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U.S. NEWS Tuesday 13 February 2018

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Judge schedules 6-day hearing in Penn State frat death case

Then-District Attorney Stacy basement of the fraternity. He argued that Sinclair got
Parks Miller last fall refiled The attorney general’s of- it right in dismissing charges
charges that had been fice could forge ahead more than five months ago.
dismissed in September af- with the refiled charges, al- “It was completely inappro-
ter a marathon preliminary ter them, drop them or try priate to refile those charg-
hearing. They included the to negotiate pleas. es against him because we
most serious counts that “We’re not ready as yet to were confident that Judge
had been charged, invol- give any kind of public up- Sinclair did not make an
untary manslaughter and date on this case,” said Joe error of law,” Engle said.
aggravated assault. She Grace, a spokesman for “That was confirmed by the
also sought to replace Dis- the attorney general. “The president judge’s determi-
trict Judge Allen Sinclair, review is still ongoing.” nation in this case. There
who handled the prelimi- Centre County’s president simply is no new evidence
nary hearing. judge last month ruled that that changes the calculus
Parks Miller was voted out Sinclair will continue to pre- here in regards to Gary that
In this May 5, 2017 photo, Centre County, Pa., District Attorney and left office at the end of side during the second pre- would support those more
Stacy Parks Miller, left, announces findings an investigation into December, after which her liminary hearing, now set serious charges.”
the death of Penn State University fraternity pledge Tim Piazza successor turned over the for March 22. All charges relate to the
during a news conference in Bellefonte, Pa. case to state prosecutors. Attorney Michael Engle, death a year ago of
(Abby Drey/Centre Daily Times/AP) Also in limbo are charges who represents Gary DiBil- 19-year-old pledge Tim Pi-
By MARK SCOLFORO uled a six-day preliminary that in September were for- eo, one of the defendants, azza, a sophomore engi-
Associated Press hearing for next month for warded by Sinclair to coun- said Monday that none neering student from Leb-
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — 11 members of the now- ty court for trial as well as of the defense lawyers he anon, New Jersey. Piazza
Penn State fraternity broth- shuttered Beta Theta Pi fra- new charges that Parks Mill- has been in touch with suffered severe head and
ers facing refiled charges ternity. er lodged based on an FBI have heard from the attor- abdominal injuries during a
in a pledge’s hazing death Prosecution of the case analysis of deleted security ney general’s office about night of drinking and hazing
are scheduled for a sec- was recently turned over camera footage from the prosecutors’ plans. at the fraternity house.q
ond hearing on whether to the state attorney gen-
prosecutors have enough eral’s office, which could
evidence to send the most seek further delays. A
serious allegations against spokesman said Monday
them to trial. the agency was still review-
A judge on Friday sched- ing the matter.
Feds:

Military impersonator used a

helicopter to impress woman

By JONATHAN DREW tary officer, which carries a
Associated Press maximum of three years in
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — A prison. It was around sunset
man pretending to be a on Nov. 6 when the pilot of
three-star U.S. Army general the helicopter chartered
wanted to impress a wom- by Desgroux landed on a
an when he unexpectedly soccer field at the sprawl-
landed in a chartered he- ing corporate campus of
licopter at the headquar- SAS Institute in Cary.
ters of a North Carolina As security officers ap-
technology company last proached, Desgroux
year, a federal agent testi- stepped out wearing a
fied Monday. Details about “full military battle dress
the strange case of Chris- uniform” and displaying
tian Desgroux emerged at three stars that implied a
a hearing before a federal rank of lieutenant general,
magistrate, who ordered Homeland Security Special
that the defendant re- Agent Tony Bell testified.
main in jail pending his up- “He saluted the security
coming arraignment. The officers, and they actu-
57-year-old is charged with ally saluted him back,” Bell
pretending to be a mili- said.q