Roethlisberger could face punishment

[Old School]

.. 2 games or 3..:shrug:

time to get this boy straightened out

Roethlisberger could face punishment from NFL

38 minutes ago



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By KATE BRUMBACK Associated Press Writer
MILLEDGEVILLE, Ga. (AP)?Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger(notes) may 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.
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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, who was wearing a red sports shirt and light-colored slacks. ?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.
And while Roethlisberger has a reputation for patiently signing autographs and posing for pictures out in public, he also is known for occasionally inelegant behavior in Pittsburgh. Early in his career, he was photographed - obviously after drinking - wearing a T-shirt reading ?Drink Like a Champion.?
?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.?
Team president Art Rooney II, known to be frustrated and exasperated with Roethlisberger?s lack of maturity and judgment, agreed that the quarterback must win back the respect and trust of his teammates and his city.
?During the past few weeks, I have met with Ben on a number of occasions, not only to discuss this incident, but also to discuss his commitment to making sure this never happens again,? Rooney said in a statement.
In Pittsburgh, the reaction among fans was mixed. Some said they feared it was only a matter of time before Roethlisberger was in trouble again.
?I?ve seen him around a couple times and he?s always got the entourage, and the aura around him and it?s annoying,? said Kevin Brown(notes), a 27-year-old who watched the news conference at an upscale restaurant a stone?s throw from Heinz Field. ?I?ve seen the way he?s acted.?
Jim Gallagher, 54, of Butler, north of Pittsburgh, is a Steelers fan and was critical of the franchise quarterback.
?I?m disappointed in his actions. Whether he did anything that was against the law, you?ll never know,? Gallagher said. ?I think he needs to realize he?s representing the city and the Rooney family and letting everybody down by his actions. Morally, I think he?s wrong.?
Associated Press writers Greg Bluestein and Ray Henry in Atlanta and Joe Mandak and Alan Robinson in Pittsburgh contributed to this report.

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[kegray1]

He got rid of the mullet.
Just getting a haircut doesn't mean you are no longer a pervert.

 

[Old School]

Roethlisberger, Goodell meet in NY

Roethlisberger, Goodell meet in NY

Roethlisberger, Goodell meet in NY

By ALAN ROBINSON, AP Sports




NEW YORK (AP)?The NFL is weighing possible disciplinary action against Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger(notes), who met with league commissioner Roger Goodell one day after learning he won?t be charged in the alleged sexual assault of a Georgia college student.
Roethlisberger described the Tuesday afternoon meeting in Manhattan as ?very productive,? but gave no hint whether he expects to be suspended or fined for several off-field incidents that damaged his reputation and angered the franchise he?s led to two Super Bowl championships.

?It?s a very serious matter, one we take serious,? Roethlisberger told ESPN as he and his representatives left the meeting with Goodell.


While Roethlisberger faces no criminal charges after being accused of assaulting the 20-year-old student in a nightclub bathroom, in a separate case he also is being sued in civil court by a former Nevada hotel employee for an alleged sexual assault in 2008. No criminal charges were filed in that case.

NFL spokesman Greg Aiello says the league will review the facts and will follow up with Roethlisberger and the Steelers. He gave no timeline.

Possible options include a suspension, fine or having the $102 million quarterback undergo counseling or rehabilitation.

?Commissioner Goodell met today with Ben Roethlisberger and his representatives to discuss the recent incident involving his personal conduct,? the league said in a statement. ?In accordance with the league?s personal conduct policy, our office will review all the facts and follow up at the appropriate time with the Steelers and Ben.?

The team had no comment Tuesday as it awaits the NFL?s findings, and it isn?t expected to discuss the issue until the league makes its ruling.

However, the Steelers are angered with their star player?s conduct, and apparently are ready to discipline Roethlisberger even if the league doesn?t. Team president Art Rooney II was upset by the sordid details of the incident in Milledgeville, Ga., which were explained at great length during a news conference Monday by district attorney Frederic D. Bright.

?C?mon, you?re supposed to stand for something,? Bright said in criticizing one of the NFL?s best-known players. ?I mean you?re a leader, you?re supposed to be a role model. You don?t need to put yourself in his position anymore.?

The Georgia prosecutor suggested that Roethlisberger ?grow up? and stop taking groups of friends to bars, where his entourage stakes out a private area and invites patrons to join them.

Roethlisberger effectively agreed a few hours later, saying while reading a short statement that he planned to reshape his image and make the team?s fans proud of him again.

Roethlisberger?s appearance changed greatly in the less than 24 hours between the time he read that statement to reporters and his meeting with Goodell. He?d gotten a haircut and he wore a suit, rather than a sports shirt and slacks.

Roethlisberger is expected to join his teammates Monday for offseason practice, the first time he has taken the field since the Steelers? season-ending victory over Miami in January.

The team?s veteran players have been involved in conditioning for several weeks, but Roethlisberger skipped those sessions to avoid being a distraction. The Steelers already will be without wide receiver Santonio Holmes(notes), the former Super Bowl MVP who was dealt to the Jets on Sunday night for a fifth-round draft pick following a series of off-the-field problems.
While the Roethlisberger incidents likely won?t damage the Steelers monetarily?they?ve sold out every game since 1972 and have a long waiting list for season tickets?their fans clearly are unhappy with the quarterback?s troubles.
Talk shows were flooded with callers Monday and Tuesday criticizing Roethlisberger, not only for his conduct but the way he looked in reading his statement? casual attire and a long, shaggy hairstyle.

The quarterback has relatively few endorsement contracts for such a high-profile player, but he lost one Tuesday as a Pittsburgh-area food products company announced he would no longer endorse its line of beef jerky.

Roethlisberger?s diminished popularity is evident in his hometown of Findlay, Ohio, where merchants said Tuesday his jerseys and other memorabilia are sitting unsold on shelves.
?We can sell everybody else?s, but not his,? Sue Cataline said. ?We can?t sell any of his stuff.?

Associated Press writer John Seewer in Findlay, Ohio, contributed to this report.
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[Old School]

Steelers or NFL must suspend Roethlisberger
Tuesday, April 13, 2010​

By Ron Cook, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Matt Freed/Post-Gazette
Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.​

<!-- end story_image_box_size_3 -->The NFL suspended former Steelers wide receiver Santonio Holmes Monday for the first four games of the 2010 season for violating the league's substance-abuse policy.​

Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger will be lucky if he doesn't get just as much time off from the NFL or from the Rooneys for violating the sensibilities of decent people everywhere.​

If Roethlisberger isn't suspended for at least two games for his despicable behavior in Milledgeville, Ga., last month, there is no justice in the NFL.​

Roethlisberger appears to get that, at least. It didn't take him long to swing into damage-control mode. He made his first public appearance at Steelers headquarters Monday night and read a brief statement to the media, saying he is "truly sorry" for the negative attention he brought to the team and the league. He acknowledged he has "much work" to do to win back the trust of Steelers management, his coaches and teammates and the fans. He pledged to make all concerned "proud on all fronts."​

The statement was predictable.
Too bad it didn't seem to contain much contrition.​

You have to wonder what Roethlisberger sees when he looks in the mirror every morning. Here's guessing he doesn't see a 28-year-old lout who needs to grow up in a hurry and become a respectable human being. If that's the case, he's lying to himself.​

Funny, "grow up" is exactly the advice Georgia district attorney Fred Bright gave Roethlisberger when he announced Monday he was not charging him in the sexual assault case involving a 20-year-old college student March 5 at a Milledgeville club because of a lack of enough evidence to get a conviction and because the alleged victim didn't want to pursue the case.​

Never have two more appropriate words been uttered about anyone.
They are worth repeating:
"Grow up."​

Bright portrayed Roethlisberger as a real creep during his news conference. He said Roethlisberger "provided shots of alcohol" for the alleged underaged victim and her friends. He also said Roethlisberger invited the "highly intoxicated" alleged victim into the club's VIP area and later followed her into a small bathroom.​

"Significant questions about what had occurred [after that] persist," Bright said.
The only way Roethlisberger could have looked worse Monday is if Bright had filed criminal charges against him.​

"We are not condoning Mr. Roethlisberger's actions that night," Bright said. "But we do not prosecute morals. We prosecute crimes."
The NFL has no such limitations. Nor do the Steelers. It is up to one or the other to do the right thing and suspend Roethlisberger for at least two games. His immature, reprehensible behavior has done great harm to the league's brand and to the Steelers' reputation.
Saying "sorry" isn't enough.​

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell is scheduled to meet with Roethlisberger this week. There is tremendous pressure on Goodell -- some of it racial pressure -- to take a tough position with Roethlisberger. The commissioner has earned something of a reputation for being a hanging judge in his disciplinary dealings with black players such as Michael Vick and Adam "Pac-Man" Jones. He has to know how it would look if he turns soft with a star, two-time Super Bowl-winning, white quarterback, who, clearly, has violated the league's Personal Conduct Policy.​

Certainly, the league's black players will be watching closely how Goodell handles the Roethlisberger situation.​

There also is pressure on the Steelers -- again, some of it racial -- to come down hard on Roethlisberger. There's no disputing that the team was tough with Holmes, a black wide receiver. A former No. 1 pick and the MVP of the Steelers' win in Super Bowl XLIII, Holmes was traded Sunday night to the New York Jets for a fifth-round draft choice. It's obvious the Steelers had tired of his equally loutish off-the-field behavior, which included four incidents involving police intervention since he was drafted in 2006, some absurd tweets on his Twitter account recently and the four-game suspension. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Ed Bouchette reported the team was so disgusted with Holmes that it would have released him if it hadn't found a trade partner.​

Certainly, the Steelers' black players will be watching closely how management handles the Roethlisberger situation.​

Steelers president Art Rooney II released a statement Monday saying the team would wait until Goodell has his meeting with Roethlisberger to determine "the next steps in this process."​

The next step is a suspension for Roethlisberger.
That can be the only step.
Bright put it best in his "grow-up" lecture to Roethlisberger.​

"Come on, you're supposed to stand for something. You need to be a role model for your team, your city, the NFL. You can do better."
Ron Cook: rcook@post-gazette.com.​

 

[Lee]

There are reports stating here in the Burgh that he may get traded to the Rams for picks!

Anyone else hear this?

 

[AR182]

There are reports stating here in the Burgh that he may get traded to the Rams for picks!

Anyone else hear this?

I read about the same rumor & probably from the same source. I would be very surprised if the the teams do it.

 

[jr11]

There are reports stating here in the Burgh that he may get traded to the Rams for picks!

Anyone else hear this?

Heard the rumor here myself. No way that happens. I can find out here soon though as I am friends with someone at the gym who is in his group and there that night in GA.

Either way, and IMO, the Steelers are in for another long year. I would be shocked if they went 8-8. D-line aging, bad corners, O-line suspect, and average Wr's at best.

jr11

 

[Lumi]

Last night Leno said his punishment should be a trade to Detroit

 

[Emersonboozer]

I tried to believe that the first chick was just lying but another incident charging the same drunken Im entitled behavior? Big Ben it seems is a big drunken douchebag. Someone should just break his fukin nose for being such an idiot.:sadwave:

 

[AR182]

Source: Steelers would explore trade for Roethlisberger

By Jason La Canfora | NFL.com

The Pittsburgh Steelers have had no dialogue with other teams about dealing embattled quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, but have had significant internal discussions about the matter, according to a source with knowledge of the situation.

According to the source, ownership remains dismayed and embarrassed by Roethlisberger's actions in a Georgia college town this offseason and find his string of other offseason incidents troubling. The team has been monitoring the public backlash against Roethlisberger closely.

Steelers news conference

Pittsburgh Steelers president Art Rooney, II will address the Ben Roethlisberger situation Thursday. NFL Network will air the news conference live at 2:30 p.m. ET. More ... "The Rooneys are livid," the source said.

A Georgia district attorney decided not to hand down sexual-assault criminal charges against Roethlisberger on Monday, but the Steelers, as well as the NFL, could impose their own discipline on him.

Roethlisberger met with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell on Wednesday.

Steelers President Art Rooney, II will meet with the media Thursday at 2:30 p.m. ET to discuss the Roethlisberger situation, but is not expected to make an announcement regarding and sort of suspension or Punishment for Roethlisberger.

Pittsburgh's front office has talked internally about possible trade scenarios that could be feasible and what makes sense for them moving forward, and, according to a source, if other teams called about Roethlisberger they would listen intently.

The Steelers could envision several trade scenarios but are skeptical about other teams taking on Roethlisberger, given his baggage. However, they also realize his contract is very tradeable in an uncapped year, with the bonuses already paid and Roethlisberger signed for six more years at a very manageable salary for a franchise quarterback ($8.05 million in 2010; $11.6 million per year from 2011-2014, and $12.1 million in 2015).

In particular, the Steelers are enamored with likely first-overall pick Sam Bradford. They view him as essentially a sure-thing franchise quarterback and have considered what it would take to move up to the first overall pick in a trade with the Rams, according to a source. They know executing such a move would be highly difficult and figure the Rams have limited interest in Roethlisberger.

Team officials are not worried about how Roethlisberger's return will impact the locker room or how teammates will handle it. The Rooneys' concern is born of the history and prestige of their franchise, the recent fan backlash and public perception about Roethlisberger and their belief that no player is bigger than the team.

However, the source noted that this is not "a Santonio Holmes situation," alluding to Pittsburgh dumping the talented but troubled receiver for a fifth-round pick over the weekend as he faced a four-game suspension for violating the league's substance abuse policy.

"This is not a case of having to get rid of this guy,'" the source said. "There would have to be fair value."

Roethlisberger, selected 11th overall in 2004, has performed at an elite level for the Steelers. He is among the winngest quarterbacks ever for his age and already possesses two Super Bowl rings. His size, improvisational skills, and ability to escape the rush and deliver the ball to all parts of the field make him among the very best in the league.

Should Roethlisberger have another off-field misstep, however, his Steelers career would likely be over, according to team and league sources. And, if a legitimate trade scenario materialized, that end could come much sooner.

Teams that are not committed long-term to a starting quarterback include: Buffalo, Cleveland, Oakland, St. Louis, San Francisco, Denver, Carolina, Seattle, Arizona. The Steelers refused to entertain dealing Holmes within the division and that would apply with Roethlisberger as well. A trade would likely have to involve a quarterback or put the Steelers in position to draft one they like (Pittsburgh is high on its young back-up, Dennis Dixon, however).

Finding the right deal is remote, they know, but not necessarily impossible.

 

[Lumi]

Terry Bradshaw says Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is ?embarrassing? the tea

Terry Bradshaw says Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is ?embarrassing? the tea

Terry Bradshaw says Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is ?embarrassing? the team and himself

The football legend says Roethlisberger?s off-field behavior has angered the team?s owners and merits at least a two-game suspension.
By Sam Farmer, Los Angeles Times



While acknowledging that their relationship has been strained for years, Terry Bradshaw continued this week to blast Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger for "embarrassing the city, the team and himself" with his off-field behavior.

Roethlisberger, a two-time Super Bowl winner, could face a suspension from the NFL and/or the Steelers even though a Georgia district attorney said this week the quarterback will not face criminal charges stemming from an accusation he sexually assaulted a 20-year-old college student.

"I would suspect that the commissioner will probably give him a suspension of two games," said Bradshaw, a Fox Sports analyst who won four Super Bowls as quarterback of the Steelers. "If I were the commissioner, I would probably give him a suspension of two games, maybe four. You've got to send a message to the rest of the league.

"These [players] have so much money and so much power, they feel invincible. They can do and get whatever they want in life, and they have serious poor judgment. I like what the district attorney said: ?My advice to Mr. Roethlisberger is: ?Grow up.' I think that pretty much sums it up."

Steelers President Art Rooney II will meet with reporters at 11:30 a.m. PDT to discuss the Roethlisberger situation.

This is the second time in less than two years that Roethlisberger has faced similar accusations. Last July, a woman filed a civil lawsuit against him in Nevada, alleging he sexually assaulted her in a Lake Tahoe hotel room in July 2008.

"I know the Rooney family well, and I promise you this: They are not happy about what's going on right now," Bradshaw said Wednesday, echoing what he has told several news outlets. "They're embarrassed, they're probably absolutely [irate]. This is Ben's second accusation in two years. ? Two in a row, that sends up some flags, man.

"I bet you anything that if they had a real hot prospect, knowing them, I wouldn't be surprised if they moved him. As great a player as Ben has been, they're a solid family. They don't put up with [actions] like that."

 

[AR182]

The more that I read about this situation the more it looks like Roethlisberger is a real scumbag.


Witness statements make bad situation worse for Roethlisberger

Posted by Mike Florio on April 15, 2010 7:42 PM ET

Now that the criminal investigation in Milledgeville, Georgia has ended, police have released 572 pages of records relating to the alleged events of the night of March 4 and the early morning of March 5.

The documents contain among other things the statements of the alleged victim and her friends. And it's not pretty, primarily since the documents paint the clearest picture yet of the behavior, legal or not, in which Roethlisberger was engaged on the evening in question.

From The Smoking Gun, here's the relevant portion of the alleged victim's detailed statement, which was given the morning after the alleged incident:

"Ben asked us to go to his 'VIP' area. . . . We all went with him. He said there were shots for us, numerous shots were on the bar, and he told us to take them. His bodyguard came and took my arm and said come with me, he escorted me into a side door/hallway, and sat me on a stool. He left and Ben came back with his penis out of his pants. I told him it wasn't OK, no, we don't need to do this and I proceeded to get up and try to leave. I went to the first door I saw, which happened to be a bathroom. He followed me into the bathroom and shut the door behind him. I still said no, this is not OK, and he then had sex with me. He said it was OK. He then left without saying anything. I went out of the hallway/door to the side where I saw my friends. We left [the club] and went to the first police car we saw."

As it turns out, the alleged victim gave two handwritten statements. The statement given after the passage of time is neat and legible. The earlier one is hard to read, since it was written while the alleged victim was still intoxicated. Here's part of what it said:

"His bodyguards took him back to the rooms w/bathroom and I said, 'I don't know if this is a good idea' and he said 'it's OK.' He has sex w/me and meanwhile his bodyguards told me friends they couldn't pass them to get to me. My friends found me & talked to a Milledgeville policeman and he said to report it."

During his Monday press conference, district attorney Fred Bright mentioned the sketchy initial statement followed by the more detailed second statement. He also pointed out that, at the hospital, the alleged victim said, "A boy kind of raped me." Moreover, the officer who received the initial complaint wrote that the alleged victim's recollection was "foggy from to [sic] her intoxication level."

The inconsistencies in her statements and her intoxication create fertile ground for "reasonable doubt." Though this gives rise to an unfortunate reality that women who are intoxicated will have difficulty obtaining justice if raped, the fact remains that our legal system employs a high standard of proof in order to ensure that innocent men are not wrongfully imprisoned (notwithstanding all of the supposedly innocent men who already are in prison).

Meanwhile, we detected a strong degree of consistency and credibility regarding the statements from the alleged victim's friends, who nevertheless could contribute only circumstantial evidence to the investigation, since no one saw the exchange between Roethlisberger and the alleged victim. For example, Ann Marie Lubatti said that she saw Roethlisberger's bodyguards guide the alleged victim to a side door, and that two minutes later she saw Roethlisberger walk back there. "I immediately went up to the other bodyguard and said, 'this isn't right,'" Lubatti said in her statement. "'My friend is back there with Ben. She needs to come back right now.' The bodyguard wouldn't look at me, he just said, 'I don't know what you are talking about.'"

Lubatti wrote that she saw Nicole Biancofiore approach the manager of the nightclub, and that Biancofiore told him to unlock the door to the hallway. The manager said, "Ben's an NFL quarterback, he won't do anything to ruin his reputation."

Lubatti also corroborates the allegation from the alleged victim's legible statement regarding Roethlisbergers "penis already out of his pants."

Nicole Biancofiore's statement corroborates much of Lubatti's, but does not mention the remark about Roethlisberger exposing himself upon entering the room.

So while Bright concluded that he could not obtain a conviction (he said Monday at his press conference that he didn't believe there was even probable cause to arrest), Bright echoed on Monday the opinions of many regarding the evening in question.

"It is unclear, it is foggy, what exactly happened in that bathroom," Bright said, "but if I was there coaching him I'd say, 'Ben, you don't need to do this. You don't need to put yourself in a position where you're alone in this dingy bathroom with you and this girl. That's foolish. Grow up. You need to be a role model. You need to be a role model for your team, your city, the NFL. You can do better.' And I hope he's learned something from this. I really do."

It's unclear whether he has. After the Commissioner and/or the Rooneys impose their discipline, it's far more likely that he will.

 

[hedgehog]

He got rid of the mullet.
Just getting a haircut doesn't mean you are no longer a pervert.

:142smilie he needs to have a conversation with Tiger

 

[hedgehog]

The more that I read about this situation the more it looks like Roethlisberger is a real scumbag.


Witness statements make bad situation worse for Roethlisberger

Posted by Mike Florio on April 15, 2010 7:42 PM ET

Now that the criminal investigation in Milledgeville, Georgia has ended, police have released 572 pages of records relating to the alleged events of the night of March 4 and the early morning of March 5.

The documents contain among other things the statements of the alleged victim and her friends. And it's not pretty, primarily since the documents paint the clearest picture yet of the behavior, legal or not, in which Roethlisberger was engaged on the evening in question.

From The Smoking Gun, here's the relevant portion of the alleged victim's detailed statement, which was given the morning after the alleged incident:

"Ben asked us to go to his 'VIP' area. . . . We all went with him. He said there were shots for us, numerous shots were on the bar, and he told us to take them. His bodyguard came and took my arm and said come with me, he escorted me into a side door/hallway, and sat me on a stool. He left and Ben came back with his penis out of his pants. I told him it wasn't OK, no, we don't need to do this and I proceeded to get up and try to leave. I went to the first door I saw, which happened to be a bathroom. He followed me into the bathroom and shut the door behind him. I still said no, this is not OK, and he then had sex with me. He said it was OK. He then left without saying anything. I went out of the hallway/door to the side where I saw my friends. We left [the club] and went to the first police car we saw."

As it turns out, the alleged victim gave two handwritten statements. The statement given after the passage of time is neat and legible. The earlier one is hard to read, since it was written while the alleged victim was still intoxicated. Here's part of what it said:

"His bodyguards took him back to the rooms w/bathroom and I said, 'I don't know if this is a good idea' and he said 'it's OK.' He has sex w/me and meanwhile his bodyguards told me friends they couldn't pass them to get to me. My friends found me & talked to a Milledgeville policeman and he said to report it."

During his Monday press conference, district attorney Fred Bright mentioned the sketchy initial statement followed by the more detailed second statement. He also pointed out that, at the hospital, the alleged victim said, "A boy kind of raped me." Moreover, the officer who received the initial complaint wrote that the alleged victim's recollection was "foggy from to [sic] her intoxication level."

The inconsistencies in her statements and her intoxication create fertile ground for "reasonable doubt." Though this gives rise to an unfortunate reality that women who are intoxicated will have difficulty obtaining justice if raped, the fact remains that our legal system employs a high standard of proof in order to ensure that innocent men are not wrongfully imprisoned (notwithstanding all of the supposedly innocent men who already are in prison).

Meanwhile, we detected a strong degree of consistency and credibility regarding the statements from the alleged victim's friends, who nevertheless could contribute only circumstantial evidence to the investigation, since no one saw the exchange between Roethlisberger and the alleged victim. For example, Ann Marie Lubatti said that she saw Roethlisberger's bodyguards guide the alleged victim to a side door, and that two minutes later she saw Roethlisberger walk back there. "I immediately went up to the other bodyguard and said, 'this isn't right,'" Lubatti said in her statement. "'My friend is back there with Ben. She needs to come back right now.' The bodyguard wouldn't look at me, he just said, 'I don't know what you are talking about.'"

Lubatti wrote that she saw Nicole Biancofiore approach the manager of the nightclub, and that Biancofiore told him to unlock the door to the hallway. The manager said, "Ben's an NFL quarterback, he won't do anything to ruin his reputation."

Lubatti also corroborates the allegation from the alleged victim's legible statement regarding Roethlisbergers "penis already out of his pants."

Nicole Biancofiore's statement corroborates much of Lubatti's, but does not mention the remark about Roethlisberger exposing himself upon entering the room.

So while Bright concluded that he could not obtain a conviction (he said Monday at his press conference that he didn't believe there was even probable cause to arrest), Bright echoed on Monday the opinions of many regarding the evening in question.

"It is unclear, it is foggy, what exactly happened in that bathroom," Bright said, "but if I was there coaching him I'd say, 'Ben, you don't need to do this. You don't need to put yourself in a position where you're alone in this dingy bathroom with you and this girl. That's foolish. Grow up. You need to be a role model. You need to be a role model for your team, your city, the NFL. You can do better.' And I hope he's learned something from this. I really do."

It's unclear whether he has. After the Commissioner and/or the Rooneys impose their discipline, it's far more likely that he will.

wow, after reading this he is a piece of shit, no respect for this guy at all. If thats not rape nothing is.

 

[STEEL CITY SELECTIONS]

EVERYONE THAT I HAVE TALKED TO HERE THAT HAS HAD SOME TYPE OF INTERACTION WITH HIM. WAITERS.BARTENDERS.BAR OWNERS.MY DAUGHTER AND HER FRIENDS.
EVERYONE HAS SAID THE SAME THING. THAT HE IS A DICK. HE DOESNT TIP AT ALL,VERY RUDE AND HE DOESNT PAY HIS BAR TAB. HIS REASONING TO ONE BAR OWNER I KNOW WAS THAT HE BIG BEN WAS THE ATTRACTION AND HE DIDNT NEED TO PAY HIS TAB.
MY DAUGHTER AND HER FRIENDS HAVE BEEN AT SOME BARS THAT HE HAS BEEN AND THEY PAINT THE SAME PICTURE LIKE WE SAW IN GEORGIA. HE BUYS SHOTS AND HANDPICKS WHO THE "LIUCKY GIRLS" ARE THAT CAN HANG OUT WITH HIM. THANKFULLY THEYVE NEVER TALKED WITH HIM BUT HAVE HEARD SIMILAR STORIES FROM PEOPLE AT LOCAL BAR SCENE.

I TRULY HOPE THE ROONEYS TAKE A STAND FOR WHAT IS RIGHT FOR THE TEAM AND THE CITY AND TRADE THIS FUKING SCUMBAG.DONT CARE WHAT THEY GET IN RETURN.
I BLEED BLACK AND GOLD LIKE EVERYONE HERE BUT DONT CARE ABOUT WOINS/LOSSSES AND DONT WANT TO ROOT FOR THIS DIKHEAD ANYMORE. THINK THATS THE MAJORITY OF THE SENTIMENT HERE.

 

[LDB]

He got rid of the mullet.
Just getting a haircut doesn't mean you are no longer a pervert.

:mj07:

very true

 

[hedgehog]

EVERYONE THAT I HAVE TALKED TO HERE THAT HAS HAD SOME TYPE OF INTERACTION WITH HIM. WAITERS.BARTENDERS.BAR OWNERS.MY DAUGHTER AND HER FRIENDS.
EVERYONE HAS SAID THE SAME THING. THAT HE IS A DICK. HE DOESNT TIP AT ALL,VERY RUDE AND HE DOESNT PAY HIS BAR TAB. HIS REASONING TO ONE BAR OWNER I KNOW WAS THAT HE BIG BEN WAS THE ATTRACTION AND HE DIDNT NEED TO PAY HIS TAB.
MY DAUGHTER AND HER FRIENDS HAVE BEEN AT SOME BARS THAT HE HAS BEEN AND THEY PAINT THE SAME PICTURE LIKE WE SAW IN GEORGIA. HE BUYS SHOTS AND HANDPICKS WHO THE "LIUCKY GIRLS" ARE THAT CAN HANG OUT WITH HIM. THANKFULLY THEYVE NEVER TALKED WITH HIM BUT HAVE HEARD SIMILAR STORIES FROM PEOPLE AT LOCAL BAR SCENE.

I TRULY HOPE THE ROONEYS TAKE A STAND FOR WHAT IS RIGHT FOR THE TEAM AND THE CITY AND TRADE THIS FUKING SCUMBAG.DONT CARE WHAT THEY GET IN RETURN.
I BLEED BLACK AND GOLD LIKE EVERYONE HERE BUT DONT CARE ABOUT WOINS/LOSSSES AND DONT WANT TO ROOT FOR THIS DIKHEAD ANYMORE. THINK THATS THE MAJORITY OF THE SENTIMENT HERE.

I wonder if the Rams would trade for him for the first pick in the draft:shrug:

 

[LDB]

EVERYONE THAT I HAVE TALKED TO HERE THAT HAS HAD SOME TYPE OF INTERACTION WITH HIM. WAITERS.BARTENDERS.BAR OWNERS.MY DAUGHTER AND HER FRIENDS.
EVERYONE HAS SAID THE SAME THING. THAT HE IS A DICK. HE DOESNT TIP AT ALL,VERY RUDE AND HE DOESNT PAY HIS BAR TAB. HIS REASONING TO ONE BAR OWNER I KNOW WAS THAT HE BIG BEN WAS THE ATTRACTION AND HE DIDNT NEED TO PAY HIS TAB.
MY DAUGHTER AND HER FRIENDS HAVE BEEN AT SOME BARS THAT HE HAS BEEN AND THEY PAINT THE SAME PICTURE LIKE WE SAW IN GEORGIA. HE BUYS SHOTS AND HANDPICKS WHO THE "LIUCKY GIRLS" ARE THAT CAN HANG OUT WITH HIM. THANKFULLY THEYVE NEVER TALKED WITH HIM BUT HAVE HEARD SIMILAR STORIES FROM PEOPLE AT LOCAL BAR SCENE.

I TRULY HOPE THE ROONEYS TAKE A STAND FOR WHAT IS RIGHT FOR THE TEAM AND THE CITY AND TRADE THIS FUKING SCUMBAG.DONT CARE WHAT THEY GET IN RETURN.
I BLEED BLACK AND GOLD LIKE EVERYONE HERE BUT DONT CARE ABOUT WOINS/LOSSSES AND DONT WANT TO ROOT FOR THIS DIKHEAD ANYMORE. THINK THATS THE MAJORITY OF THE SENTIMENT HERE.

well said steel..

 

[kegray1]

I wonder if the Rams would trade for him for the first pick in the draft:shrug:

First pick in the 4th round of the draft maybe.
Bad character guys are not going for anything higher. Right now his character is worse than all of them, He is approaching Pacman level.

 

[tt boy]

April 14, 2010
Source Credits - Comic Bill Crawford
Topic Tags - Pittsburgh Steelers,
---

DEAR BEN,

Here's a tip, when giving your SECOND public statement surrounding a sexual assault case against you, try not to look like a rapist. I know its difficult for you and that you have come a long way from the Phat Farm dress shirts and Penny Hardaway high-tops look you had going when you first entered the league (I am willing to believe that the devil tee-shirt was borrowed), but couldn't you have at least shaved? Put on a three-piece suit? Not had a ridiculously greased back Rick Flair mullet? I was so nervous you were going to end your apology by screaming "WOOOOOOO!" that I almost didn't notice your total lack of sincerity. I've seen more heart felt apologies on Sober House II. Next time you allegedly assault a chick in a bathroom somewhere, you might as well let Dog the Bounty Hunter make your statement for you. The way your look is going, people may not even realize that a swap has been made. Just have him read it in the first person and tell him to think about dropping n-bombs to get him emotional.
All Bounty Hunting aside, I think we both know that there is only one way to make sure there isn't a next time Ben: STOP ACTING LIKE A JAGOFF!


Seriously dude, you have a 100 million dollar potential net worth, you are the face of the most storied franchise in football, and you live in a city where people literally rely on the Steelers for hope and happiness in their lives. No one is saying you can't have fun, but do you really need to be in a dirt bag college bar in some po-dunk town in Georgia getting blowies in a urine-puddled restroom? Your judgment is extremely questionable at best, and its time to take a look in that fogged up bathroom mirror that has confederate flag stickers and nazi quotes written all over it. You may not be guilty of rape, but you have to be responsible for the situations you put yourself in. You need to realize that your legacy and our collective future cannot afford to be put in some jager-bombed 20 year old's hands. So please STOP ACTING LIKE A JAGOFF!

20 year olds Ben? Really? I cant stand to be around drunk 20 year old chicks and I have a net worth of $153.00; they are annoying, stupid and can't be trusted. You need to adjust your scope and start sniping cougars.
An older woman will let you do the dirtiest things you can think of and ADD some crap you haven?t even thought of yet; then go over the playbook with you and give you a ride to practice the next morning. A cougar knows what's up and she is down to get filthy. You need a wily old vet who's battle-tested , not a skittish rookie who's never seen a regular season snap. 20 year olds got you into this mess Ben; cougars can get you out of it. But if you do decide to continue with the club hopping, for the love of Rod (woodson) STOP ACTING LIKE A JAGOFF!


The thing you don't seem to be getting Ben is that this isn't just about YOU anymore, it?s about US. When you put on that jersey like it or not, you become a part of this family, you become part of our history, you represent a nation that spans the globe. Its goes beyond sports with this team. If you treat it with respect and honor and play your hardest, you will always be a celebrity in this town. We will eat at your restaurant even if the food is terrible, we will buy your book even if its poorly written and we will donate to your charity even if it?s not our cause. (Hell, if you make a miraculous play we will put your statue next to the Father of our nation in the Airport). But you better be humble and appreciate the privilege of playing for this organization and representing this city. People here don't expect anyone to be perfect, but they do expect someone to fully appreciate the opportunities they are given. When they feel like someone is ungrateful at every turn and acting like they are above the family code, people get pissed off. You are not above this family Ben. Redd up your act and STOP ACTING LIKE A JAGOFF!!

With love,

Steeler Nation