Two Penn State college students answerable for organizing the hazing that led to the death of New Jersey freshman Timothy Piazza have been sentenced to as much as 4 months in jail.
Brendan Young, 28, the president of Beta Theta Pi, and Daniel Casey, 27, the fraternity’s vp, pleaded responsible in July to fifteen counts of hazing and reckless endangerment.
On Tuesday, they have been sentenced in Centre County Court, Pennsylvania, receiving two to 4 months in jail with eligibility for work launch. After serving their time, each will face three years of probation and be required to finish group service.
Timothy Piazza’s father, Jim, advised DailyMail.com after the sentencing that he felt neither Young nor Casey confirmed real regret, however added, “Let’s see what their future actions are.”
Timothy Piazza, 19, consumed 18 drinks in lower than 90 minutes earlier than he collapsed and fell down a flight of stairs throughout a Beta Theta Pi hazing occasion at Penn State in February 2017
Beta Theta Pi president Brendan Young pleaded responsible to 14 counts of hazing and one depend of reckless endangerment.
Piazza’s household expressed frustration, stating, “The defendants and their counsel spent over seven years blaming the victim, only to now portray themselves as victims of a broken culture, shifting blame for their poor decisions and actions.”
The protection centered extra on the defendants’ personal ache moderately than taking full accountability for Timothy Piazza’s death with out excuses.
Young and Casey have been in cost when the fraternity held a harmful ingesting “obstacle course” in February 2017, resulting in Piazza, a 19-year-old engineering student, consuming 18 drinks in 90 minutes. He later fell 15 ft down a staircase, struggling a traumatic mind harm. It took over 12 hours for assist to be known as.
While Jim Piazza acknowledged there are “no winners” in such a tragic case, he expressed disappointment that extra critical fees, together with manslaughter, had been dismissed earlier in the authorized course of.
Young and his vice-president, Daniel Casey, initially confronted over 200 fees every, together with involuntary manslaughter.
Ultimately, they pleaded responsible to lesser misdemeanor fees, limiting the doable sentencing choices.
Timothy Piazza’s father commented, “Given the remaining charges, Judge Marshall’s remarks on the defendants’ lack of leadership and the sentencing were well reasoned and fair.”
He expressed hope that the sentencing sends a transparent message that hazing, particularly ensuing in death, is not going to be tolerated in Centre County or Pennsylvania, significantly with the newly handed Timothy J. Piazza Hazing legislation.
The legislation, which handed by the U.S. House of Representatives final week, imposes harsher penalties for hazing, requiring faculties to implement strict anti-hazing insurance policies. It additionally introduces felony fees for hazing incidents ensuing in critical harm or death.
Since their son’s death, Piazza’s mother and father have traveled to quite a few faculty campuses to lift consciousness concerning the risks of hazing. Following Timothy’s death, Penn State completely banned Beta Theta Pi, citing a “persistent pattern” of hazing, extreme ingesting, and drug use. This case resulted in over 1,000 fees in opposition to 18 members, marking the biggest felony indictment in opposition to a fraternity in U.S. historical past.
In complete, greater than 1,000 counts have been introduced in opposition to 18 members of Beta Theta Pi home (pictured) in the biggest felony indictment in opposition to a fraternity and its members in US historical past
Court video revealed that Piazza collapsed simply earlier than 11:30 p.m., however nobody provided him assist.
“There should be no discussion of this case without acknowledging the tragic loss of life and the devastation caused to Mr. Piazza’s family and friends,” mentioned Pennsylvania Attorney General Michelle Henry.
On February 2, 14 pledges have been delivered to the Beta Theta Pi frat home and compelled to drink a number of pictures of vodka, adopted by working a “gauntlet” involving extra beer, wine, and beer pong.
The footage confirmed Piazza repeatedly collapsing as he tried to crawl, rolling on the ground, vomiting in his sleep, and drifting in and out of consciousness for the subsequent eight hours. At one level, he was body-slammed onto a sofa, had beer poured on him by one other member, and was even hit with footwear whereas mendacity in a comatose state.
By the time Piazza was carried to a sofa round 10 a.m., some fraternity members had already gone to class. It wasn’t till 45 minutes later that somebody lastly known as 911.
Parents Evelyn Piazza (left) and Jim Piazza (proper) have spoken to 1000’s of college students at school campuses throughout the nation in a bid to finish hazing
