Four members of WSU football players facing potential felony charges
Whitman County Prosecutor Denis Tracy said the process of deciding whether or not to prosecute the four members of the Washington State University football team facing felony charges could take several months, meaning the players – some of whom are key contributors to the team – could play out the entire season before learning their fates.
Tracy said Tuesday a process has to be followed in every case after police forward charges. The process begins with the prosecutor’s office reviewing the charges and determining whether the case can proved beyond a reasonable doubt.
And that takes time.
“In some cases people are arrested by police for probable cause, but there’s not enough to prove beyond a reasonable doubt,” Tracy said. “When I look at the file I charge the case if I can prove it beyond a reasonable doubt, which is a higher burden of proof than probable cause.”
Three weeks into the football season and with Pac-12 play set to begin next weekend in Pullman, the Cougs have nine conference games remaining until their season closes on Nov. 25 in Pullman against rival University of Washington. Three of the four players facing charges took the field against the University of Idaho on Saturday in Pullman. One player has only practiced with the team and has yet to play.
Via the Moscow-Pullman Daily News