Editor’s note: This article contains accounts of sexual assault.
Former University of Wisconsin wide receiver Quintez Cephus was found not guilty of two sex crimes Friday afternoon.
Friday morning, Cephus testified at the trial.
Cephus faced charges of 2nd degree sexual assault of an intoxicated victim and 3rd degree sexual assault, both felonies. Jury selection took place Monday, with the actual trial beginning Tuesday and continuing through Friday.
Both alleged victims testified earlier this week and said they did not consent to having sex with Cephus on the night of April 21, 2018 until the early morning hours of April 22, 2018. Both women had been drinking alcohol that night, but Cephus had not had any.
Victim 1 remembers parts of the night, while Victim 2 only remembers a few brief “snapshots” from the evening. Victim 2 did not remember having a sexual encounter with Cephus, but Victim 1 told her about the alleged assault the next morning.
During his testimony, Cephus said he engaged in a “consensual threesome” with the two alleged victims. He also testified that the victims did not consent to having their photo taken by Danny Davis, who testified yesterday, but they did consent to having sex.
Cephus also testified that while at the apartment, the alleged victims did not stop him from “rubbing and fingering” them, which he believes is considered consent.
Former Cephus teammate, roommate Danny Davis testifies at former player’s sexual assault trial
During closing arguments, prosecutor William Brown urged the jury to find Cephus guilty on both counts.
“This is how sexual assault happens. It happens in private. It happens with someone who has more power, someone who has more control,” Brown said.
Defense attorneys Kathleen Stilling and Stephen Meyer split their time for closing arguments. Stilling argued that investigators “let the girls take control” of the investigation.
Meyer argued that the investigation was biased from the beginning.
“You do not get to use racial stereotypes to meet your burden of proof,” Meyer said.
The jury deliberated for approximately an hour before a verdict was reached.
