13 band members from the Florida A&M Marching 100 are set to be charged in the hazing death of drum major Robert Champion after a football game last November, according to the Champion family attorney and the Associated Press.
According Christopher Chestnut, Champion's family has been told that 13 students will face either felony or misdemeanor hazing charges. He said the family was disappointed because it had hoped for more serious charges.
Champion was punched, kicked and suffocated by fellow band members who has filed a wrongful-death lawsuit against the charter-bus company and bus driver. There were as many as 20 people on the bus who allegedly witnessed the incident after the Florida Classic on November 19th.
Since Champion's death, 7 more members of the band have been charged in more hazing incidents. In December, three students were arrested on charges of hazing a freshman so severely that they broke her leg. In January, four other students were each charged with misdemeanor hazing.
From Denise Marie-Balona at the Sentinel:
The four were accused of either participating in or failing to stop the hazing of five pledges who were trying to join a clique affiliated with the band's clarinet section known as the "Clones."
During initiation meetings that began about September 1, pledges were lined up by height. They were punched, slapped or paddled and forced to exercise and play music, according to police.
11 of the 13 people charged in Champion's death face felony hazing charges.
More when we know more...
1630 UPDATE: Here's early returns from WCTV-TV
At least two of the people charged in the hazing death of Robert Champion have been arrested and brought to the Leon County Jail as of 3PM.
FDLE agents in unmarked cars got out and escorted them into the booking office in Tallahassee.
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