Bernie Fine Won't Face State Charges; Statue of Limitations has Passed

Onondaga County district attorney William Fitzpatrick believes that Bernie Fine's accusers are credible, but cannot bring state charges against the former Syracuse basketball assistant because the statue of limitations has passed.

Two Syracuse-area men have accused Fine of sexually molesting them when they were children, but Fine will not face any charges. Fitzpatrick says he has no way of prosecuting Fine on the allegations provided to him, but said that it was possible that a U.S. District attorney could pursue a different set of charges.

Last week, federal officials raided Fine's home and confiscated a host of goods, including nine cellphones, three iPads, two laptop computers, and multiple cameras and VHS tapes. Federal officials could conceivably charge Fine with a host of charges if anything is found on the different electronics, but Fine's two long-time accusers won't see resolution.

Bobby Davis, the first accuser to come forward, went to Syracuse police in 2002, but the authorities never went forward with an in-depth investigation. Davis claimed that Fine molested him over a 10-year period -- beginning when he was a Syracuse ballboy -- but Fine was allowed to continue to coach at Syracuse.

Fine has called all of the charges patently false, but was fired from his position at Syracuse for his involvement in the scandal. The firing came after a tape recording of Davis and Fine's wife, Laurie, was released by ESPN.

Within the tape, Laurie Fine reveals that she not only knew about the sexual abuse her husband, had subjected Davis to, but had done nothing about it.

I know everything that went on, you know, Laurie Fine told him. I know everything that went on with him.