Pennsylvania
Related: About this forumJustice 'demands' a trial in Penn State frat hazing death, AG Shapiro says
HARRISBURG Attorney General Josh Shapiro promised Tuesday to use whatever legal tools he can to have involuntary manslaughter charges reinstated against five former fraternity members charged in the 2017 hazing death of Pennsylvania State University student Timothy Piazza.
A week after his office signaled its plan to appeal the March ruling by District Judge Allen Sinclair dismissing the most serious charges against the former members of Beta Theta Pi, Shapiro said he believes there was enough evidence to send the charges up to the trial court level.
That local district magistrate should not have the final say, Shapiro said at a news conference in his office, where he was joined by Piazzas parents. Instead, we firmly believe that justice for Tim Piazza demands that a jury hear the evidence and decide whether or not these individuals should be held accountable for involuntary manslaughter, in addition to the many other charges that have already been held for court.
Piazza, a sophomore from New Jersey, died of injuries he suffered after falling at an alcohol-soaked pledge party in February 2017. Using surveillance video from inside the fraternity house, prosecutors estimated he was given or ingested 18 drinks in about 82 minutes. His death prompted a crackdown on the fraternity system at Penn State and contributed to growing scrutiny at other schools.
Read more: http://www.philly.com/philly/news/penn-state-piazza-case-ag-josh-shapiro-20180501.html
Rhiannon12866
(205,161 posts)I wasn't a drinker in college, but I can remember seeing guys passed out outdoors! When I was a kid, I can remember hearing that a boy in our babysitter's graduating high school class died of alcohol poisoning. And as an adult I have known people who have died. Sometimes drugs were involved, too, but not always. Obviously, Prohibition wasn't a solution, but better education sure wouldn't hurt.
Funtatlaguy
(10,870 posts)And ignoring the rapes of little boys to killing people.
MichMary
(1,714 posts)but it wasn't the only problem. Most of the young men involved showed complete indifference to the pledge's very, very serious injuries. Had anyone called 911 immediately after his fall, his life probably would have been saved. Here is an excellent article detailing the events of that night, including all the missed opportunities for someone to change the whole course of events.
https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2017/11/a-death-at-penn-state/540657/