Students released early from jail on good behavior

---

Tweet

Three students were released Monday from the Ingham County Jail more than two months early for serving good time, said Maj. Sam Davis, who oversees the jail.

MSU student Charles King III, 21, Lansing Community College student Michael Freund, 21, and Jordan Henika, 22 — a former MSU student not currently enrolled in classes, were sentenced to 120 days of jail time after they hosted a party that youths involved in a fatal drunken driving crash attended.

The driver of the car, then 17-year-old senior Brett Johnson, was sentenced on June 8 to four to 15 years in prison for driving while intoxicated and causing the deaths of 18-year-old Taylyr Cochran and 17-year-olds Holly Bossenbery and Anthony Harris.

Judge David Allen sentenced King, Freund and Henika to 120 days in jail, although noted if they complied with the terms of their probation they only had to serve 90 days.

The men were charged with one count of conspiracy to contribute to the delinquency of a minor, which was reduced from a charge of selling/furnishing alcohol to a minor causing death and two other alcohol-related felonies.

None of the men have previous criminal records.

Ingham County Assistant Prosecutor Bill Crino, the defense attorneys and all but one of the victim’s family members advocated for the men not to receive jail time during their sentencing June 23.

The students spent a total of 24 days in jail, too much according to Henika’s attorney, George Zulakis.

“The 24 days they have served was 24 days too many,” Zulakis said. “I still believe that the court overreacted with regard to these three men.”

Serving more time was not necessary for the men to understand the consequences of their actions, Ingham County Prosecutor Stuart Dunnings III said.

“Whatever benefit from the jail they would have gotten, they’ve gotten,” Dunnings said.

The men will be required to wear global positioning system tethers and take random drug tests.

The tether system has been implemented by the Ingham County Jail, as well as many other Michigan county jails, to help reduce overcrowding, Davis said.

“(The tether helps) just so we know where they are at all times,” Davis said. “It also helps us to know if in fact if they’ve been at a certain place.”

The men — with the exception of King, who works as a magician and disc jockey — are not allowed to be at any establishment that serves liquor during their two-year probation period. They also have an 11 p.m. curfew.

Now their jail time is completed, the men must work to finish 30 days of community service.

Part of their community service will be working with the Zip-Zero-Zilch, or Z0Z, Program to educate minors on the psychological, legal and chemical dangers of underage drinking.

All three expressed willingness to use their own mistakes to help educate others and prevent similar situations in the future.

Free from jail, the men have a chance to continue their lives normally and maybe begin school again in the fall, Freund’s attorney Scott Mertens said.

“Our clients are normal kids doing normal things,” Mertens said. “Their early release was something I was very happy to see — it allows them the possibility of attending school this fall, which was going to be completely out of the question.”

---