15 receive judgement for fight at UT Martin
By AMY McDANIEL
amcdaniel@jacksonsun.com
Sep 18 2003
Two University of Tennessee Martin students and a former student will serve jail time after being convicted of charges stemming from fights at an on-campus sorority party.
Twelve other men charged in the case will be on probation for almost a year, perform community service and pay fines and/or court costs. Most of the men are students or former students associated with the fraternities Phi Beta Sigma and Omega Psi Phi.
Fighting broke out about 12:30 a.m. Aug. 23 in the ballroom of the Boling University Center during a party held by Delta Sigma Theta, according to UTM's public safety office. Two sorority members were punched and a UTM officer was hit in the back with a chair, police said. Officers from UTM, Martin Police and the Weakley County Sheriff's Department responded and used pepper spray to break up the fights.
All 15 people who were charged appeared Wednesday in Weakley County General Sessions Court.
UTM's Student Conduct Office also has completed an internal investigation into the incident, said Katie High, vice chancellor for student affairs. She expects a written report today.
Former student Frankie Doss, 23, of West Point, Miss., was found guilty of assault but not of a charge of disorderly conduct, said Dawn Richards, deputy clerk for Weakley County Circuit and General Sessions courts. Doss was accused of striking the officer.
He will serve nine days in jail, followed by 11 months and 29 days of probation, Richards said. He also has been ordered to stay away from UTM's campus during his probation. Other terms of his probation include 20 hours of community service plus fines and court costs totaling $281.50.
Two students, Christopher Outlaw, 21, of Lawrenceburg, and Lemmie Gribbs, 21, of Memphis, will serve two days and face the same probation terms as Doss, except for having to stay off campus. They, unlike the others charged, had prior criminal records and were convicted Wednesday of disorderly conduct, Richards said. Outlaw had prior disorderly conduct and traffic convictions, and Gribbs had a theft on his record, she said.
Students Michael Fogle, 23, of Camden and Levi Duncan, 24, of Ustis, Fla., were accused of hitting the sorority members. They received pretrial diversions on their assault charges, meaning their records can be expunged after their probation if they don't get in any more trouble, Richards said. They will have the same terms of probation as the others, but won't have to pay fines, only court costs.
The other 10 people, charged with disorderly conduct, received judicial diversion, which is similar to a guilty plea but can be expunged after probation, Richards said. Their probation includes the community service, fines and court costs.
Those 10 people are Arthaniel Bailey III, 21, of Memphis; Robert Clay, 23, of Memphis; Darrell Davis, 26, of Memphis; Rico Olden, 22, of Covington; Travis Chambers, 20, of Memphis; Steward Perry, 23, of Memphis; Kelvin Williams, 23, of Memphis; Kortnie Dockery, 22, of Memphis; Sherman Boddie, 25, of Mason; and Therman Boddie, 25, of Mason.
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