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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (April 25, 1995)
ATHLETES Continued from Page t him from assaulting her, at cord ing to the police report Shortly after the incident, the victim notified poli< o she want ed to drop the charge* against Matepeai because she didn’t ' want the whole foot!wall team" after her Arguably, an element of fear does exist for students pushing forward with charges against athletes But whether that fear translates into actual retribution remains unclear "I don't have any reason to believe there would he am repercussions for a student who signed a complaint (against an athlete)." wild Dan Williams, the Oregon interim athletic dine tor “I can't keep people from think ing that, hut that's not to say there aren’t problems " When Mark Rrndley Schmidt hit two members of the Chi Psi fraternity on April 2T 18*14. he was arrested and charged with fourth-degree assault and tres passing He told responding poli< e officers he had a had day on the practice field and was very upset when he struck the two students. The altercation occurred when Schmidt and other foot ball players were asked to leave a party at the fraternity "I told him he was going to have to go." said the 22-year-old then-president of the fraternity, who spoke on condition of anonymity, "As i was turning away. I got clocked in the face “He kind of typifies players who are assholes You don't see that kind of behavior from has ketball players or trai k athletes " Schmidt then proceeded to hit another student and tried to hit a third, according to the police report “Any time an organization ha* students living in fear and it* member* have numerous run in* with polue. something needs to be done." said a On I’m member, who didn't want to lx* identified People are afraid of retribution ! know I'm afraid to testify because they can find me The charge* against Schmidt were later dropped when the victims declined to sign a corn plaint “There was some laziness ami apathy on my part. " the former Chi Psi president said "In retro spect. seeing what happened to those guv* in D*x ember. I wish I had signed la complaint! " On December t. 19‘H. seven months after the Chi Psi mci dent. Schmidt struck two addi tional students, according to a Pugene police report He was charged with fourth degree assault and two counts of harassment after allegedlv strik ing Chad Cruchley. 22. in the chest and hitting Robert Kngal rnann in the face Schmidt pleaded not guilty at a De< 15 arraignment and faces a Jury trial on May it 1 Schmidt's hand was put in a cast after the incident, and he was not allowed to start in the Rose Howl hut did see consider able playing time in the grand daddy of all bowl games He may face further disi iplinarv actions by the Athletic Depart ment. pending the outcome of his trial "These incidents aren't ignored." said Steve Deliver, University sports information director. "Deplorable conduct faces consequences, it is not swept under the carpet " Deliver said athletes guilty of misconduct face penalties rang ing from suspension from one game to suspension for the sea son. "The*** are young responsible men who know right from wrung. .aid hand coach Mike Bollotti, who took over the pro gram in February after these incidents took plat >* Yet the intimidation theme carries through in another r»i mil C.«*e On Jnn 22. 1995. Danin Shawn Lewis was arrested on felony criminal mist hief and menacing charges aftor ho ran his girlfriend's BMW over two curbs and kicked out two of the vehicle's windows Arrested at Ins apartment after the incident, he told police he was mad as hell at his girlfriend, a 19-year-old student, and want ed to get back at her Lewis’ girlfriend told police she was "si ared to death he was going to hurt me" and said Lew is had hit her before, hut she didn't call police because she feared Lewis She later refused to prosecute and denied her statements to police, although her signature does appear on a police report asking that Lewis lie arrested Although Levs is admitted to police he did cause the damage to the vehicle, the i use was ills missed "Those statements [made to polo e| would be admissible in court,'' Lane County District Attorney [kntg Harcleroad said "If we have a damage to prop ertv case and a victim who doesn't really want logo forward with it. then we're not going to In* excited about going forward with it no matter who it is Han Inroad i ites a limited bud get and an overwhelming case load as two of the primary rea soils his office won't often pur sue cases in which the victim dm.ides not to file a i omplaint "We have an ethiud duty to the citizens of lame County to pros m ute cases that are high priori ty he said ‘While we try not to triage a* a practical matter, we do triage" In some iii<es. plea negotia tions in the regular scheme of the criminal justice system add fuel to rumors of preferential treat ment When Herman O’Berrv was arrested for driving while inlov icated and res kless driving on Nov 14. 1W t. he refiis*>d to take the Breathalvzer test Such a refusal would normallv result in a one year rvvm ation of a driver s license Because it was his first offense, Ken Morrow. O'Bern s law ver and Man Schnatxd, the < ity pros es titor worked out a deal where all the i ha ryes would lx> drupjied if O'Henry sui t essfully i omplet <><) a div ersion program in which he would seek I Ollllsellllg Morrow, a high priled hugene criminal defense lawyer whoso inline appears as the attorney of* record on nearly every < ase involving a football player, said he does not donate his time to student athletes "I will represent any student at a reduced rate," he said Morrow do* lined to dm* uss sj>e< iflc fees minting to students Morrow has represented Ore gon football players in at least eight » ases over the past two veers, according to court records He is currently mpresenting Mari S< hmidt, who fa< es i May U trt al on fourth degree assault charges l ast year. Morrow slltiessful ly negotiated a civ it compromise with a Veneta woman who filed a criminal misi hief complaint against l ast Malepeui The court m i epted the i timpronuse and the <aise was dismissed * I I 1 rl un fill vour rwrtk Oils Vuruivs \Wk. Ik ii l ot 20 Notrunrs SSr mu inrrl vihu Uicljjrt imtiIn Hucuiv > {Ullwn Lk’UHUd t ipirNN your nth*n i,n dll thing, tlirv do with ih(, Li>n>[(ui rtuUr &f Uir» U.»VH|Un 4t» hnfrd \%tth 4 )i»4,rt «>4 >wfth ' ■ • i t !'i & 4 - •& /ktisu s . flow rs ,y (lifts ■ 1 This Week s Luncheon Special Mee Siam $4.75 CHINA BLUE RESTAURANT ftv our armors. too' •79 1 IStH • Mmt ro uo •ookstorv • 543 7137 • Tue out kvnuo^e Catch Eugene’s best pizza specials at TRACK TOWN! A A A '••fU f, 3 SUPER STUDENT SPECIAL! Cheese or Pepperoni MEDIUM $495 LARGE $095 STUDENT I.D. REQUIRED Offer good Sunday through Thursday after 4:00pm only. \ Minimum $7.00 for delivery & add 25<? per box. 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