Oct 24, 2014 11:49 AM EDT By Russell Westerholm, UniversityHerald Reporter

Florida State University (FSU) has selected Major Harding, a retired State Supreme Court chief justice, to preside over Jameis Winston's disciplinary hearing.

An unnamed source confirmed the selection to ESPN on Thursday, as FSU was considering three former State Supreme Court justices for the task. Both Winston and the former female student who accused him of sexually assaulting her were able to strike one of the choices.

FSU wanted an outside official to hear the case to ensure its integrity. WCTV was first to report Harding's selection. The 79-year-old Wake Forest and Virginia Law School alum confirmed his appointment to the station.

There is still no date set for the hearing, which FSU notified Winston of earlier this month. The reigning Heisman Trophy winning quarterback faces up to four student conduct code violations, but his hearing will determine which, if any, he should be charged with as well as his punishment.

FSU named Joseph Hatchett and Charles T. Wells alongside Harding as candidates to hear Winston's case. Unnamed sources told ESPN that John Clune, the attorney for Winston's accuser, eliminated Hatchett while David Cornwell, Winston's attorney, struck Wells.

Ranked second in the nation, Florida State has five games in as many weeks left in their schedule and all their opponents are ACC foes, save for Florida, their SEC in-state rival. Winston is not playing up to his Heisman performance last season and the Seminoles are not quite as dominant, but they are undefeated and poised to play in the inaugural College Football Playoff.

Harding received both his undergraduate and graduate law degrees from Wake Forest and later received a master of laws in judicial process from Virginia. He was Florida's Supreme Court chief justice from 1998 to 2000, serving during the Gore - Bush presidential race in which the state's undecided vote count decided the election.

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