Sentenced Six Years For Hazing Death

In this article we read about a former college band student's sentence for participating in a brutal hazing incident that killed drum major, Robert Champion Jr. at Florida A&M University. Dante Martin, the defendant was charged with manslaughter and felony hazing after the incident, which happened in 2011. After a period of time the case went to court for the sentencing of Mr.Martin in 2014 but the sentencing court date was held on January 9, 2015. When closing arguments were finished it was time to deliberate, in the end the decision was made to sentence him to 77 months in prison.

There were fifteen people charged in the death of Mr. Champion, but as supported by the judiciary system they were each tried differently. Everyone involved in the crime did not receive the same sentence or the same charge. This is mostly due to the fact that they each played different roles in the incident. They each were also given the right to fair trial and had a chance to defend themselves with the help of a lawyer in the courtroom. It is then left up to the two sides, prosecution and defense to prove their case in court and in the end it is either a jury or judge that decide the fate of the defendant. To me this article is the perfect example to show the way the court system works in the United States, specifically Florida in this case and how it delivers justice for people’s actions.

I choose this article because I remember hearing about this awful incident when it first happened. Reading the disturbing details of the case had made hope that justice would eventually be served to the participants of this ritual. I find it appalling that a simple band tradition could become as brutal as to be the event that takes someone’s life. The defendant in this article, Dante Martin’s role in court was described as the leader of the incident by the prosecution. His role as the leader got him the 77 month or roughly six year sentence that he was dealt with. For the charges that he received he definitely received the lower end of sentencing range which could have been more than 20 years. After both sides presented their case I believe that justice was served to each of the fifteen participants in respectfully different ways.

Sources

http://www.cnn.com/2015/01/12/us/florida-famu-hazing/index.html
http://www.theroot.com/articles/culture/2014/11/ex_famu_marching_band_member_dante_martin_found_guilty_in_hazing_case.html