“We will move forward with our case and the charges that were held for trial today. I am disappointed by the decision of the Magisterial District Judge and we are assessing our legal options. My office is committed to seeking justice for Timothy Piazza and his family and holding responsible individuals accountable for their actions, consistent with the law and the evidence in this case.”
The hearing is for 12 defendants. The notice the Pennsylvania Attorney General's Office filed two weeks ago did not specify what charges it would pursue in this hearing.
The second set of hearings went much quicker than the first, which spanned two months over the summer before the judge decided to bound over lesser charges for trial and dismiss the more serious charges.
The remaining defense attorneys cross-examined State College Detective David Scicchitano during the afternoon session of the third day of Beta Theta Pi hearings on refiled charges before it went to recitation.
Defense attorneys dissected video footage and text messages leading up to and in the immediate aftermath of Beta Theta Pi bid acceptance night.
As day two got under way for a second preliminary hearing for 11 of the former Beta Theta Pi members facing charges in connection with Piazza's February 2017 death, video evidence from inside the now-banned Penn State fraternity house was the focus.