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Phi Beta Sigma - SIUE paddling case going to trial
Trial date is set in SIUE hazing case
07/22/2004
A fraternity and a pledge are set to square off in Madison County Circuit Court next year in a negligence lawsuit in which the pledge says he was paddled so hard during hazing activities that he wound up in the hospital for three days.
Last week, Circuit Judge George Moran set a jury trial date for April 5, 2005. The case had been set for trial last week but was continued to allow witnesses to give depositions.
It involves Prentice Motley, a 23-year-old Decatur man who attended Southern Illinois University Edwardsville in April of 2002, and pledged Phi Beta Sigma fraternity, an organization he hoped to join.
A member of the fraternity, Malike Perkins, who was 19 at the time, admitted to paddling Motley and has been sentenced to a year's probation. He completed the probation last spring. On Thursday, Perkins will be questioned about his role in the incident at the offices of the fraternity's attorney, Robbye Hill Taft. The deposition will be videotaped and may be used as evidence in the trial.
According to court records, Motley was one of three people pledging the fraternity when the alleged paddling took place.
The next day he entered the hospital, complaining of fever and severe pain.
Prosecutors said later that reports that the paddling ruptured Motley's kidney were inaccurate.
According to court records, SIUE officials suspended the fraternity pending an investigation. On Aug. 2, Deanthony Moore, of Edwardsville, faces a jury trial on hazing charges. Frederich Spencer has already been sentenced to a year's probation, and Adedamola Oshin received a year's probation as well for lying to a grand jury.
Motley, now a senior at SIUE, is majoring in management information systems.
He has been attending the university and has enrolled again in the fall of 2004, according to Greg Conroy, a spokesman for the university.
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