The case against former University of Florida resident assistant and teaching assistant Ian Milaski remains at a standstill as of Monday, June 15.
The 21-year-old Cape Coral native was charged with kidnapping, burglary and attempted sexual battery after an incident in a University of Florida residence hall last August. However, the process has yet to move past a series of postponed case managements and requests for continuance.
The victim stated that she helped an intoxicated Milaski back to his dorm where he made unwanted sexual advances toward her and physically restrained her. According to the police report, the victim was able to remove herself from the room, but Milaski later entered the victim’s dorm room.
He has pled not guilty to the charges and his attorney stated it was a “misunderstanding among platonic friends fueled by alcohol.”
Milaski was arrested on Aug. 29, 2019, and was held in custody at the Alachua County Jail with a bail set at $125,000. He remained there until his request to change the status of his bond to nonmonetary was approved, and he relocated to his parents’ home in Cape Coral under GPS surveillance.
The approval from Alachua County Circuit Judge Mark Mosely was attributed to Milaski’s “squeaky-clean” record, reputation as a high-achieving student, and a lack of any evidence to suggest he might be a flight risk.
The defense argued that Milaski’s ambitions to attend law school would be jeopardized by a criminal record and stressed his full cooperation in legal proceedings as well as his eagerness to appear in court and vindicate himself.
The June 15 case management hearing comes after a series of rescheduled appointments and reassignments dating back to early September. Milaski was charged with battery and released under the bond reduction approved by Judge Moseley, who recused himself from the case when the additional charges were filed.
Milaski was re-arrested under the additional charges on Sep. 26. The case was then reassigned to Judge William Davis.
The first case management occurred on Nov. 14 where Milaski’s attorney, Bennett Hudson, requested a continuance as the defense was in the process of scheduling depositions. Case management dates of Jan. 13, March 16 and May 18 were set and subsequently pushed back, citing additional time needed to gather student witnesses and other evidence.
The court noted complications from the COVID-19 pandemic with Mr. Hudson appearing over video call at the most recent case management. Judge Davis has allowed for future depositions to occur remotely, but the details of this new process remain unknown.
As of now, Milaski still resides under GPS surveillance in Cape Coral. The tentative date of Aug. 3 was set for his case management. Judge Davis will review the discovery process as well as plea deals by both counsels. This hearing must be completed before the case can move forward.
Note: All information in this article regarding the legal proceedings against Milaski were obtained from the Alachua County Clerk of Circuit Court’s records website.
This is a developing story.
Featured image: The Alachua County Courthouse, where Milaski’s court proceedings will take place. (Unmodified photo by Michael Rivera used under a Creative Commons license https://bit.ly/2NONDWY)
