State attorney Willie Meggs doesn't believe Florida State officials intentionally broke any laws when they tried to broker a deal to settle accusations of a sexual battery involving two student athletes.
But in a letter to school president T.K. Wetherell, he made it clear there was a more prudent way to handle the situation. "In the future, to avoid any appearance of impropriety, I would suggest that any felony that comes to the attention of the school administration be referred to the appropriate law enforcement agency for investigation," Meggs wrote Tuesday.
Wetherell concedes as much: "Obviously, we never intended to violate laws and he realized that."
A female student athlete repeatedly told school officials she didn't want to go to police and "ruin" football player Travis Johnson, with whom she had had consensual sex on several occasions before the alleged attack of Feb. 6. The accuser simply wanted Johnson to leave school.
On Feb. 27, FSU vice president of student affairs Mary Coburn drafted the terms of an agreement, but neither the woman nor Johnson signed it. Johnson was subsequently arrested and charged with a second-degree felony.
After a six-woman jury acquitted Johnson in 25 minutes on Aug. 14, assistant state attorney Adam Ruiz said FSU's involvement was "outrageous" and "bizarre" at best.
In the face of some ambiguous school policies the situation exposed, Wetherell has ordered a task force to examine and perhaps clarify them.
HEAT SUBSIDES: Though temperatures remained close to 90, the heat didn't disrupt practice. The team practiced in shorts and used ample water breaks to combat the temperatures a day after conditioning drills were cut short.
Running back Leon Washington returned after bruising his thigh during a scrimmage Friday.
- BRIAN LANDMAN, ZACHARY SPAIN
No Midgett, yet
GAINESVILLE - While the announcement on who will be Florida's starting quarterback is still pending, it appears freshman Justin Midgett is not among the finalists - at least for now.
Midgett has been running the scout team this week and coach Ron Zook said that makes it unlikely he will play in the opener against San Jose State on Saturday.
"Justin was running scout team, but he is a heck of a prospect," Zook said. "He has done some exceptional things, but it is safe to say that at this time he doesn't have command of the offense as well as maybe some of these other guys do."
Meanwhile, the players said they'll be prepared regardless of who starts, but many are still curious.
"I have no clue," defensive end Darrell Lee said when asked who the starter will be. "I've been trying to ask the same thing myself for the last two weeks."
ROOKIE MOVES: Expect to see multiple freshmen on the field at various times Saturday.
Although Zook declined to name the freshmen, several are expected to play on special teams, including receiver Andre Caldwell of Tampa, who is listed as the top kick returner on the depth chart.
HARRIS RETURNS: Defensive end Steven Harris, suspended after his April arrest on felony battery chargers, returned to practice. He is awaiting a Sept. 8 trial date.
- ANTONYA ENGLISH
USF prepares for heat
TAMPA - It is expected to be about 90 degrees at 2 p.m. CDT Saturday in Birmingham, when the South Florida-Alabama game kicks off. USF's practice was a near mirror-image of those conditions.
When the Bulls began at 3 it was 89 degrees. The shoulder pads-and-shorts workout stretched nearly the length of an actual game, 21/2 hours.
Coach Jim Leavitt said he was unsure if USF would bring any special cooling devices to help cope with the heat. "We'll have some water, I know that," he said.
NEW GUYS: Guard Mark Sopcik of Land O'Lakes, who quit the team before spring practice due to nagging injuries, has rejoined the Bulls. He has two years of eligibility remaining and could be worked at tight end. Jeremy Burnett, a defensive back from Jefferson who was recruited by USF out of high school, has transferred from Purdue. After sitting out this season Burnett will have three years of eligibility.
