In This Issue:
Devan Roberts hopes future NFL career brings safety to his family. See page 6 for the story.
Former Miss FAMU returns to campus to present a gift to Black Archives. To read more, view page 4.
News ....... 1, 3 Calendar .... 2 Lifestyles .... 4 Opinions ..... 5 Special......... 6
www.TheFamuanOnline.com
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
From hazing to manslaughter Twelve now charged with death of Champion, new charge carries up to a 15 year sentence Donald Remy & Terrence Davis Correspondents Twelve former Florida A&M students’ felony charges have been upgraded to second-degree manslaughter, stemming from the Robert Champion hazing incident. The State Attorney’s Office made the decision to upgrade the charges. In May 2012, ten of the defendants were charged with third-degree felony hazing for the death of the 26-year-old drum major. Two defense attorneys working on the case said the media knew about the changes before they did. Reporters informed the attorneys about their clients’ charges being upgraded prior to the State Attorney’s Office announcement. Carlus Haynes, attorney for Shawn Turner, said he was preparing to fight the felony hazing
charges before learning of the new manslaughter charge. “I have tried murder, attempted murder cases and know what manslaughter is,” Haynes said, “I don’t believe this rises to that level.” Haynes said his client is distraught about the ordeal and believes his client deserves a plea deal for his limited involvement. Haynes also said he is going to attempt to file a motion to have the new charges dismissed. W. Craig Lawson, attorney for Harold Finley, speculated that the two defendants who pleaded guilty earlier in the case might have had something to do with his client’s more serious charges. “Those two co-defendants might have made a proffer to the state attorney as part of their plea deal they CHAMPION, see page 2
The Famuan File Photo Sixteen months after Champion’s hazing death, two other students have been charged.
News Briefs Alumna and Retired Navy Lt. Cmdr. Pia Woodley to Keynote Honors Convocation
Topic of discussion: Do you think the charges against 12 former band members should have been increased to manslaughter?
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Florida A&M (FAMU) will host its annual Honors Convocation Thursday, March 28 at 11 a.m. in Lee Hall Auditorium. Alumna and retired Navy Lt. Cmdr Pia Woodley will serve as the keynote speaker. Currently, Woodley is an adjunct professor in the FAMU School of Allied Health Sciences.
Florida finds evidence of voter registration fraud TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Two employees of a company once aligned with the Republican Party of Florida admitted to law-enforcement authorities that they forged voter registration forms. It’s the first result in a far-reaching voter fraud investigation that was launched last fall at the urging of the party after election supervisors started flagging questionable applications.
Victoria McKnight Staff Writer
Autumn Bell, first-year broadcast journalism student from Tampa.
“ I believe so because they went a step too far. They did cost somebody [their] they life. ”
Robbery motive in triple Wyo. killing
CODY, Wyo. (AP) — Two teens charged in a triple homicide in a small Wyoming town told investigators they stole a trove of handguns from a gun store and days later planned to flee the state by stealing an SUV, leading to the slayings of its owner and her elderly parents. Stephen Hammer, 19, and Tanner Vanpelt, 18, made their first court appearance Tuesday
Venezuela’s Chavez dies, officials call for unity
WEATHER
CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Some in anguish, some in fear, Venezuelans raced for home on Tuesday after the government announced the death of President Hugo Chavez, the firebrand socialist who led the nation for 14 years. Vice President Nicolas Maduro’s appeared on national television to announce that Chavez died at 4:25 p.m.
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Group urges state to wake up
Lidia Joseph, second-year political science student from Miami.
“ I don’t know how to feel about that. Like, fifteen years is a lot. I don’t know how I feel about that, I think that’s a pretty serious thing. ”
Tracari Laster, third-year chemistry student from Orlando.
Tamahi Pollock, first-year criminal justice student from Miami.
“ I don’t think they should change the charges from hazing to manslaughter because it wasn’t.. something that was done in a negative demeanor. It was an accident. ”
“ I think they should be tried with manslaughter because they killed somebody and he attended school here and what they did was really wrong. ”
Bill may eliminate red light cameras Taheem Willimason Correspondent Tallahassee’s red light cameras have some students fed up with the state’s passive policing. According to law enforcement officials, violators paid about $51 million in fines last year. Aniska Dawes, a third-year health student from Miami, said she has received multiple citations from the red light cameras. “I got two tickets last year and another one back home over the break,” said Dawes, who’s received more than $500 worth of citations. “I’m praying it doesn’t happen again.” A bill recently sponsored by Rep. Daphne Campbell of Miami, which would repeal the law that put the cameras to use in 2010 and ban the cameras if passed, may answer her prayers. So far, the bill has been voted on 10-8 by a House committee, detailing how torn lawmakers are on the issue. The bill must make it to the Senate floor for voting. Similar proposed bills have failed to make it this far. A report by state law enforcement released last year found that 41 of the 73 agencies involved said accidents are less frequent
at intersections using red-light cameras. According to Talgov.com, violations at the intersection of Tennessee and Monroe streets have dropped from 400 per day to 15 since the camera’s installation. Michelle Bono, assistant to the city manager, said the city’s goal is not to give people tickets but to deter them from running red lights. “From the data we have, we’ve seen a 22 percent decrease in accidents,” Bono said. Complaints that the cameras are deliberately placed in low-income areas have also recently come to light. There are arguments about whether the system is in place for safety or revenue. An audit released by the city showed that of the $158 fine issued to violators, $83 goes to the state while the rest is split between the city and the camera company. Robert Horne, a Tallahassee resident, said he received a citation after his girlfriend was caught by cameras in November. He said his problem with the program is that instead of ticketing the driver, car owners are ticketed, even if they did not commit the violation. “If they’re going to send me a ticket in the RED LIGHTS, see page 2
The state of Florida has been asked to wake up. More than 100 people gathered in front of the Capitol building, demanding that lawmakers address important issues. “Whose building is this?” asked Mike Williams, president of the largest labor union in the nation, the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations, as he stood in front of the Capitol. The crowd shouted, “Our building.” Monday was the first day of the legislative session. “Awake the State” is a movement designed to get citizens involved in the laws that are being considered, revised and created on Capitol Hill. The theme at this year’s rally was “free the vote,” which was inspired by last year’s election. New voter laws have triggered a lot of controversy among voters. Early voting days were cut, identification standards were changed and many people felt their rights to vote were being attacked. T.J. Legacy-Cole, a student at Florida A&M who spoke at the rally, believes that students have power. “Awake the State is about empowerment,” he said. “It’s about the different organizations, the Dream Defenders and labor unions empowering each other and empowering the state of Florida.” Aside from voting laws, issues such as domestic violence, education funds and a reform of the “cradle to prison” mentality were addressed at the rally. The Dream Defenders, Sisterhood of Survivors, labor unions and private citizens held bright signs and drew loud, supportive car horns from people driving down Monroe Street. Ion Sancho, Leon County’s supervisor of elections, got the crowd rowdy with his speech. Sancho said lawmakers ignored his recommendations and cancelled early voting, which resulted in too many voters with too few polls. “Elections that we had in 2006 to 2008 were the best elections we ever had,” Sancho said. “Let’s get back to that standard and not the standard that RALLY, see page 2