FSU Running Back Dalvin Cook Found Not Guilty of Battery – blogged by @LoveRubyWoo

After a short trial, which lasted just one day, Florida State’s star running back Dalvin Cook has been found not guilty of misdemeanor battery. The seven-person jury was quick to decide that there was not enough consistent evidence in the case to convict the FSU sophomore of punching 21-year-old Madison Geohegan in the face.

The incident happened back in June outside of a bar in Tallahassee. Geohegan had gotten in an argument with a group of Cook’s friends, and she claimed that things quickly escalated and Cook hit her in the face several times. Cook, on the other hand, maintained that he was just trying to keep the peace between his group of friends and hers and that he never touched her.

During the trial, the jury heard testimonies from both parties that were involved in the altercation. Cook’s teammates, the victim Madison Geohegan, and her friend Keara Lubeskie were all called to the stand to testify. The defense also called on a FSU grad student who said he witnessed the events of that night to give his testimony. Geohegan said that during the argument, which began because some of the players were trying to hit on her and she turned them down, Cook yelled, “We can buy you in two years! Google me!” When she talked back and said, “Everyone’s on Google”, he got angry and began to hit her. Lubeskie backed up her friend’s story. On the other hand, Cook’s teammates argued that their friend was not involved in the altercation and was just trying to diffuse the situation. The grad student who was a witness on the scene also confirmed that he did not see any of the players hit Geohegan that night. That, combined with a Tallahassee police officer’s testimony that the victim’s bruises weren’t consistent with being hit in the face by a guy that was Cook’s size, most likely sealed the deal for the jury.

“I’m just thankful and blessed the truth came out,” Cook said after the verdict was announced. “I know I didn’t commit no crime or do no wrong. I knew what I was doing that night, and I was making peace.”

Cook had been suspended indefinitely by the FSU football team when he first got hit with the battery charges.  As a result of the not guilty verdict, he has now been reinstated and can start practicing with the team again as early as today. He will be back just in time to play in the season opener against Texas State on September 5.