THURSDAY Sept. 14, 2000 Vol. 101 No. 40 24 pages Forum protests Judicial Affairs By Heather Cook COLLEGIAN STAFF WRITER Students arrested in State College over the summer told an audience about their experiences and frustrations with the Penn State Office of Judicial Affairs at a meeting last night. Throughout the forum, hosted by the American Civil Liberties Union, audience members held "Judicial Affairs Report Cards" provided by Radio Free Penn State. The cards gave the Office of Judi cial Affairs the grade of 'F' in five specific areas. The categories discussed included: the lack of an unbiased investigation; absence of an independent judge, jury, and prose cutor, and the lack of choice for the defen dant in choosing counsel. The students were also upset that the Office of Judicial Affairs is not regulated at all and lack of information about getting evidence accepted. "All the guarantees that you get as a cit izen (in the United States) are not evident in the Judicial Affairs system," said Justin Leto, who was arrested with four others as he held a banner from the balcony of Osmond Building to protest the National Governor's Association convention this summer. Criminal charges against Leto and the others protesting the National Governor's Association from the Osmond balcony were dropped after a preliminary hearing, but Judicial Affairs is still pursuing them. "We've already been found innocent, but here we are guilty all over again," said Michelle Yates, one of the students arrest ed on the balcony. The students were angered by the Judi cial Affairs policies that don't allow stu dents to bring their own representation to hearings or to ensure that any witnesses called by defendants actually appear The Penn State Code of Conduct was also a concern, especially for Martin Austermuhle, an Undergraduate Student Government town senator who can be charged by Judicial Affairs, even though he was arrested off campus because of a part of the conduct policy. It states students can face punishment for conduct that might reflect badly on the university "You move out of your home and away from your parents to Penn State, and then Graham Spanier is definitely your second father," Austermuhle said. Leto also cited the slow USG reaction to the issue, saying the representatives have been too "soft" on the issue. The students began with their stories about what occurred during the summer. The charges filed against Austermuhie were disorderly conduct, which was dropped, and failure to disperse. Judicial Affairs, however, continued to pursue the disorderly conduct charge. Austermuhie is currently planning to appeal a Judicial Affairs decision to give him a two-semester suspension, a one semester deferred suspension and 50 hours of community service. Because he is an international student, the suspension could call his student visa into question. Austermuhie maintained that through out the Beaver Avenue riot, he had been trying to help students who had been pep per sprayed, including one who seemed to be having an asthma attack Leto, Yates and Robyn Stephens, spoke about being pulled off the Osmond Build ing balcony by police after receiving per mission to hang a banner there. They cited a university policy that gave instructions for climbing through class room windows to place the banners on the balcony, though university officials claimed their presence on the balcony was a safety hazard. "You're looking at a kangaroo court," Leto said ocal drug task force eradicates marijuana plants By Alex Welninger COLLEGIAN STAFF WRIER Over the last three weeks, members of the Centre County Drug Task Force have been combing the Centre County area, searching for signs of growing marijuana. The task force conducted Marijuana Erad ication throughout the county and found more than 100 marijuana plants in about five different locations. According to Scott Mer rill, the Centre County Drug Task Force coordinator, they found plants range from about five feet to over eight feet in height. , T Andrew McKoy/Collegian Hung Truong is taken to appear before District Justice Bradley Lunsford. Penn State Police Services investigator Ibm Sowerby escorted Truong yesterday to the arraignment. Snyder Hall to assaults, By Alison Kepner COLLEGIAN STAFF WRITER While the man accused of entering 14 female dorm rooms and assaulting six women in Snyder Hall early Sunday morn ing sits in Centre County Prison today, resi dents of the East Halls dormitory attempt to regroup. Some Snyder Hall residents said they were shocked to hear about the weekend assaults, and the assaults have heightened safety concerns. One female resident, who asked not to be identified, said reaction among women liv ing in the dorm varied. "Some people are a little more nervous than others," she said. "Everyone is locking their doors," she said, adding she previously left her door unsecured. Other women living in the dorm said they The estimated street value of the marijuana pate in the drug sweep. Other departments, is more than $lOO,OOO. such as the FBI, the Pennsylvania State The task force is an organization formed Police and Penn State Police Services also by State Attorney General Mike Fisher to assist with eradication. help strengthen the war on drugs. Since "(The Attorney General's Office) provides Fisher began his term, his top priority has the expertise and some funding, and we pro been waging the battle against drug abuse, vide the manpower," said Sgt. Dana Leonard said Kevin Harley Fisher's spokesman. of the State College police. The task force is made up of various offi- Leonard also said that although outside ciats within the Centre County region who departments assist with the sweeping, such are officers at their respective departments. as the state police and Penn State police, Many departments, such as the Patton only municipal officers get reimbursed over- Township, Spring Township and State Col- time for the extra hours needed to perform lege Police Departments, and others partici- marijuana eradication. residents react incre@se safety Ai Answer The Digital chhegies aline polt I Do you'feet Wein your doer* www.cdkgian.psu.edu felt secure but were more aware of safety concerns since the weekend attacks. Representatives from Penn State Police Services, Center for Counseling and Psy chological Services, Residence Life and a victim's advocate met with male and female Snyder Hall residents Monday night, Alison Cummings, assistant director of Residence Life, said. Residents were told about the assaults and informed that the suspect at the time, Hung "Tim" Truong now charged with See ASSAULTS, Page 2. PENN STATE Police arrest PSU student in assaults A 21-year-old Penn State student was arrested yesterday in connection with the weekend assault of six female students and the harassment of six others. Hung "Tim" Truong was charged with one count of aggravated indecent assault, six counts of indecent assault, 12 counts of harassment and stalking, five counts of bur glary and 12 counts of criminal trespass. Truong is being held on $50,000 bail in Cen tre County Prison. His preliminary hearing is set for Sept. 20. On Tuesday, Penn State Police Services reported 13 women had been assaulted. Yes terday police clarified what they believe hap pened early Sunday morning. Police said Truong, a Snyder Hall resident, entered 14 unlocked female dorm rooms between 3 and 4:30 a.m. Truong indecently assaulted six women, including one aggravated indecent assault, police said. Tom Harmon, director of Penn State Police Services, defined indecent assault as the "touching of intimate parts." Harmon described the one count of aggravated inde cent assault as an "indecent penetration." Truong penetrated one of the victims with his fingers, according to a police report. Police said Truong also harassed six other women. Harassment can include physical contact, Harmon said. Truong, who was identified by 11 of the vic tims in a photo line-up, told police he entered two Snyder Hall rooms and attempted to kiss two women, according to the report. Truong also gave conflicting statements during two interviews, stating during the first interview, "I don't want anybody to know I did some thing so wrong." In Snyder Hall, a co-ed dormitory, female students live on the even numbered floors, and male students reside on the odd num bered floors. Truong, a third floor resident, entered rooms on the second, fourth and sixth floors, police said. According to the report, six victims awoke to find Truong attempting to undress and fon dle them. Several victims reported Throng smelled of alcohol and repeatedly told the women he was "looking for Mike." One victim said two other males entered her room with Truong, according to the report. The victim told police Truong and the men engaged in small talk, and after repeated requests, left the room. And the amount of marijuana that was found during this particular sweep was not unusual, Merrill said. Marijuana sweeps are done every year, usually at the end of summer, Merrill said. Marijuana is typically grown where "the cli mate is good for it ... where you can grow it, and it can go undetected," he said. And although marijuana is used and grown throughout the nation, Pennsylvania has proved to be a particularly desirable place to harvest the "Gateway" drug. "The unique thing about marijuana is ... See MARUUANA, Page 2. By Anson Kepner COLLEGIAN STAFF WRITER WEATHER Page 2 30 cents off campus ©2OOO Collegian Inc Andrew MeKoy/C,ollegian Snyder Hall, the scene of the assault, housed Hung Truong on the third floor. The victims lived on the second, fourth and sixth floors. Duty supervisor Wayne Weaver said the other two men have been identified and no charges are pending against them. Two male Snyder Hall residents told police they found Truong drunk and sleeping on the floor of one of the men's dorm rooms at 3:45 am., according to the report. Truong told the men he "got" with a female resident and offered to introduce them to her. The men followed Truong onto the fourth and sixth floors where they saw him pushing on the doors, the report states. The men told police Truong is an exchange student from Vietnam. Following Truong's arraignment last night, District Justice Bradley Lunsford said he could not verify whether Truong is an American citizen. Lunsford said Truong's citizenship would affect his sentencing and was unsure whether deportment would be a possibility. After his arraignment last night, Truong did not talk to reporters. Although his belongings have yet to be removed from his room, Truong moved out of Snyder Hall Monday, said Alison Cummings, assistant director of Residence Life. He left without resistance and moved off campus, she said. Forbidden from entering any residence hall without a staff member, Truong must contact Residence Life to arrange an escort before he can return to retrieve his belongings, Cum mings said. Penn State spokesperson Bill Mahon said all dorm residents are told to lock their doors when they move in. Penn State's dorms are well secured and do not have a history of non residents entering dorms and assaulting stu dents, he said. Mahon said that despite the relative safety of Penn State, students still need to be care ful. "Students just need to get in the habit of locking their doors," he said. Collegian staff writer Uly Henning contributed to this article. TABLE OF CONTENTS Weather Opinions Sports ClassMeds Horoscope 111 Listings Crossword Comics CONTACT US Newsroom: 865-1828 Ads/Business: 865-2531 ON THE WEB www.collegian.psu.edu TODAY: Blue skies
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