Rather Hall rulings get handed down
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Cunningham
Dell
Leggett
MSU wide receivers B.J. Cunningham and Mark Dell and former MSU running back Ashton Leggett were sentenced to 18 months of probation and 150 hours of community service last week on charges of assault and battery in East Lansing’s 54-B District Court.
The charges stem from a November 2009 dormitory brawl in Rather Hall where members of the MSU football team allegedly attacked members of the Iota Phi Theta fraternity.
Cunningham and Dell each pleaded guilty March 8 to one count of assault and battery, and counts of conspiracy to commit assault and battery were dropped.
Leggett pleaded guilty March 10 to two counts of assault and battery with one count of conspiracy dropped.
All three received more than $1,000 in court costs and fines.
Along with probation, Leggett must complete 30 days of alcohol testing, which is scheduled to begin Monday.
News organizations present at the sentencing reported that the alcohol testing stems from a Facebook post Leggett made implying he had been drinking.
Leggett said in court he was not drinking and posted the message to impress a girl, according to reports.
Leggett is attending Illinois State University and is listed on the school’s football roster.
Cunningham and Dell said in court that they were remorseful for their actions.
Jim Newton, Cunningham and Dell’s attorney, said both men were willing to accept responsibility for their actions and make amends for what they had done.
Cunningham apologized in court to the people affected by the altercation.
“I would like to apologize to the individual,” he said. “I would like to apologize to his family also. My actions don’t represent who I am. I am very sorry.”
Judge David Jordon reminded Cunningham and Dell about the weight of their actions and said he had faith they could get back on the right track.
“To (community) kids, you’re like a god,” Jordon said.
“It’s up to you to let them know that it’s important to do the right thing. I believe you can do it, but if you give back to the faulty reasoning, you will get drawn off your path.”
Letters of support were submitted for Cunningham and Dell from family and friends expressing the character of the two men.
Jordon said the letters showed a large support group for both Cunningham and Dell.
Jordan said he hoped the two would take advantage of the people around them to fix their mistakes.
“It’s important to remember you have to focus on key decision times in your life,” Jordon said. This time you blew it, that’s for sure, but you’re not trying to hide that.
“That’s the beginning to taking care of the consequences and moving forward.”
Staff writer Lauren McKown contributed to this report.
Commentary
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chris
(03/08/10 2:08pm)Report
RCPD needs readers … great way to knock out some CS.
re: Chris
(03/08/10 2:52pm)Report
Chris,
These football players already have their books read to them, there is no way they would do that, they would do something real easy.
Anon
(03/08/10 3:25pm)Report
I look forward to wearing my orange jump suit in support of the team this Fall.
beau
(03/08/10 3:28pm)Report
Good thing they didn’t throw and firecrackers during the assualt or they’d be facing some serious time.
Wow
(03/08/10 11:09pm)Report
I cannot believe that this didn’t end in a jail sentence. So we send people to jail for flashing their boobs but if plan out an attack on a public school campus you get probation? These criminals should not only be sent to jail but they should be expelled from MSU. Abstain from alcohol is hardly a punishment for these morons.
And they seek reinstatement to the football team? How delusional are these idiots? The only thing beneficial from letting these guys back on the team is that there’ll be 75,000 people watching them for a few hours a week to make sure they don’t go off on someone else.
EL’s court is a joke-ELPD is a joke. If you can’t see this clear lack of justice, look harder.
Thomas Morrisey
(03/09/10 10:33pm)Report
I’m quickly losing faith in Coach Dantonio – the man seems competent in football, but this is a college team, not a pro sports organization. What is he doing to try and steward his players and help them develop as human beings, not just as football players?
Coach Izzo benches and suspends players for things like failing to show leadership, skipping class, and disrespecting teammates. I get the feeling that he genuinely puts his duty to help his players grow into adults ahead of his duty to win basketball games. Yet, even though he sometimes makes decisions that in the short term cost his team the use of talented players, he just keeps winning and his built MSU basketball into one of the absolute finest programs in the country.
Izzo understands long-term thinking and helping the players under his tutelage become better people. I think the quality of our basketball program springs directly from Izzo’s willingness to make those short-term sacrifices.
The situation with the football program is starting to become a real embarrassment for me as a Michigan State alumnus. I do not want to see my University in the news for having a rumble in a residence hall. If I were Lou Anna K., I would think long and hard about what a visible representative of the university the football program is, and seriously consider finding someone to run the football program who could put class and personal development ahead of everything else. I really don’t want Michigan State to develop a reputation like Miami had in the 1980s.
msu alum
(03/10/10 8:36am)Report
Well said Thomas! I am watching Coach Dantonio’s decisions closely. The football program may or may not see my support by renewing season football tickets.
J
(03/10/10 10:34am)Report
To Wow:
ELPD is a joke? EL Court is a joke? You DO realize how the legal system works right? MSUPD was the arresting agency, not ELPD. Regardless, neither one has anything to do with the sentencing of these players. Also, these two players entered into a plea agreement with the prosecutor in which the prosecutor either did or did not recommended sentences for these individuals. The court just enforced the agreement between the prosecutor and the defendants which they entered into via the plea agreement. The sentence is fair and it’s the sentence anyone else would get for doing the same thing.
Great Comment: Wow
(03/10/10 11:01am)Report
Well said!
But what J said explains it a little more
(03/10/10 11:07am)Report
wow, I like your comment “The only thing beneficial from letting these guys back on the team is that there’ll be 75,000 people watching them for a few hours a week to make sure they don’t go off on someone else.
EL’s court is a joke-ELPD is a joke. If you can’t see this clear lack of justice, look harder.”
But if what J has said is correct then he has a good point.
@beau, ha ha!
(03/10/10 11:09am)Report
Good one!
pirate_king
(03/10/10 2:30pm)Report
Well said, Thomas J. Morrisey.