelor of Science degree from the College of Human Sciences.

""
Edward Burr
Edward E. "Ed" Burr
Greenpointe Holdings LLC
7807 Baymeadows Road East #205
Jacksonville, FL 32256
904/998-8841
904/996-2481 FAX
email: eburr@greenpointellc.com

Edward Burr is president and chief executive officer of GreenPointe Holdings, LLC, a diversified holding company he founded in 2008. After graduating from FSU College of Business with a B. S. in Accounting in 1979, he began his career with Coopers & Lybrand LLP. He founded the LandMar Group LLC in 1987 and led the company's creation of master-planned, award-winning communities in Florida and coastal Georgia. Ed also co-founded Hampton Golf & Lifestyles Management.

Ed has served on Board of Trustees of the FSU Foundation, the board of the Seminole Boosters and the Executive Board of the FSU Center for Real Estate Education and Research in the College of Business.

Throughout his career, Ed has been actively involved in business, civic and community organizations. He has served as chairman of the Jacksonville Regional Chamber of Commerce and is currently on the Chamber Board of Directors overseeing the Downtown Development Council. Burr was named Developer of the Year by his peers and accepted a gubernatorial appointment to the Jacksonville Transportation Authority. He is actively involved in the Urban Land Institute, the National Association of Home Builders and the Northeast Florida Builders Association. A longtime advocate for bettering the lives of children, Ed is founder of the Monique Burr Foundation for Children, a foundation committed to the prevention of child abuse.

Joseph L. Camps
Joseph L. Camps
Southeastern Urological Center, P.A.
2000 Centre Pointe Boulevard
Tallahassee, FL 32308
850/309-0400
email: nfabiano@seuc.com

Joseph L. Camps, Jr., M.D., F.A.C.S., graduated with a bachelor's degree in biology from Florida State University in 1978. During his FSU years, he led the Florida State Seminoles as captain of the football team. He received his medical degree from the University of Florida College of Medicine in 1982. Dr. Camps has been practicing urology in Tallahassee since 1990. Having served in many leadership positions, he is currently chair of the Board of Directors at Tallahassee Memorial Hospital. Dr. Camps' leadership qualities extend beyond the field of medicine. He is a member of the Board of Directors of Premier Bank of Tallahassee.

In addition, he served as the 1997-1998 Chairman of the Seminole Boosters Executive Board and the FSU Athletic Board from 2006- 2011. Dr. Camps has been honored with the FSU Circle of Gold and the FSU Golden Torch. In 2000 he received the Moore-Stone award and was also inducted into the FSU Hall of Fame. In 2007 he received the "The Living Legend" award from the Tallahassee Area Chapter 100 Black Men of America.

""
Rosalia Contreras
Rosalia "Rosie" Contreras
205 Oglesby Student Union
Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL 32306
850/644-1811
email: fsusgapresident@admin.fsu.edu

Rosalia "Rosie" Contreras is president of the Student Government Association. A junior, she is pursuing dual bachelor's degrees in international affairs and women's studies from the College of Social Sciences and Public Policy.

Contreras was first elected to Florida State's 64th Student Senate from the College of Social Sciences and Public Policy in the spring of 2011 during her freshman year. In recognition of her service, she received the 64th Student Senate Ethics Award and the Milton S. Carothers Ethical Courage Award.

Contreras is a member of the Garnet and Gold Key Honor Society and the Seminole Torchbearers. Within the Student Government Association, she previously served as the director of the Hispanic/Latino Student Union and as a two-time board member of the Office of Governmental Affairs.

At the age of 2, Contreras emigrated with her family from Santiago de Cuba, Cuba, to Melbourne, Florida.

Emily Fleming Duda
Emily Fleming Duda
2451 Mikler Road
Oviedo, FL 32765
407/365-6336
email: tracy@duda.com

Emily Fleming Duda, of Oviedo, is an active member of the FSU Booster Club board, serving five years on the board's executive committee. She was awarded the Godfrey Smith Award for Outstanding Service to the board in 2000.

Ms. Duda also served on the board of directors of the Florida Leadership Program for Agriculture and Natural Resources, which is administered through the University of Florida Institute for Food and Agricultural Sciences.

""

Joseph Gruters
Shinn and Company LLC
1001 Third Ave West, Suite 500
Bradenton, FL 34205
941/747–0500
email: joegruters@gmail.com

Joseph Gruters, CPA, is an accountant with Shinn and Company LLC in Bradenton and the chairman of the Republican Party of Sarasota. In addition, he is the immediate past chairman of the Sarasota County Planning Commission. He serves as a member of the board of the Humane Society of Sarasota County and the Florida Sports Foundation.

From 2000 to 2010, Mr. Gruters worked in various corporate and political roles including campaign manager for U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan, of Sarasota. Gruters holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Florida State and an M.B.A. from the University of South Florida. He resides in Sarasota with his wife, Sydney.

Wm. Andrew Haggard
Wm. Andrew Haggard
330 Alhambra Circle
First Floor
Coral Gables, FL 33134
305/446-5700
email: WAH@haggardlawfirm.com

Wm. Andrew Haggard, of Coral Gables, has been senior partner for the Haggard Parks Haggard & Bologna, P.A. law firm since 1995. He has been a member of the Florida Bar in good standing since 1967. From 1990-92, he served as a Commissioner on the Florida Commission on Ethics. He is listed in the publications The Best Lawyers in America and Greatest American Lawyers and a member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum. He is a Fellow and previous Chairman of the State Chair Committee of the prestigious International Academy of Trial Lawyers. He is a member and 1998 National Chairman of the Board of the FSU Seminole Boosters; Chairman of FSU College of Arts & Sciences Leadership Counsel and served on the 1993 FSU Presidential Search Committee.

Mr. Haggard received his Bachelor's degree from Florida State University in 1964, and his law degree from Mercer University in 1967.

""
Mark Hillis
Mark Hillis
121 N. Monroe St., The Tennyson, No. 8005
Tallahassee, FL 32301
850/524-2035
email: markhillis64@yahoo.com

Mark Hillis, of Tallahassee, earned a bachelor's degree from The Florida State University College of Business in 1964 and a juris doctorate from the Woodrow Wilson College of Law. He served for 33 years as first vice president for SunTrust Bank in Atlanta. He is a retired major from the U.S. Marine Corps. Mr. Hillis has served on the FSU College of Business Board of Governors since 1989, including service as chairman from 1996 to 1998. Since 2003, he has served as a director on the Executive Board of the College of Business Center for Real Estate Education and Research. In 2011, he was inducted into the College of Business Hall of Fame. A lifetime member of the Florida State Alumni Association, he served on the Alumni Association's Development Committee from 2004 to 2008, and served on the Alumni Association's Board of Directors from 1993 to 2002, including a term as treasurer. He also served as a member of the Alumni Association's Centennial Steering Committee. From 1995 to 2008, he was a member of the FSU Foundation Board of Trustees, serving as secretary and chairing the Finance, Real Estate, Development and Capital Campaign Executive Committees. In addition, he is a member of the Seminole Boosters, the FSU Graduate School Advancement Council, the FSU Undergraduate Studies Development Council, the FSU Student Veterans Center Volunteer Committee and the FSU National Capital Campaign Committee. In 2011, he joined the Board of Directors of the Foundation Chapter of the Theta Chi Fraternity. A generous contributor and active alumnus, he has received the Florida State University Alumni Association Circle of Gold Award. Hillis' wife, Nan Casper Hillis, is a 1976 graduate of Florida State and is involved in numerous university activities.

Leslie Pantin
Leslie Pantin
Pantin/Beber Silverstein Public Relations
89 NE 27th Street
Miami, FL 33137
305/929-9726
email: leslie@thinkbsg.com

Leslie Pantin is president of Pantin/Beber Silverstein Public Relations in Miami.

Pantin was appointed to the Florida State University Board of Trustees by the Florida Board of Governors on Jan. 17, 2013. His term is five years.

In 2006, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush appointed Pantin to a five-year term on the FSU Board of Trustees, where he served as chair of the Student Affairs Committee. In addition, Pantin has served on the FSU Alumni Association Board of Directors, the FSU Foundation Board of Directors and the Seminole Boosters Board of Directors.

In 1992, former Florida Gov. Lawton Chiles appointed Pantin to the Board of Trustees of Miami-Dade Community College, where he served for two years. From 2002 to 2006, Pantin was chairman of the Board of Trustees of Barry University.

Pantin is active in a number of civic organizations, community affairs and special events in the South Florida area. In 1997, he served as president of the Orange Bowl Committee, which hosted college football's national championship game, and is the founding chair of the Orange Bowl foundation. He is also a past member of the Miami Business Forum, Miami's pre-eminent civic/business association.

A resident of Miami for more than 50 years, Pantin was a member of the South Florida National Parks Trust, Trust for Public Land's South Florida Advisory Council and the Dade Heritage Trust's Board of Advisors. In 1999, the Chief Justice of the Florida Supreme Court appointed him to the Florida Judicial Management Council. Pantin was also on the board of directors of the Collins Center for Public Policy.

Pantin, who earned a bachelor's degree from Florida State in 1970, is the father of two FSU graduates. He is the recipient of several FSU Alumni Association awards, including the Bernard F. Sliger Award and the "Circle of Gold" award.

""

Peggy Rolando
Margaret A. "Peggy" Rolando
Shutts & Bowen
1500 Miami Center
201 South Biscayne Boulevard
Miami, FL 33131
305/379-9144
email: mrolando@shutts.com

Peggy Rolando, of Coral Gables, has been a partner in Shutts & Bowen's real estate department since 1984. She is a board-certified real estate attorney and is "AV" rated. She is active in legal professional associations and serves on the Board of Governors of the American College of Real Estate Lawyers. She is treasurer of the Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section of The Florida Bar. She received her B.A. from Spring Hill College in 1972; her M.A. in English Literature from Florida State University in 1974; and her J.D. with honors from Florida State in 1978. A long-time supporter of the College of Law she has served on the Florida State College of Law Board of Visitors since 1994, including as chairman of the board from 1999-2001. She is also a member of the Board of Trustees of Spring Hill College, Mobile, Alabama, and a member of the Board of Advisors of the Georgia Museum of Art, Athens, Georgia.