This is a DA that wasn't very happy about not prosecuting Ben Roethlisberger for rape.
One the evening of March 4 and into the wee hours of March 5, Roethlisberger was out bar hopping with his entourage. The 20-year-old "victim" -- Bright's word, not mine -- was doing with the same with her sorority sisters. The two parties met at various establishments along the way, where the quarterback and the co-ed made small talk.
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"Some of a sexual nature," Bright said.
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Finally, at Capital City's VIP room -- not for nothing, but how many VIPs can there be in the metropolis of Milledgeville? -- Roethlisberger summoned the sorority girls and "provided shots of alcohol." Bright's account fits nicely with an earlier report quoting the two-time Super Bowl winner as saying: "All you bitches, take my shots."
"Everyone agrees," Bright said, "that the victim was highly intoxicated."
Again, I'm shocked.
Next, the prosecutor said, "one of the bodyguards guided the victim down a back hallway. Mr. Roethlisberger followed her down the hallway into a small bathroom."
She sustained a "superficial laceration and slight bleeding in the genital area." A test performed at the hospital indicated the presence of male DNA.
That's not evidence of criminal conduct, or, rather, not nearly enough evidence to prove it. And so there's no reason not to accept Bright's representation -- what happened in that dingy bathroom cannot be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
The woman told some of her story, wouldn't pursue charges, but didn't back off.
Bright received a letter from the accuser, whose name has not been revealed, several weeks after the incident saying she did not want to proceed with prosecution. In the letter the student’s lawyer made it clear she was not recanting her accusation.
I can understand her reluctance to press charges. I've been in a few VIP parties in my life after a gig and it's a lot of fun, but just because you meet girls who want to talk and hang out with you, it doesn't mean they've given you permission to do anything else. I've also seen a number of fairly famous musicians have a great time after a show, but never cross the line.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying I've been a saint all my life, but it's really not that hard to respect women enough not to act in this fashion, even when there's alcohol involved. Roethlisberger is just a creep.
