GREAT NEWS. Jury Finds Ex-Badgers Player Quintez Cephus Not Guilty of 2 Counts of Sex Assault
A jury found former Wisconsin Badgers football player Quintez Cephus not guilty Friday of two counts of sexual assault. The jury rendered its verdict in about 30 minutes after hearing Cephus testify that two women accusing him of assault had shown they consented to sex in his apartment by their actions. After the verdict, Cephus said he was thankful for his friends and family who had been in court all week supporting him.
Cephus, 21, of Macon, Georgia, was charged with one count of second-degree sexual assault of an intoxicated victim and one count of third-degree sexual assault. The jury found him not guilty of both counts late Friday…During nearly two hours of testimony, Cephus told the jury that once he had given the women the layout of his apartment, one of them immediately went into his room, took off her clothes by herself and got into his bed. He invited the other woman in, and she also got onto the bed. “They went into my room on their own and they got naked on their own,” Cephus testified… When suggested by Assistant DA Brown that Cephus did not care about the women, Cephus said he drove them home. “I cared enough to get them home safe,” he testified.
Robert Major, one of the [all white] jurors in the case, called the process “intense” but said the jurors were “conscientious people.” He said the jurors were “very good note takers” and took time to examine all the evidence. “They all really knew the significance of their decision,” Major said. “Everyone was very moved by both attorneys. We really wanted to say to Quintez that we support you.”
“I know it sounds crazy, but I think you grow through what you go through,” Cephus said. “I’ve been able to grow a lot. I’m excited about the rest of my life going forward.” Stephen Meyer, one of Cephus’ attorneys, called the verdict proof of what they have insisted from the start: Cephus is an innocent person. He thanked the jury for its hard work and thoughtfulness. “They searched for the truth and they found it,” Meyer told reporters. He said the allegations put Cephus’ life on hold for the last 15 months. “Just the nature of these allegations set an individual back,” Meyer said of Cephus. “He’s a strong person. He’s going to come back.”
usatoday-L. Andrea
Background: Start of week:Quintez goes on trial Mid-week: Woman testifies End week: Quintez testifies
