Coaches contend through their attorney that the charges against them should never have been levied.
Link to story:
USU student sentenced to 14 days in jail for hazing death
Crime » Christopher Ammon, 20, also got 200 hours of community service and $500 fine.
By Arrin Newton Brunson
Special To The Tribune
Salt Lake Tribune
Updated:
Logan » A judge sentenced 20-year-old Utah State University student Christopher Ammon to 14 days in jail and 200 hours of community service for his role in November’s drinking death involving a Sigma Nu pledge.
First District Judge Thomas Willmore also ordered Ammon to pay a $500 fine. Ammon pleaded no contest earlier this year after a misdemeanor hazing charge was changed to unlawful sale or supply of alcohol to a minor, also a class B misdemeanor.
Ammon was a Sigma Nu member who took 18-year-old freshman Michael Starks to a sorority for an abduction prank, but left before the alleged hazing occurred. Starks was pledging last fall to the now-defunct Sigma Nu chapter.
According to court papers, as a reward for being the group’s top pledge, fraternity members chose Starks to take part in the capture ritual involving Chi Omega, a neighboring sorority.
While in the company of several sorority members Nov. 20 at an off-campus home, Starks consumed a lethal amount of vodka.
Ammon was remorseful for the death of the freshman fraternity pledge, said his attorney Dean Zabriskie.
“He no longer drinks,” Zabriskie said. “It was a wake-up call for all these young people.”
Ammon’s jail term starts Aug. 10, after his summer job ends and before USU’s fall semester starts.
“If I could do anything to go back and change that night, I would,” Ammon told Willmore.
Starks’ older brother George asked Willmore to use his discretion to teach a lesson to Ammon and his 12 co-defendants, all former USU Greek members.
“We ask you to really make sure that, when deciding what their penalties are going to be, you do everything possible to make sure they realize their role,” Starks said. “They have a lot to look forward to. Michael doesn’t.”
Willmore said he wants all the defendants involved in the tragedy to take responsibility for their actions.
“You could have gone and said, ‘Don’t give them alcohol,'” Willmore told Ammon. “You knew it would be there.”
The judge ordered Ammon to spend his community service teaching high school and college students about the dangers of binge drinking, underage drinking and hazing.
Felony hazing charges were dismissed against the Greek chapters, which had their charters revoked by their national organizations. Two members await sentencing for supplying alcohol, while four others are pursuing motions to dismiss hazing counts against them.
Reporter Brian Maffly contributed to this report.
Moderator: The Wilson coaches had charges dropped.
Article below to clear their names.
Charges dismissed against Wilson baseball coaches
By Thomas J. Prohaska
News Niagara Bureau
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WILSON — Charges were dismissed today against the two suspended Wilson High School baseball coaches who had been charged with child endangerment in the April 17, 2008, alleged hazing incident.
A jury was to have been selected for the trial of coaches William M. Atlas and Thomas J. Baia this morning, but instead Assistant District Attorney Robert A. Zucco moved for a dismissal without offering explanation.
Defense attorneys did not object and Town Justice George R. Berger granted the motion to the loud applause of about 20 supporters of the coaches.
Zucco said, “Given that the other charge is still under consideration by the judge, we’re not going to comment at all.”
He was referring to charges of forcible touching and hazing against two 17-year-old Wilson baseball players, which was the subject of a closed-door trial that ended Wednesday. Berger is still considering his verdict in that non-jury trial.
Herbert L. Greenman, attorney for Atlas, offered no explanation of the prosecution decision, which apparently was arrived at during a meeting Thursday between District Attorney Michael J. Violante and defense attorneys Greenman and Robert Viola.
Greenman and Viola complimented Violante for what they called a courageous decision.
Asked if the coaches will get their jobs back, Wilson School Superintendent Michael Wendt said, “The Board of Education has made a decision in terms of suspension based on information from 15 months ago. I’m sure the board will make a decision based on the new information that was made public today. We will work within the guidelines and procedures to regularly and fully correct the present situation.”
The coaches have been on paid suspension since they were arrested.
The coaches themselves said they did not want to make public comment for a few days.
Categories
Vacation through July 6
Have a good 4th, everyone. I’m camping and back the 6th. Hank Nuwer, Moderator
This letter to editor moved me so.
I went to USA in the early 90’s and was in a popular fraternity there. Just for the sake of things I will not post the name of the fraternity but anyone who went to school back then would pass by the fraternity house on Hillcrest Rd before turning right onto Old Shell in the mornings. I can say as a pledge I was NEVER hazed and the brothers at the time make sure it didn’t happen. Yes, we did drink underage… Who in college didn’t? Even during our ‘hell week’ we were never abused nor forced to drink. There was beer present but the brothers specifically said you don’t have to drink if you don’t want to. No one was punished if they didn’t. This is how a fraternity should be run. That was almost 20 years ago for me and I hope there are still some responsible greek societies down there at USA.
As for Chad Saucier- he was ‘my best friend’ in grade school before transferring to St Pauls. We both moved to Mobile in 5th grade and were the new guys of the class in Catholic grade school. We also lived about 6 houses apart in the same neighborhood so we quickly became good friends. Chad didn’t have a mean bone in his body. Was always wanting to make people laugh and was a great athlete. We grew apart after Chad transferred to St Pauls but still talked every so often and always saw each other all throughout high school at weekend parties. The last time I saw chad was a random encounter in Bienville Square when we were probably 17 I believe. It was Mardi Gras day. We probably had not seen each other in a year or so until then. We hung out for about 15 minutes and caught up on lots of memories. He was so happy and so was I. We then both went our separate ways to our new groups of friends we had. Not too long after that I was at a funeral home standing in line to see Chad one last time. I never made it to the casket. It was too hard and I left. To this day I have never forgotten about Chad and still remember all the good times we had… I still keep the emotions bottled up inside and not sure if they will ever come out. RIP my friend.
In closing, there are good and bad fraternities out there… I hope that the good ones outnumber the bad ones. I am proud to say that I am an alumni of one of the good ones. AEKDB