Update 3:40 p.m.
Following State Attorney Willie Meggs' news conference, Tim Jansen, the attorney for FSU quarterback Jameis Winston, says affidavits will show the encounter was consensual between him and the complainant. He adds Winston's behavior was a normal, collegiate "one-night stand."
As for the announcement regarding no charges to be filed against anyone in the sex assault investigation, Jansen says Winston gave him a hug and was happy with the decision, even taking an exam Thursday afternoon.
Jansen says he's talked with Winston's family about possible legal action in response, but won't characterize how likely it is.
Below is Winston's official statement:
“I want to thank my family, friends, coaches and teammates for standing by me during a difficult time. I also want to thank the State Attorney’s Office for examining all of the facts and reaching a decision in conclusive manner. It’s been difficult to stay silent through this process, but I never lost faith in the truth and in who I am. I’m very relieved I’ll be able to continue my education at Florida State and I’m excited I can now get back to helping our team achieve its goals.”
Stay tuned to Friday's Morning Edition for more on this story!
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Update 3:20 p.m.
During a 2 p.m. press conference with reporters, State Attorney Willie Meggs says his investigation is complete and he did not find enough evidence to believe that a conviction of Florida State University quarterback Jameis Winston or anybody else was possible in the case.
One reason for that was the woman who brought the complaint had problems remembering the night of the incident described in the complaint. Meggs says one thing she did say was that she did have sex with her boyfriend who was apparently the other set of DNA found in the forensics investigation.
Meggs says the football team’s schedule and success as well as Winston’s individual success did not factor into his decision.
The state attorney’s office plans to release its investigatory files to the media within the next 24 hours. The Tallahassee Police Department has already posted several dozen pages of its files. Below is TPD's statement and a link to those files.
Stay tuned for more updates on this story!
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What follows is the Tallahassee Police Department's statement about State Attorney Willie Meggs's decision not to charge FSU quarterback Jameis Winston in an alleged sexual assault:
"In response to the State Attorney’s decision, interim Tallahassee Police Chief Tom Coe provided the following statement. Below the statement is a link to TPD’s records from this case. “I’d like to thank the State Attorney’s Office and specifically Willie Meggs for taking on this case and working with the Tallahassee Police Department and its investigators to bring this case to a close. “The police reports that we can now release, because the case is closed, contain details of our investigation and facts of the case. Those reports document that our department took the case seriously, processed evidence and conducted an investigation based on information available at that time. The reports also show that, while the victim was unwilling to move forward with charges at that time, all evidence was preserved in the event she was willing to move forward at a later date. “We take seriously the obligation to respond to any individual who wants to report a crime, regardless of who they are accusing. We also have an obligation to the accused to investigate to see if a crime actually occurred. That is our job. Likewise, we respect the authority of the State Attorney’s Office to not only look at the evidence, but also conduct its own investigations, and support the decision the State Attorney has made in this case. “We have hired a new chief that will lead this department starting next month and will continue to address ways to enhance police services in our community. At the same time, I strongly believe that the overall trust in our department from the Tallahassee community is high. We are committed to making any changes necessary to maintain that trust.”"
The department also released 86 pages of documents related to its investigation, accessible here.
