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DA: Steelers' Roethlisberger won't face any criminal charges

NFL.com Wire Reports
Authorities announced Monday that they will not charge Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger after a college student accused him of sexually assaulting her at a nightclub last month.

Ocmulgee (Ga.) Circuit District Attorney Fred Bright said the 20-year-old student's accusations could not be proven beyond a reasonable doubt, and her lawyer said in a letter that she did not want to press charges.

Roethlisberger could still be punished
Despite the DA's decision not to hand down sexual-assault charges against Ben Roethlisberger, the quarterback might not escape punishment, writes Steve Wyche. More ...
"Therefore there will be no arrests made nor criminal prosecution against Mr. Roethlisberger," Bright said.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has mentioned several times that he will be meeting with Roethlisberger regardless of whether or not charges were filed, and league sources have told NFL Network insider Jason La Canfora the meeting is likely to take place later this week.

Roethlisberger could still face discipline from the league or the Steelers.

The woman told an officer Roethlisberger sexually assaulted her early in the morning of March 5 in a small bathroom at the Capital City night club, where he was drinking with friends shortly after his 28th birthday.

Bright said the investigation showed the woman was also drinking that night. She and her sorority sisters had met Roethlisberger at a different bar earlier in the night, and he invited them into a VIP area at the Capital City club and ordered them shots. When the woman walked down a hallway to a small bathroom, Roethlisberger followed her.

What happened next is unclear, Bright said. A doctor who examined the woman could not say for sure if she was raped, and while some DNA was found, it was not enough to make testing feasible.

"We are not condoning Mr. Roethlisberger's actions that night," Bright said. "But we do not prosecute morals. We prosecute crimes."

He added: "I know when I have a case and I know when I don't. And I do not have enough evidence to convince 12 jurors beyond a reasonable doubt that Mr. Roethlisberger was guilty of rape."

Roethlisberger was seen out with a few friends at several different bars that night. The Capital City club is a popular spot for students at the neighboring Georgia College & State University. Roethlisberger owns a home about 30 miles north on Lake Oconee, in central Georgia.

The two-time Super Bowl champ is being sued by a different woman who says he raped her in 2008 at a Lake Tahoe hotel and casino, an allegation he denies. Roethlisberger has not been criminally charged in that case either and has claimed counter-damages in the lawsuit.

Roethlisberger has not taken part in recent offseason workouts with the Steelers, but is expected to join his teammates in Pittsburgh in the near future, reports Steve Wyche.

As Pittsburgh's first-round draft pick out of Miami of Ohio in 2004, Roethlisberger led the Steelers to victories in Super Bowl XL and XLIII. He frequently has donated time and money to charities, and his charitable foundation awards a police dog to a department near every Steelers road opponent.

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.

Early in his career, he was photographed -- obviously after drinking -- wearing a T-shirt reading "Drink Like a Champion."