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Another Not Guilty Plea In Rider Univ. Hazing Case

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Aug 10, 2007 3:17 pm US/Eastern

Another Not Guilty Plea In Rider Univ. Hazing Case

Freshman Died From Alcohol Poisoning After Fraternity Party In March

TRENTON (CBS) ― Another student has pleaded not guilty plea to aggravated hazing in a case involving the binge-drinking death
of a Rider University student.

Michael J. Torney, 21, is among two university officials and three students who have been charged with aggravated hazing in connection with the death of Gary DeVercelly Jr. 18, of Long Beach, Calif.

DeVercelly had a blood-alcohol level of 0.426 percent, or more than five times New Jersey's legal limit for driving, when he was pronounced dead March 30 at a Trenton hospital, authorities have said. He died one day after drinking at a party at the Phi Kappa Tau house on the private school's campus in central New Jersey.

Torney was president of the fraternity's Rider chapter, which has since been closed.

The party, according to prosecutors, was a special event in which pledges such as DeVercelly would drink large quantities of hard liquor with fraternity members.

But Torney's lawyer, Michael Rogers, said his client shouldn't be held responsible for the events that resulted in DeVercelly's death.

"He had nothing to do with the demise of this young man," Rogers said.

Rogers said the criminal charge could derail Torney's plans to become a lawyer someday.

"It just throws turmoil into your life," Rogers said. Torney will be attending Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster, Pa.
this fall, a decision that Rogers said was taken months before DeVercelly's death.

Anthony Campbell, 51, Rider's dean of students, and Adriano DiDonato, 22, a student who was also fraternity's house manager, pleaded not guilty in previous hearings.

Hearings are expected next week for the remaining two charged in the case: Ada Badgley, 31, the university's director of Greek life, and Dominic Olsen, 21, pledge master of the fraternity's spring 2007 pledge class.

Stay with wcbstv.com and CBS 2 HD for more on this developing story.

(© 2007 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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