Courtesy of The Associated Press
Defendants in the hazing death of a Florida A&M drum major have been given the stiffer charge of manslaughter by the new prosecutor and a longer wait until their case goes to trial.
Recently sworn-in State Attorney Jeff Ashton added the second-degree felony count Monday for each of 10 band members who were charged last May with third-degree felony hazing in the 2011 death of 26-year-old Robert Champion.
Prosecutors also charged two new defendants with manslaughter Monday, though they had not yet been arrested. The manslaughter charge announced during a status hearing carries a penalty of up to 15 years in prison.
The move could put pressure on the 12 defendants to seek plea bargains before the case makes it to a courtroom. A June trial date had previously been considered, but with more than 100 witnesses listed, Judge Marc Lubet said Monday that wasn’t feasible. A status hearing for the case has been set for August.
David S. Weinstein, a former federal prosecutor now in private practice in Miami, said it would be easier to prove felony hazing charges than manslaughter.
Weinstein also said it was not unusual for prosecutors to go ahead with a lesser charge while still gathering evidence and upgrade later.
“The easy way out is you charge them with felony hazing. That’s what they decided to do initially. You’re still holding someone accountable,” he said. “Now you have somebody new who comes in, takes a look at the evidence, and for a combination of reasons decides the manslaughter charge is warranted.”
Continue at The Associated Press…
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