Ben dodges charges
MILLEDGEVILLE, Ga. — Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger might have avoided criminal charges after a college student accused him of sexually assaulting her in Georgia, but he must meet with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and could face punishment from the league.
And Roethlisberger said he knows he'll have to work to regain the trust of teammates and fans.
Ocmulgee Circuit District Attorney Fred Bright said Monday that after exhaustive interviews and inconclusive medical exams, the 20-year-old student's accusations could not be proven beyond a reasonable doubt. Bright also revealed the accuser no longer wanted him to prosecute.
Bright said he continued to investigate the case, but ultimately decided against moving forward partly because he was never able to find out what happened behind the bathroom door at the Capital City club in Milledgeville.
"Here the overall circumstances do not lead to a viable prosecution. If they did, I would be pursuing it vigorously," Bright said. "We do not prosecute morals. We prosecute crimes."
In his first public remarks since the accusations, Roethlisberger read a 74-second statement Monday at a podium in the Steelers locker room.
"The prosecutor's decision not to bring charges, I know without a doubt, is the right conclusion," said Roethlisberger. "I don't intend to discuss any details related to the events of Georgia. I'm happy to put this behind me and move forward."
Roethlisberger also did not discuss his upcoming meeting with Goodell or any possible punishment that might come from the league or the team for violating the players' conduct code.
"I am excited to get back to work with my teammates, and I'm more determined than ever to have a great season," he said.
The encounter took place after a night of bar-hopping in Milledgeville, a quaint central Georgia college town about 30 miles from where the two-time Super Bowl winner owns a lake home. Bright detailed the night during a lengthy news conference Monday.
Roethlisberger, who was out drinking with friends to celebrate his 28th birthday, bumped into the student and her sorority sisters throughout the night. They linked up at Capital City, where he invited them to a VIP section and bought them a round of shots.
As the night wore on, the student walked down a dingy hallway to a small bathroom, and Roethlisberger soon followed. What happened next remained unclear.
The student told police she had been sexually assaulted, but medical results were less clear. A doctor who examined her at a nearby emergency room found a cut, bruises and vaginal bleeding but could not say if she was raped. And while some DNA was found, there was not enough to determine whom it belonged to, Bright said.
Roethlisberger is being sued by a different woman who says he raped her in 2008 at a Lake Tahoe hotel and casino, which he denies. Roethlisberger was not criminally charged in that case and has claimed counter-damages in the lawsuit.
In Milledgeville, state and local police canvassed the town and began interviewing witnesses. Roethlisberger hired Ed Garland, who has represented a long list of high-profile defendants. The accuser's family also hired lawyers, who eventually sent a letter to Bright saying the woman did not want a trial because it would be "a very intrusive personal experience."
Georgia laws set a relatively high bar for proving sexual assault, requiring proof that force was used and that the victim did not consent, said J. Tom Morgan, a former DeKalb County district attorney. That can be particularly difficult if both parties were drinking alcohol, he said.
As Pittsburgh's first-round draft pick out of Miami of Ohio in 2004, Roethlisberger led the Steelers to Super Bowl victories in 2006 and 2009. He frequently has donated time and money to charities.
But off-field problems have come along with his championships and $102 million contract. In 2006, he defied his coach's orders and rode his motorcycle without a helmet — and wound up with a concussion, broken jaw and other injuries after a wreck.
"I'm truly sorry for the disappointment and negative attention I brought to my family, my teammates, coaches, the Rooneys and the NFL," Roethlisberger said. "I understand that the opportunities I have been blessed with are a privilege, and much is expected of me as the quarterback of the Pittsburgh Steelers. I absolutely want to be the leader this team deserves, valued in the community and a role model to kids. I have much work to do to earn this trust."
