• Watchdog: U.S. Hazing Deaths
  • Blog
  • Storytelling
  • Athletics
  • High School Hazing
  • Speaker
  • Military & Secret Society
  • World Hazing Deaths & Incidents
  • Books

Hank Nuwer's Hazing Scholarship Site

Follow me on Social Media

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

In the News: Mercer County (N.J.) Prosecutor Joseph Bocchini

August 11, 2007 By Hank Nuwer Leave a Comment

Link to Daily Texan story (slow load but worth reading) with defense of Mr. Bocchini’s decision pending trial evidence display.

Or just read excerpt below.

Because the investigation is ongoing, no details are available as to why the administrators, in addition to the students, were indicted.

However, Alan Bowman, a criminal defense attorney who practices in Newark, New Jersey, but lives in Mercer County, said he believes there was probably enough evidence that the administrators had a high degree of knowledge and could have prevented the Rider incident.

“One of the main issues here is what took [the indictment] from civil to criminal,” Bowman said.

Hazing crimes differ from state to state. Travis County Attorney David Escamilla said that in his more than 20 years of work, he has not seen a case in which administrators were indicted for hazing. But he did say if a case like this were to arise, it would probably be because a university faculty or staff member had knowledge of a hazing incident and failed to report it to the dean of students.

Escamilla is currently investigating charges resulting from a potential hazing incident that ended with the death of UT freshman and Sigma Alpha Epsilon pledge Tyler Cross in the fall of 2006. UT’s administration and President William Powers are also conducting their own investigation.

Escamilla said there is no timetable for these types of investigations, but they do take a while due to the large amount of people usually involved.

In 2006, after a year-long investigation, a Travis County grand jury issued 21 indictments to three UT students and members of the Lambda Phi Epsilon fraternity after the death of 18-year-old UT student Phanta “Jack” Phoummarath.

His decision to prosecute: link

Express your opinion on the Rider case

Photos 

Filed Under: Hazing News

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Contact Inquiries

Hank Nuwer

Correspondence: Hank Nuwer at Hnuwer@hanknuwer.com    Represented by Mike Ayalon at Greek University. (203) 584-7335. … Email to book a date.

Books

Sons of the Dawn: A Basque Odyssey: Hank's novel is for teens 11-18 but also meant to be enjoyed by … Read More

Watchdog: U.S. Hazing Deaths

… Read More

A new book addresses Greek Issues

Proud to have written Chapter Four (On Mentoring) in From Letters to Leaders. 

University of Mississippi student alleges dangerous pledging abuse

Claims bleach was put in his mouth.  Good Lord!

More Lives of Promise Cut Down

Read “Hazing” It’s not worth it.”

A tribute to a promising life cut short, March 30, 2007

Family recalls Gary DeVercelly, Jr.   

Archives


Hank Nuwer's Hazing Scholarship Site is proudly powered by WordPress