2008 Woodie Awards
MU junior becomes 2nd to accept plea agreement
Stacey Skotzko
Issue date: 1/25/08 Section: Front Page
More than nine months following the initial charges placed against her, Miami University junior Maureen Grady settled on a plea agreement Thursday morning at Butler County Area I Court.
Grady's arrangement makes her the second to accept a plea agreement in the group of five Miami students who were charged in relation to furnishing former Miami student, Beth Speidel, with alcohol in April 2007. Speidel was hit and killed by a CSX train early in the morning April 14 and had a blood alcohol level nearly three times the legal limit.
Grady, instead of facing her initial charges for furnishing alcohol for Speidel while at Pachinko Bar uptown, agreed to instead accept charges of underage drinking-both are
first-degree misdemeanors.
Officials at Butler County Court stated that within her agreement made before acting Judge Kevin McDonough, she would need to pay a $500 fine, plus court costs, and attend a two-day alcohol awareness course. She would also be placed on two years unsupervised probation.
As with any first-degree misdemeanor, this charge could be expunged from her record.
Grady initially was to have a court date Thursday afternoon, however her Columbus attorney and the Butler County prosecutor reached an agreement before actually going to trial.
Grady's settlement follows student Danielle Davis' agreement in October, where Davis agreed to donate $100 to a law enforcement trust fund, attend a two-day alcohol awareness program and perform 30 hours of community service.
Grady's case was unique in that her statements gathered from the Oxford Police Department following Speidel's death were to be used as evidence if the case went to trial-the statements of fellow students Kathleen Byrne and Kristina Sicker were both suppressed, stating the procedures violated their Miranda rights. The three were all allegedly questioned by Oxford Police Department Detective Shelly Sikora following Speidel's death. In a decision issued by Judge Robert Lyons, "the incriminating statements made by Grady were not in response to questions asked by Detective Sikora."
Grady's arrangement makes her the second to accept a plea agreement in the group of five Miami students who were charged in relation to furnishing former Miami student, Beth Speidel, with alcohol in April 2007. Speidel was hit and killed by a CSX train early in the morning April 14 and had a blood alcohol level nearly three times the legal limit.
Grady, instead of facing her initial charges for furnishing alcohol for Speidel while at Pachinko Bar uptown, agreed to instead accept charges of underage drinking-both are
first-degree misdemeanors.
Officials at Butler County Court stated that within her agreement made before acting Judge Kevin McDonough, she would need to pay a $500 fine, plus court costs, and attend a two-day alcohol awareness course. She would also be placed on two years unsupervised probation.
As with any first-degree misdemeanor, this charge could be expunged from her record.
Grady initially was to have a court date Thursday afternoon, however her Columbus attorney and the Butler County prosecutor reached an agreement before actually going to trial.
Grady's settlement follows student Danielle Davis' agreement in October, where Davis agreed to donate $100 to a law enforcement trust fund, attend a two-day alcohol awareness program and perform 30 hours of community service.
Grady's case was unique in that her statements gathered from the Oxford Police Department following Speidel's death were to be used as evidence if the case went to trial-the statements of fellow students Kathleen Byrne and Kristina Sicker were both suppressed, stating the procedures violated their Miranda rights. The three were all allegedly questioned by Oxford Police Department Detective Shelly Sikora following Speidel's death. In a decision issued by Judge Robert Lyons, "the incriminating statements made by Grady were not in response to questions asked by Detective Sikora."
Be the first to comment on this story