BELLEFONTE, Pa. — The father of a Penn State student who died from injuries suffered during a fraternity pledge night earlier this year said he’s exasperated by the pace of an ongoing pre-trial hearing for students charged in connection with his son’s death.
Jim Piazza released a statement late Tuesday that said he has not seen much evidence of remorse from defendants in the courtroom during three days of the preliminary hearing to determine if there’s enough evidence to send the case to county court for trial.
“For those parents of defendants who believe their son was improperly charged, I encourage you to talk to your son and to come forward with everything they have that is helpful,” Piazza said. “If they do, I will be extremely supportive.”
The hearing involves the now-shuttered chapter of Beta Theta Pi and 16 of the 18 young men accused of various crimes related to the February death of 19-year-old Tim Piazza of Lebanon, New Jersey. Two of the defendants waived the hearing.
It’s an early stage in the proceedings, and none of the defendants have been convicted of any crime. On Tuesday, several of the defense lawyers cross-examined the lead detective about the investigation. The hearing is tentatively expected to continue next month.
Jim Piazza, who sat in the front row of the courtroom gallery on Tuesday with his wife and civil attorneys, said defense attorneys have been trying to “shift the focus, shift the blame, and shift the responsibility” away from their clients.
“Tim’s death was no accident,” he wrote. “The facts show that there was a calculated plan carefully carried out by people who knew what they were doing and that it was wrong.”
