Twenty other defendants still face charges in the case. A trial for most of them is scheduled for February 2019.
"In the past, the natural autonomy assumed by these private organizations, located, as many of them are, on private property beyond the University’s reach, led the governing councils to monitor and discipline their member organizations," Sims wrote.
Seven former Beta Theta Pi brothers were back in court on Tuesday for another preliminary hearing in the Penn State fraternity hazing case stemming from the 2017 death of pledge Timothy Piazza.
The charges against Ems stem from the recovery of deleted basement video from the night Penn State sophomore and fraternity pledge Timothy Piazza sustained fatal injuries after falling during an alcohol-fueled bid acceptance night at the now-banned Beta Theta Pi chapter.
The Piazzas were recognized for their anti-hazing advocacy since their son's death in February 2017 from injuries he sustained after a night of drinking and hazing at the Beta Theta Pi fraternity house.
Joseph Ems, 22, of Philadelphia, is scheduled to enter a guilty plea on Aug. 8 before Centre County Judge Brian Marshall, according to court dockets.