The woman whose rape allegations against Florida State, Heisman Trophy winner Jameis Winston were dismissed by state prosecutors has now hired a team of attorneys and plans to launch a civil suit against the Seminole's star quarterback.
According to FoxSports.com, the woman has hired Colorado attorneys John Clune and Baine Kerr, litigators who are well-known for handling high-profile, sexual assault suits involving athletes.
Clune told Fox their work will be wide-ranging and "evaluate the conduct of a number of individuals and entities in this matter and assess their civil and criminal liability."
The woman claimed that she was attacked by Winston at an off-campus party in December of 2012 and immediately reported it to authorities. Still, an investigation of the alleged incident was put on hold for nine months by Tallahassee police before it was revived in November by State Attorney Willie Meggs.
After months of investigating, Meggs announced authorities did not have enough evidence to proceed in filing charges against Winston, who went on to lead undefeated FSU to a national championship.
Through his attorneys, the 19-year-old redshirt freshman has long maintained that the sexual relationship was consensual and over the course of the most recent investigation his attorneys presented several sworn affidavits from witnesses attesting to his version of the night's events. Winston's attorneys also point out that at the time the woman filed the initial report she told police she could not identify her attacker and only named Winston a month later after seeing him on campus.
Fox reports the work of Kerr and Clune is also expected to include an examination of the conduct of Florida State officials and the potential of a federal lawsuit under gender-equity Title IX laws. Both Clune and Kerr are well-known for such work and have won millions of dollars for their clients in a number of federal lawsuits. Klune also previously represented the woman who accused Lakers star Kobe Bryant of raping her.
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