It took less than two hours for the jury to reach a verdict in the sexual assault trial against SMU student Donald Cuba: not guilty.
The courtroom erupted in applause and cheers. Several students broke down in tears. The defendant's parents also cried.
Defense attorney Robert Udashen was pleased with the verdict. "We think it's the right decision," he said.
The victory celebration spilled out into the hallway, as the defendant high-fived and hugged his fraternity brothers. "I feel good, fantastic," he said. "The whole time the hardest part was to have faith in the system. My lawyers presented a great case."
Cuba, 21, was accused of raping a fellow SMU student (referred to as Jan Doe) on February 10, 2012. In her testimony on May 20, Doe said that Cuba forced her down onto a dorm bed and penetrated her against her will.
During two days of testimony, about a dozen SMU students took the stand and recounted their memories of a drunken night in a freshman dorm. Many of the students who testified were affiliated with Cuba’s fraternity, Lambda Chi Alpha.
Several students testified that they saw Doe in compromising situations with a student named Paul Eager on the night in question. No one witnessed anything more than flirting between Doe and Cuba.
After the verdict, Donald Cuba's father, Sam, said they are going to be filing "quite a few" civil suits. "The word 'confidential' will not be in any settlement," Sam said. "It's all going to come out."
Donald Cuba sits with his attorneys after the not guilty verdict was delivered in his sexual assault trial.
