Rape accusations just aren’t what they used to be.

Is it just me, or does anyone else find some of the peripheral responses to the announcement of and later reactions to the decision not to pursue criminal charges against Jameis Winston appallingly tacky?  You had the bizarre laughter from some of the press corps attending the state attorney’s press conference (not to mention the SA’s strange attempt at humor himself).  Then there was the question from the radio station employee to Winston’s attorney about whether the victim’s family had Alabama ties.  And now this:

I mean, shit, people, whether you think Winston got off lightly or the accuser was in the wrong, ain’t nothing unserious about this at all.  If you can’t show a little class, at least settle for a little respect.

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44 Comments

Filed under Crime and Punishment, General Idiocy

44 responses to “Rape accusations just aren’t what they used to be.

  1. Always Someone Else's Fault

    Not just you. In fact, everyone who isn’t within a 25 foot radius of a microphone as far as I can tell.

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  2. Again…There is more ignorance than hydrogen in the universe….and it has a longer shelf life. Frank Zappa

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  3. Melody

    All of your comments are spot on. Personally, whether it can be proven to be rape or not, I find his behavior unacceptable–definitely not worthy of Heisman consideration. I wish that a large contingency of previous award winners had addressed the issue of character and leadership. They wouldn’t have had to mention Jameis by name. He just doesn’t belong in a group that includes people who lead by example. Thus, the Heisman is now non-existent in my book. And, so it goes…

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    • Hackerdog

      If we’re going to exclude players who have premarital sex from Heisman consideration, we may need to expand the pool of eligible people beyond football players.

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      • Melody

        Obviously, you have a different opinion of what transpired than I do. Please take the time and read the 86-page file on the case. Then, just imagine what else you may have found out if the TPD had done their job when the incident happened. Finally, ask yourself why the two “witnesses” were unable to give their own accounting of the situation and, instead, just signed a pre-written statement–almost a year later. Jameis definitely had time to conjure up his little fairytale. The TPD has covered up FSU transgressions for years. As a counselor and a mother of daughters, I find the response by many indicative of the problem with our world today.

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        • Macallanlover

          And you know this to be a “little fairytale” how? I have seen not one shred of evidence in any of the reports and known information, beyond what the accuser said that says this was not a consensual act. She left a club willing, not be drug, with multiple males to go to a private apartment after drinking. She had voluntarily given her phone number to one of the males, and had talked with the accused. The only witnesses, other than the accuser, said this was a consensual act. When she left the apartment she, voluntarily, left with the accused on a scooter. Nothing in any of these actions suggest Winston’s story is a “fairytale”. It sounds a lot more like “Intercourse Remorse” after talking with friends and family and realizing how her actions looked to others to me.

          But none of us, including you and I, know for certain what transpired between two people behind closed doors. I am having trouble understanding the depth of your feelings here for an incident where we have one person disputing multiple others, and that one person being unsure of all the facts. There may be information unknown to the public that would change my mind but if I were one the jury, it would anger me that a prosecutor brought a case like that forward and wasted my time, and the taxpayer’s money. It would also anger me because I a have a daughter and false charges of rape ultimately undermine the safety of all women. I have no sympathy for rapists, don’t understand that mindset at all, but I don’t see this as any more than bad behavior of young people that turned into embarrassment for all involved, and their families as well. Drop the media stories on this, enough damage has been done.

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        • Peteydawg

          Wrong Fsu is like Athens regarding football players and everyone in the knOw kn

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    • Bob Sackamano

      Are you recommending Cam Newton or Johnny Manziel for the panel?

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      • Melody

        My list would include men like Robert Griffin III, Sam Bradford, Danny Wuerffel, Desmond Howard, Herschel Walker, Roger Staubach…

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  4. “I find this behavior unacceptable…” Well, we have no say so in these matters. Personally, it is up to the Atheletic Department of the University to handle these situations. None of it has to do with winning an award that is based on CF excellence.

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    • Melody

      This time, Joy, it shouldn’t have been left to the Athletic Department, who provided Jameis with one of their attorneys. It should have been up to the courts, which didn’t happen because of the maleficence of the TPD. As for your last statement–No wonder the younger generation is hungry for true American heroes.

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      • Sorry, This is a GEORGIA CF BLOG. Maybe you would be better suited for starting a blog on the personal and criminal sensationalism of CF atheletes.

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        • gastr1

          Seems to me the Blogger in Chief started it, joy. If you don’t want to hear divergent opinions on this particular topic, Sen. Blutarsky does make other posts.

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          • Melody

            Thanks, gastr1. Perhaps my point of view is shaped by living in Florida and being privy to more information about this incident and the history of the TPD and FSU. There were many worthy young men who would have been the “total package” for the Heisman. Regardless, I stand by my thoughts on what went on behind the scenes in this instance and the fact that the TPD allowed almost a year to pass–plenty of time for the fairytale to be drafted, practiced and revised–should bother anyone who is both a fan of college football and the rule of law. That is my final comment on this subject on this blog.

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            • Macallanlover

              Don’t blame you for dropping the subject, you have nothing supporting the statements you have made but your gut instinct, or preference on how to view the situation to back the position you have taken. Even the “knowledge” you attribute to yourself by your Florida location overlooks that Meggs made a huge idiot of himself by aggressively prosecuting an FSU football player years ago under similar circumstances/charges. That case was so bad that an all female jury found the defendant innocent in less than 30 minutes. Sounds like Meggs isn’t afraid of attacking an FSU player at all, but he may have learned that a bad case that falsely charges an innocent person is something that shouldn’t be pursued.

              How do either of these young men ever get their reputation back? An apology may be warranted in both of these cases but that cannot roll the clock back, nor put all the pieces together again. It is why you have to err on the side of caution when it is one person’s word against another and there is no logical motive, and/or strong, supporting eye witness testimony, and/or physical evidence to support the accuser.

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              • Dog in Fla

                Why not stone her to death? Because she wasn’t raped in the Middle East.
                Winning the Heisman? Reputation enhanced because of hard work.
                “How Tallahassee Police Blew the Jameis Winston Case” Priceless.

                ‘”Back then, police also didn’t look for the freshman football player named Chris. A simple review of the Seminoles’ 2012 roster shows Chris Casher was the only true freshman on the team with that first name. Investigators later learned that Casher was Winston’s roommate and had walked in on the sexual activity—in part to record it on his cellphone. By the time investigators interviewed Casher in November, the recording had been deleted and the phone discarded.”

                That last item may be the most damning—there was literally a video of the alleged crime and police never tried to find it.”

                http://www.motherjones.com/mojo/2013/12/how-tallahassee-police-screwed-jameis-winston-case

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  5. BTW….it is not a congeniality award.

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  6. Just Chuck (The Other One)

    Now we know how to be rude and stupid at the same time. Just yell “Go Gators”.

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  7. Debby Balcer

    It is appalling but sometimes people laugh from nervousness. Rape is a very serious accusation. Most women don’t accuse unless it happens because the victim is put under a microscope. The accuser from Duke hurt real rape victims.

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    • Macallanlover

      Spot on Debbie, and I fear this woman also dealt a blow to future victims….and I have to give an assist to her attorney/aunt. While most women don’t accuse unless it happens, the ones who do cry rape for other reasons scare so many more away. The glaring light of cameras, microphones, and social media on this situation just exacerbate the problem. Wish the media would just move along, because it hasn’t put anyone in a good light and the SA’s office had/has no chance of ever bringing this to trial in the future. So are we just down to trying to wring some money out of this down the line? Shut up woman, your niece’s chance to ever enjoy life again hinges on this slipping from the public’s mind as fast as possible.

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      • SAtownDawg

        you cant even compare the Duke accuser to this one….when reading the report, there are serious questions concerning a cover up…read the medical records concerning this girl’s injuries…if anything, the Tallahassee PD has made it more difficult for victims to come forth

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        • Macallanlover

          I didn’t compare the two, I agreed the Duke accuser hurt real rape victims. I also feel this accuser has done similar damage based on what I have seen of the evidence made available, and in my opinion. I saw no evidence of a cover up and the delay/difficulties attributed to the TPD can be attributable to the accuser expressing uncertainty about wanting to press charges. Majority of this case is a “he said/she said” and the lack of commitment from the only person, except the accused, that was present during the entire incident would certainly cause any prosecutor to be concerned about getting a jury to convict.

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  8. Bob Sackamano

    These are type of events that remind me that we are lucky to have Mark Richt as our Head Coach.

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  9. Rock and Roll Rebel

    Too bad Jameis didn’t get the boot. Auburn needs a new QB.

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  10. Always Someone Else's Fault

    As far as I am concerned (personal opinion is not bound by the laws of reasonable), she went to the police within an hour of the event and had bruises and other physical indicators that would corroborate at least this much: at some point, it turned violent. Not Hollywood violent, which has moved the meaning of that word to chainsaws and blood patter, but violent in the normal, everyday sense of the word: bigger people using their size to intimidate and control smaller people.

    Her lawyers’s PR strategy hasn’t been great, but that doesn’t mitigate what the victim has had to deal with that night and every day since. I feel sorry for both Jameis and the victim, for different reasons. Her lawyer doesn’t see to understand that the media isn’t there to give her a forum. It’s there to give themselves ratings. It’s up to her to understand that and use the attention accordingly.

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  11. Coondawg

    “If you can’t show a little class, at least settle for a little respect.”
    Have you ever known a Gatah Fan to posses any of these qualities? That’s like asking a Yardbird Fan to stop being delusional.
    I agree though. In regards to this case I wondered if they just didn’t have enough to go forward with charges or was the victim just flat out lying (they wouldn’t dare charge her with false report or obstruction).

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  12. Biggus Rickus

    I was talking about the celebratory reactions by FSU fans and how creepy it all was with a friend of mine. I get that you’re happy your QB gets to play, but it’s not like he was exonerated. They couldn’t prove a case, but he may very well have raped a girl. Maybe think beyond football for a second?

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    • rocksalt

      “Fake but true” eh there Dan Rather?

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      • Biggus Rickus

        What? This isn’t a forged document. The girl stands by her story that she was raped. There just isn’t enough evidence to make a case. That doesn’t mean he didn’t commit rape. It also doesn’t mean he did. That’s why I said “may”. Jesus.

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  13. Any girl who willingly leaves a bar, where she is drinking with men, she has never met before knows exactly what that implies.

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    • Biggus Rickus

      An implication?

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    • Usually I’m not flabbergasted by comments I read at this site. This isn’t one of those times.

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    • AusDawg85

      That in my immaturity and inebriated state of mind, I’m making a poor decision about trust, and thus it’s ok to at best take advantage of me, at worst rape me. And since you are “strangers”, you bear no responsibility about my well being.

      Nice.

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    • kddawg

      joy, are you serious right now..if you had a daughter, she left with some men and went to their apartment to drink..even let it get hot and heavy with one of the guys, AT ANY TIME SHE CHOOSES, she can say NO..STOP..at at that point, he stops and goes and takes a cold shower…
      How would you feel if he didn’t stop and that was your daughter?

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  14. kddawg

    joy, are you serious right now..if you had a daughter, she left with some men and went to their apartment to drink..even let it get hot and heavy with one of the guys, AT ANY TIME SHE CHOOSES, she can say NO..STOP..at at that point, he stops and goes and takes a cold shower…
    How would you feel if he didn’t stop and that was your daughter?

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  15. Snake Plisskin

    There’s always the 911 tape that seemed to have been ignored…heard it on TV down here in Tampa…should be able to find it on a Google search…Snake out

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