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Florida State RB Dalvin Cook found not guilty of misdemeanor assault

graham watson
FILE - In this Saturday, Dec. 6, 2014 file photo, Florida State's Dalvin Cook (4) runs against Georgia Tech during the second half of the Atlantic Coast Conference championship NCAA college football game in Charlotte, N.C. Florida State is suspending running back Dalvin Cook indefinitely after a woman accused him of punching her outside a downtown bar. The school announced the decision Friday, July 10, 2015 after the state attorney issued a warrant for Cook's arrest on a misdemeanor battery charge. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton, File

Florida State running back Dalvin Cook was found not guilty Monday of misdemeanor battery.

The trial lasted more than 10 hours on Monday, but it took the jury less than 30 minutes to return its verdict.

Cook was accused of punching a 21-year-old woman outside of a Tallahassee bar on June 23. He turned himself into police on July 10 and had been suspended from team activities ever since. 

Throughout the trial, Cook’s defense was that he never struck the accuser and that position was reiterated by teammates Travis Rudolph, Deondre Francois, Nyqwan Murray and Da'Vante Phillips, who all were called to testify. Murray, Rudolph and Phillips testified the accuser was belligerent and that she actually struck Rudolph during the incident.

The defense also called Grant Jenkins, a finance major at FSU, who was at the bar independently of the Florida State football players. He said he saw the altercation as he was walking back to his car and said he never saw Cook strike the accuser. He did confirm seeing the accuser strike Randolph.

Cook’s attorneys requested and received a speedy trial because they felt confident their evidence and witnesses would exonerate Cook.

A few hours after the verdict was rendered, Florida State announced that it lifted Cook's suspension, effectively immediately.

Cook rushed for 1,008 yards and eight touchdowns as a true freshman in 2014.

For more Florida State news, visit Warchant.com.

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