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Student arraigned, charged with disorderly conduct

April 8, 2008

One of the 28 MSU students arrested at Cedar Fest was arraigned Tuesday in East Lansing’s 54-B District Court and faces a single charge of misdemeanor disorderly conduct.

Arts and humanities freshman George Fraser said he was charged with throwing multiple beer bottles during the event.

Fraser said he threw a single beer can and hopes to review police video and photographs to prove his statement.

Disorderly conduct is typically punishable by up to 90 days in jail and a $100 fine, plus court costs, East Lansing City Attorney Dennis McGinty said.

“We’re typically enhancing the charges by account of participating in a riot,” he said.

Fraser said court clerks told him he could face an additional felony charge of inciting a riot, which could be filed as late as this summer.

“I think I was thrown into that category simply because I was there,” he said. “I feel like if I was to get inciting a riot, everyone should.”

East Lansing police Lt. Kevin Daley said the penalties individuals arrested at Cedar Fest face are strict but fair.

“I don’t know what the university or the city could have done any more in telling people, ‘If you participate … you’re going to be expelled,’” Daley said.

If he receives additional charges, Fraser said he plans to fight them — but hopes it doesn’t come to that.

“I’m hoping I don’t get charged with inciting a riot and I can just deal with the misdemeanor,” Fraser said. “I just really don’t want that on my record for job applications or grad school.”

Fraser said he feels he was an easy target for police because he was standing on the outskirts of the crowd, a move he thought would keep him out of trouble.

“In fact, it made me more obvious because police weren’t arresting people in the crowd,” he said. “It was a case of the wrong place at the wrong time.”

Police have said more arrests could be made as police review their own and civilians’ videos and photographs from Cedar Fest.

Police plan to create a Web site where citizens can post their images from the night and a Web site with pictures of unnamed, unlawful individuals believed to have taken part in Cedar Fest, Daley said.

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