11 participants, that s one of them with hazing. in convicted the maximum anyone could face would be six years in prison. again, the question is why not murder or manslaughter charges? one answer says state prosecutors is that it would be tough getting convictions with the evidence that they have. the testimony obtained to date does not support a charge of murder in that it does not contain the elements of murder. we can prove participation in hazing and a death. we do not have a blow or a shot or a knife thrust that killed mr. champion. it is an aggregation of things which exactly fit the florida statute as written by the legislature. well, that statute was written seven years ago with the best intentions to hold people accountable for hazing deaths. you have to wonder, though, does the very fact that it s on the books allow some people to pay lighter penalties for causing someone s death than would otherwise be the case? the attorney for the champion family says so. he
ac 360 starts now. piers, thank you. good evening, it s 10:00 here on the east coast. we begin tonight, keeping them we begin tonight keeping them honest with the question that seems to have no simple answer. how can someone be fatally beaten, kicked and suffocated, allegedly by more than a dozen people, and yet none of those people, not one, face murder or manslaughter charges. that s one key question in the killing of florida a&m band member robert champion. he died from a brutal hazing, and he died from crossing bus c, where the victim is made to walk down the aisle of the band bus while bandmates hit him. in convicted the maximum anyone could face would be six years in prison. again, the question is why not murder or manslaughter charges? one answer says state prosecutors is that it would be tough getting convictions with the evidence that they have. the testimony obtained to date does not support a charge of murder in that it does not contain the elements of murder
while bandmates hit him. today florida prosecutors charged 11 alleged participants with what s called felony hazing. they charged two others with misdemeanors. if convicted, the maximum anyone could face for beating someone to death would be six years in prison. again, the question is why not murder or manslaughter charges? one answer, say prosecutors, is that it would be tough getting convictions with the evidence that they have. the testimony obtained to date does not support a charge of murder in that it does not contain the elements of murder. we can prove participation in hazing and a death. we do not have a blow or a shot or a knife thrust that killed mr. champion. it is an aggregation of things which exactly fit the florida statute as written by the legislature. well, that statute was written seven years ago with the best intentions to hold people accountable for hazing deaths. you have to wonder, though, does the very fact that it s on the books allow some people
today florida prosecutors charged 11 alleged participants with what s called felony hazing. they charged two others with misdemeanors. if convicted, the maximum anyone could face for beating someone to death would be six years in prison. again, the question is why not murder or manslaughter charges? one answer, say prosecutors, is that it would be tough getting convictions with the evidence that they have. the testimony obtained to date does not support a charge of murder in that it does not contain the elements of murder. we can prove participation in hazing and a death. we do not have a blow or a shot or a knife thrust that killed mr. champion. it is an aggregation of things which exactly fit the florida statute as written by the legislature. well, that statute was written seven years ago with the best intentions to hold people accountable for hazing deaths. you have to wonder, though, does the very fact that it s on the books allow some people to pay lighter penalties