QUINTEZ CEPHUS is Innocent. His Acquittal Shows Dangers of Presuming Guilt
After a week-long trial, it took a jury less than 45 minutes to find former Badgers football player Quintez Cephus not guilty of both sexual assault charges he faced. Cephus’ swift acquittal on Aug. 2 by a unanimous jury came nearly one year after Cephus was charged with the offenses in August 2018. And while Cephus’ acquittal was surely an enormous relief to Cephus, his lawyers, friends and family, Cephus likely faced a living hell for the past year…Sadly, some people in the “court of public opinion” refused to afford Cephus the presumption of innocence and instead presumed his guilt. Wisconsin State Journal sportswriter Tom Oates, wrote that even if Cephus were found not guilty, “the punishment he … will have already served would be fair.”
In an August 2018 opinion column titled “UW Badgers Quintez Cephus case: Jumping to conclusions dangerous,” I wrote critically of Oates’ column and expressed my concern that some people were presuming Cephus to be guilty. In the column, I argued that we should afford Cephus the presumption of innocence and that he may be innocent. Cephus long ago proclaimed his innocence on Twitter, writing in part: “I have been wrongfully accused of unlawful conduct and I am innocent of any allegations associated with this consensual relationship.” What I wrote in my column back in August 2018 about Cephus’ case is something I still firmly believe today: “If Cephus is innocent, then any amount of punishment he receives is a tragedy — from the fact that he was charged with such serious crimes, to his suspension from the team, to the relentless attacks on his character, reputation and career.”
Perhaps most troubling is that even after Cephus’ complete and swift acquittal, there are still those who presume his guilt…Rape Crisis Center Executive Director Erin Thornley-Parisi said about the acquittal: “We kind of expected that and not because he’s not guilty, but because of the immense resources that went into his defense.” … We believe victims and we know that what these women say, you know have reported happened, that it did happen.” In other words, Thornley-Parisi presumed Cephus’ guilt and continues to do so even after Cephus was found not guilty.
Just because a person alleges another committed an offense does not mean we ought to reflexively believe it, no matter how socially acceptable it may be to do so. Quintez Cephus’ case is a prime example of the importance of that principle.
sheboyganpress-Casey Hoff
