Prosecutors dropped sexual assault charges against starting cornerback Eric Wright Wednesday, citing insufficient evidence in the case, according to the district attorney's office.
Wright was arrested March 26 after a female student accused the player of sexually assaulting her in his apartment in Cardinal Gardens. He was released on $100,000 bail.
Even though the criminal charges were dropped, Wright might still face repercussions from the university for the alleged sexual assault, Vice President of Student Affairs Michael L. Jackson said in a statement.
"USC's Office of Judicial Affairs and Community Standards is conducting an investigation into allegations made against the student Eric Wright," Jackson said in the statement. "This is a confidential process and the standard of proof is different from the criminal courts. If what is alleged to have taken place occurred and is proven according to USC's standard, Mr. Wright faces serious consequences for his actions."
Wright's lawyer said Wright is eager to resume life as normal.
"I think that Eric regrets that the whole situation occurred," said Carmen Trutanich, Wright's lawyer. "But he's not bitter at the situation. He understands that that was the process that he had to go through.
"He looks forward to resuming his education and playing football," Trutanich said.
In a charge evaluation worksheet, Deputy District Attorney Christi Frey wrote the victim said she met Wright at a party, where she was given a blue pill Wright said was Ecstasy.
The victim's urine tested positive for Ecstasy and police found 136 pills in Wright's apartment that matched the victim's description. The pills found also tested positive for Ecstasy, Frey wrote.
The document states there was not enough evidence to file sexual assault charges, but the case was referred to the district attorney's office for the possibility of charging Wright with possessing Ecstasy and giving it to the victim.
But according to an official from the district attorney's office, the Ecstasy charges will not be pursued because a witness declined to testify.
"We could not file charges on the Ecstasy because the material witness refused to testify," said Jane Robison, the news secretary at the district attorney's office.
Patricia Wilkinson, the deputy district attorney handling the Ecstasy charges, wrote in a separate charge evaluation worksheet the office could not prove that the drugs belonged to Wright without the testimony even though the pills were found in Wright's apartment, which he shares with one roommate.
USC coach Pete Carroll said Wright would remain suspended from the football team pending the investigation by the university.
"It appears that half of the process involving Eric Wright has been reached to the point where there were no criminal charges filed. Next is USC's student affairs process," Carroll said in a statement.
"In the meantime, Eric remains suspended from the football team. And we will continue to cooperate fully in whatever way is required," Carroll said. "As I've said before, anything like this that casts our program in a bad light is always very disappointing to me."
This is the second time this academic year that a player on the USC football team has faced accusations of sexual assault.
Running back Hershel Dennis was suspended on Aug. 17 last year after Los Angeles Police Department conducted an investigation regarding allegations of sexual assault during training camp in the Cardinal Gardens apartment complex.
In that case, Dennis was not charged by the district attorney's office and his suspension from the team was lifted in September.
