>> ATTORNEY DAVID B YANKEE HAS BEEN RECOGNIZED AS ONE OF THE COUNTRY’S MOST SUCCESSFUL LAWYERS IN FRATERNITY HAZING CASES. AND IT DOES FEEL AS THOUGH WE’RE SEEING MORE OF THEM. HE IS JOINING US LIVE TONIGHT. APPRECIATE YOUR TIME. THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME. >> MICAH MATERRE: SO THERE ARE GROWING CALLS, AS YOU HAVE SEEN THAT A NUMBER OF COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES SHOULD ABOLISH GREEK LIFE. I THINK WE SHOULD START BY SAYING NOT ALL GREEK LIFE IS BAD, BUT THESE
CASES ARE HORRIFIC AND TURNED OUT TO BE DEADLY. DO YOU THINK THAT SOMETHING LIKE THAT. WHAT HAPPENED? >> NOW IT’S UNREALISTIC. WE NEED TO DO WHAT’S REALISTIC IMPOSSIBLE. I’VE BEEN INVOLVED IN THESE CASES FOR 30 YEARS ALL AROUND THE COUNTRY. THERE
HAVE BEEN OVER 60 FRATERNITY HAZING DEATHS SINCE THE YEAR 2000 AND AROUND THE COUNTRY. IT’S AN UNIMAGINABLE WELL, LET ME TELL YOU WHAT WE NEED TO DO TO STOP IT. EVERY UNIVERSITY HAS AN ANTI-HAZING POLICY. EVERY PATERNITY AS AN ANTI HAZING POLICY AND IT
ACCOMPLISHED NOTHING. THE UNIVERSITIES CAN STOP IT IF THEY DO THE FOLLOWING NUMBER ONE, THEY NEED TO EXPEL EVERYBODY INVOLVED IN INCIDENTS WITHIN 30 DAYS OF THE INCIDENT AND THEY NEED TO EXPEL EVERYBODY HOLDS AN OFFICE IN THE FRATERNITY CHAPTER WITH THE EVENT TAKES
PLACE. IF YOU DO THAT, THE FRATERNITY MEMBERS WILL BE THEIR OWN POLICE PATROL BECAUSE THEY DON’T WANT TO BE EXPELLED OR ALTERNATIVELY, NOBODY WILL SIGN UP TO BE AN OFFICER IN A CHAPTER THAT THE UNIVERSITIES ARE UNWILLING TO
EXPEL THE PEOPLE WHO DO IT AND THEREFORE THEY FEEL LIKE THERE’S NO CONSEQUENCE. SO THEY KEEP DOING IT. WHY DO YOU THINK THE UNIVERSITIES ARE DOING MORE. I’VE SEEN IT ALL AROUND THE COUNTRY. THEY’RE NOT DOING IT BECAUSE THEY’RE AFRAID OF THE CONSEQUENCES OF
EXPELLING THESE GUYS BECAUSE THE PARENTS LAWYERS AND SUE AND MY ATTITUDE IS SO WHAT AND THEY’RE AFRAID OF THE FRATERNITY ALUMNI. A LOT OF FLORIDA WILL CONNECT GETTING THAT MONEY AND THEY’RE AFRAID IT WILL CUT OFF THE MONEY FLOW TO THE UNIVERSITY. AND MY
ATTITUDE IS SO WHAT THE UNIVERSITY IT WILL SURVIVE WITHOUT THEM. BUT YOU CAN HAVE EVERY SEMINAR, EVERY POLICY, ADMONISHED PEOPLE TO GIVE THEM SLAPS ON THE WRIST AND THEY COME LATE LETTER TO ENERGY. IT’S USELESS. YOU HAVE TO EXPEL THE PEOPLE WHO DID IT
WITHIN 30 DAYS. AND IT’S STILL EVERY OFFICER OF THE CHAPTER WITHIN 30 DAYS AND IT WILL STOP. >> LAUREN MAGIERA: AND THERE IS ANOTHER LAYER TO ALL OF THIS WRITING 44 STATES HAVE LAWS THAT PROHIBIT HAZING BUT NOT MANY STATES GO AS FAR AS
MAKING HAZING A FELONY. SO WHY DON’T MORE STATES TAKE HAZING SERIOUSLY. AND WITH THAT MAKE A DIFFERENCE. >> LET ME TELL YOU MY PRINCIPAL OFFICES IN FLORIDA. HE SINGS A FELONY HERE BECAUSE I WROTE THAT LAW AND IT DOES
MAKE A DIFFERENCE. I HAD A RECENT CASE HERE IN FLORIDA AND WITHIN 60 DAYS OF THE INCIDENT. THE STATE ATTORNEY PROSECUTED 9 GUYS WHO ARE INVOLVED IN THE DEATH BECAUSE THEY MADE THE YOUNG PLEDGE DRINK AN ENTIRE BOTTLE OF
WILD, TURKEY AND HE DIED AND THEY ALL WENT TO JAIL. AND I CAN TELL YOU IT IS CHANGING BEHAVIOR. WHY DON’T THE OTHER STATES DO IT BECAUSE THERE’S NOT ENOUGH BIG ENOUGH PUSH TO DO. >> BUT IT NEEDS TO BE THERE.
WELL, THERE IS A PUSH, THOUGH, RIGHT NOW IN THE HOUSE, A BILL INTRODUCED PUSHING TO CRIMINALIZE HAZING ON A NATIONAL LEVEL. IF PASSED WITH THAT WORK WITH THAT HELP SOLVE IT. >> IT WOULD HELP. SO I GUESS IT WOULD. WOULD. I THINK EVEN
MORE IMPORTANTLY THAN THE CRIMINAL STATUTES BECAUSE THEY’RE ONLY AS GOOD AS THE DISTRICT ATTORNEYS AND STATE ATTORNEYS WERE WILLING TO PURSUE THE CHARGES. AND I CAN TALK TO YOU FOR NOW ABOUT HORRIFIC ACTS OF HAZING WHERE PEOPLE DIED WHEN NOBODY GETS PROP.
>> IT LOOKS LIKE WE MAY HAVE WE MAY HAVE LOST THE ATTORNEY DAVID THE ON KEY. BUT WE’VE GOT A LOT OF GOOD INFORMATION THERE. AND AS IT STANDS THAT BILL IN THE HOUSE IS NOW WORKING ITS WAY THROUGH COMMITTEE TO ADDRESS
CRIMINALIZING HAZING ON A
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