Conviction ends two-day Cedar Fest trial for student
After two days of trial, six witnesses and almost three hours of deliberation Tuesday, a six-person jury delivered an assortment of decisions about a criminal justice sophomore’s participation in April’s Cedar Fest riot.
Jordan D. Leigh, who was charged with four counts of disorderly conduct and the misdemeanor offense of minor in possession, was found guilty of minor in possession.
“It’s been two days of interesting testimony and evidence, conflicting testimony and evidence,” East Lansing Assistant City Attorney Erin Housefield said in her closing arguments.
The jury found Leigh not guilty of disorderly conduct by public intoxication, hindering or resisting a police officer and assembling for riot. The jury was unable to reach a decision on the charge of disorderly conduct by throwing or projecting a missile.
Much of the case centered around what kind of object Leigh threw at Cedar Fest.
“The jury had to make a determination about the believability of whether it was a can or a cup, and by virtue of the verdict, I think they were not able to conclude beyond a reasonable doubt that it was a beer can,” defense attorney George Zulakis said.
He said the jury’s decision sent a message that the city’s case was not proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
“The whole thing has been a long journey, and it’s been really rough. It’s had its high points, it’s had it low points,” Leigh said.
But the process is not finished.
It is the prosecutor’s decision what the next step will be, Zulakis said.
The case will likely continue as though Tuesday’s trial was never held, and the city attorney will have to determine whether or not to will re-try the case with a different jury, Zulakis said.
The city attorney was not available for comment after the verdict was reached.
“I think it’s unfortunate that the prosecutor tried to extrapolate, from one alleged event, that our client committed many, many crimes. I think they wanted to do that hoping that something would stick,” Zulakis said.
Leigh and his friend, Jonathon Trumpour, a supply chain management sophomore, joked after the trial that Leigh never thought he would be so happy to get a minor in possession charge.
“I knew I was innocent of what they charged me, and I had faith this whole time that the truth would be powerful enough,” Leigh said.
Published on Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Comments
Tabloid Tactics?
09/24/08 @ 7:22am
Whats with the headline of this article? Since when is a student getting an MIP headline news in East Lansing? This is certainly true vis-a-vis a story of someone being acquitted of the more serious crimes of assembling to riot, drunk and disorderly, hindering arrest, and a hung jury regarding a fourth charge.
A.W.Ellison
09/24/08 @ 9:26am
I graduated in 1984 and Cedarfest was big then too. You can read about MSU then in my new book “A Pie in Every Eye”
This is the story of The Chefs…Campus Pie Assassins, as they pied professors during lectures in humungous lecture halls at Michigan State University from 1979 to 1981. The story covers how The Chefs came into being and came to be nationally known student pranksters during an era of free love, not having to register for the draft, and boozing-it-up legally at 18. Read about Thiamin, Niacin, Riboflavin, Carbohydrate, Calcium and Potassium Sorbate as they disciplined the faculty and mocked the status quo. So sit back, relax, enjoy your favorite beverage, smoke it if you got it, and read a tale for which the world was not yet prepared. Viva les Chefs!
http://stores.lulu.com/awe_artworx
Mike
09/24/08 @ 10:38am
The headline in this article is completely misleading. As cedarfest, an ancient Spartan annual tradition which I hope to see my own children enjoy, continues, I’d like to see less enforcement and more freedoms. This kind of harassment by the ELPD and malicious prosecution to follow, tacked on to biased reporting interested in making this problem look worse than it is, it just horrible. The leadership of this newspaper, City, University and especially the ELPD is worthless and pathetic. This was a victory and vindication of Leigh, not a conviction.
Mike is right
09/24/08 @ 1:37pm
Wow, did the State News seriously publish this story with the headline
“Student at riot convicted of MIP”
I’m speechless, and I think Mike puts it best.
“The leadership of this newspaper, City, University and especially the ELPD is worthless and pathetic. This was a victory and vindication of Leigh, not a conviction.”
Roybean
09/24/08 @ 2:18pm
Dang: ANOTHER WHIPPER SNAPPER AVOIDS THE ROPE! That would have been a good headline. So far not much has really come from all the hoopla about ALL the bad people who attended Cedarfest compared to the actual convictions. What a waste of taxpayer money but without all this stuff half the ELPD would get laid off.
Mike P
09/24/08 @ 3:16pm
I find A.W. Ellisons comment both offensive and appalling. I was a student at MSU during the Chefs reign of terror. I don’t think the blatant assaults on teachers was at all funny. To this day I recall Dean Stiedle dripping blueberry pie from her face as i sat stunned as her attacker yelled ‘Vivia la Chefs’ as they fled the scene.
Clint Eastwood
09/24/08 @ 3:22pm
Roses are red
No evidence did they bring
When will justice prevail
In the city of East Lansing?????
Wouldn’t you love to see the price tag for this pathetic theatre of the absurd!!!!
Childhood Friend
09/24/08 @ 8:09pm
Does the City of East Lansing have any idea what they put this student and his family through for the past five months? Charged with five crimes, sufficient evidence of only drinking beer? I feel the only crime here was the failure to read the “town gown relationship” portion of the college guides.
Rebecca
09/25/08 @ 8:36am
The headline of this story is slanted and misleading, revealing the clear bias of this paper. While many of the events of the Cedarfest may have been destructive and reprehensible, as citizens in a democracy we should all respect the rule of law. In this case, an individual student was found not guilty of a number of serious charges. That decision was reached by a group of East Lansing citizens. The headline would lead most readers to the conclusion that Jordan was convicted of something more serious than having consumed alcohol. Don’t engage in yellow journalism just because you are angry at the individuals who actually did something wrong.