Chico hazers all go to jail

hoosier · #1 11-25-2005, 12:19 AM

Hazing case comes to a close
Lauren Brooks
Staff Writer
November 24, 2005

OROVILLE – Two former Chi Tau men charged with misdemeanor hazing were sentenced to about a month in jail and two years of probation at a settlement conference at the Butte County Superior Court Wednesday.

Trent Stiefvater, 21, pleaded guilty to the hazing charge and will begin his 30-day sentence_in the Butte County Jail on Nov. 28. Richard Joseph Hirth, 23, pleaded no contest to the hazing charge and will serve 45 days in jail beginning Dec. 7, said Butte County Superior Court Judge Steven Howell.

The maximum sentence could have been one year in jail and a $1,000 fine, said District Attorney Mike Ramsey.

Stiefvater and Hirth were the last two men in the hazing case to be sentenced.

“It’s a wrap up,” Ramsey told reporters outside the courtroom.

Now, it’s time to get the message out that hazing is a criminal act that has serious consequences, Ramsey said.

On Feb. 2, fraternity pledge Matthew Carrington died of water intoxication during a hazing ritual in the Chi Tau house’s basement, police said.

A trial for the former fraternity men was set for Nov. 2, but on Oct. 28, four men pleaded guilty to misdemeanor hazing. Three of these men_also pleaded guilty to felony manslaughter charges.

Gabriel John Maestretti, 22; Jerry Ming Lim, 25; John Paul Fickes, 20; and Carlos James DeVilla Abrille, 23, are currently serving jail sentences, which range from 90 days to one year.

The men followed suit with former Chi Tau member Michael Fernandes, 20,_who pleaded no contest to misdemeanor hazing charges on Oct. 3 and received 30 days in jail.

Fernandes received a lighter sentence because he was the first one to plead, Ramsey said.

Besides_jail time and probation, the judge said Stiefvater and Hirth will each pay a $500 fine, cooperate with anti-hazing outreach programs and write letters of apology to Carrington’s parents.

Tom Earp · #2 11-25-2005, 06:06 PM

Maybe, Maybe, some Kids will learn about this and refrain from Hazing!

If, If only If!

To Me, the penality was not strong enough!

Who In Their Right Mind wants to see a Young Man Die for Something that Guys did that were so Stupid!

This Shit Has To Stop and Now!

dznat187 · #3 11-26-2005, 02:20 PM

amen.

g41965 · #4 11-28-2005, 09:50 PM

Once your gone you can't come back....

adpiucf · #5 11-29-2005, 11:05 AM

Wow. You get 30 days in jail, a $500 fine and that's it--- for killing someone... Yeah, that sends a really strong message out there... Oh wait. I forgot. They have to apologize, too. "I'm sorry I murdered your child." And then they're home free.

Yup. That sends a really strong message out to the masses.

hoosier · #6 11-30-2005, 01:57 PM

Mom visits inmates as hazing cases close
Lauren Brooks
Staff Writer
November 30, 2005

OROVILLE -- Almost 10 months after her son's death, during what police called a fraternity hazing ritual, Debbie Smith visited the Butte County Jail on Nov. 23 to talk to the former Chi Tau men who hazed her son, Matthew Carrington.

Smith told the four men she doesn't hate them and wants to work with them to make an anti-hazing documentary.

On Feb. 2, Carrington, a fraternity pledge, died of water intoxication during a hazing ritual in the now defunct Chi Tau house's basement, police said.

A trial for the former fraternity men was set for Nov. 2, but on Oct. 28 four men pleaded guilty to misdemeanor hazing charges, while three also pleaded guilty to felony manslaughter charges.

Gabriel John Maestretti, 22; Jerry Ming Lim, 25; John Paul Fickes, 20; and Carlos James DeVilla Abrille, 23, are currently serving their sentences in jail, which range from 90 days to one year.

Now Carrington's parents are doing everything they can to end hazing, including changing hazing law.

"I'm just a mother that's grieving for her son," Smith said.

The same day Smith visited the four men in jail, the last two men involved in the hazing case were sentenced to jail time.

Two former Chi Tau men charged with misdemeanor hazing were sentenced to about a month in jail and two years of probation at a settlement conference at the Butte County Superior Court.

Trent Stiefvater, 21, pleaded guilty to the hazing charges and began serving 30 days in jail on Monday. Richard Joseph Hirth, 23, pleaded no contest to the hazing charges and will serve 45 days in jail beginning Dec. 7, said Superior Court Judge Steven Howell.

The maximum sentence could have been one year in jail and a $1,000 fine, District Attorney Mike Ramsey said.

The men followed suit with former Chi Tau member Michael Fernandes, 20, who pleaded no contest to misdemeanor hazing charges on Oct. 3 and received 30 days in jail, which he will serve after Jan. 1, 2006.

Fernandes received a lighter sentence because he was the first one to plead, Ramsey said.

Besides their jail time and probation, Stiefvater and Hirth will each pay a $500 fine, cooperate with any media anti-hazing outreach programs and write letters of apology to Carrington's parents, the judge said.

But Stiefvater and Hirth aren't the only ones apologizing to Carrington's parents.

At the jail, Maestretti, Lim, Fickes and Abrille apologized to Smith and said they never meant to hurt her son, she said.

They want to help and are excited about the documentary, Smith said.

Smith spoke to each of the men on the phone through Plexiglas windows and asked them to tell her stories about her son, she said.

It was the first time she had spoken to Maestretti. Smith said Maestretti wants to speak with her at colleges and high schools to tell people about the dangers and consequences of hazing.

"I was really touched by what Gabe (Maestretti) had to say," Smith said. "We're not the only victims. These guys are victims, too."

Tom Earp · #7 11-30-2005, 05:58 PM

Have any of You spent time in a jail? It aint fun and not like being Home or In College!

Sad as it is about losing a life of someone, it has to follow the law. As any of the psuedo super Lawyers on Site.

I would like to have their Balls for it, but that is just Me!

NebraskaDelt · #8 12-06-2005, 10:40 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by hoosier
.

They want to help and are excited about the documentary, Smith said.

These guys shouldn't be excited for anything for a really long time.

The beginning of the documentary should have each man with a close up with a black background and say, "I killed --------- by hazing him". Each one should individually do that. Maybe they should film it while they are in jail.

AlphaPhiBubbles · #9 12-08-2005, 09:49 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by NebraskaDelt
These guys shouldn't be excited for anything for a really long time.

The beginning of the documentary should have each man with a close up with a black background and say, "I killed --------- by hazing him". Each one should individually do that. Maybe they should film it while they are in jail.

I think thats a really good idea for the documentary...we'll have to wait and see i guess.

On another note...I hate what these men have done just as much as the next guy, and even more because I have been witness to the aftermath and drive/walk by that disgusting house every day. But to say that they shouldn't be excited about this project isn't exactly fair in my opinion. I know what guilt feels like and what it does to a person, and I can only imagine the kind of guilt at least some of these men are feeling. I think that if they can turn that guilt and all the pain they are feeling into something positive for the community then it is a wonderful thing...instead of just being guilty, accepting the consequences and being a burden on society.

frathole · #10 12-12-2005, 01:53 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by adpiucf
Wow. You get 30 days in jail, a $500 fine and that's it--- for killing someone... Yeah, that sends a really strong message out there... Oh wait. I forgot. They have to apologize, too. "I'm sorry I murdered your child." And then they're home free.

Yup. That sends a really strong message out to the masses.

They didn't murder anyone, the kid could have walked out at any point, and he didn't.

Irresponsible? Sure. Murder? No way.

Tom Earp · #11 12-12-2005, 06:42 PM

Peer pressure manytimes does strange things to people who want to be accepted!

SigmaPezY60 · #12 12-21-2005, 10:33 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by adpiucf
Wow. You get 30 days in jail, a $500 fine and that's it--- for killing someone... Yeah, that sends a really strong message out there... Oh wait. I forgot. They have to apologize, too. "I'm sorry I murdered your child." And then they're home free.

Yup. That sends a really strong message out to the masses.

yes i'm sure GLO's feel real threatened by a 30 day jail sentence and $500 fine.

that just makes me sick....when there are people serving life for crimes they didn't even commit....we have 20 something frat boys taking a 30 day vacation to prison instead of going to Cancun for Spring Break....and pay a $500 fine instead of their semester dues.

again...i'm sure other fraternities and sororities are really going to stop hazing now that they could be punished with 30 days in jail and a $500 fine.

AlphaPhiBubbles · #13 12-24-2005, 12:32 AM

For what it's worth...despite the seemingly light sentences and fines, this whole incident has affected the Chico State campus and greek system immensly. There was still some hazing going on (among other unsavory activities) in other fraternities and sororities that has been stopped.

I do agree that these men got off easy though...

SigmaPezY60 · #14 12-24-2005, 04:08 AM

it may have affected Chico State, but this incident has set a precident legally. If a similar case comes up in the future (which I'm sure it will undoubtedly happen again somewhere in the US) the case of what happened at Chico will be looked at and others will face similar light punishments.

On a national level, I don't feel as though many Greeks feel threatened by the potential consequences.

I suppose the fact that these men's lives are now ruined because they will live with the guilt and the criminal record.

AlphaPhiBubbles · #15 12-25-2005, 03:18 AM

I see what you are saying, and as I wrote that post my boyfriend said the exact same thing. So yea it does really suck...I guess I was trying to put some kind of positive spin on it.