Prosecution and defense have made their closing statements for the second preliminary hearing of the Penn State hazing death case. The judge is expected to rule on the charges Wednesday.
After cross-examinations with State College Police Detective David Scicchitano, defense attorneys made their closing statements one by one. The common theme was that the prosecution has no new evidence compared to the first hearing last year.
Defense lawyers argued fraternity members each had minimal responsibility in giving Tim Piazza alcohol and recognizing his fatal injuries.
Chief Deputy Attorney General Brian Zarallo rebutted those claims. In his closing statement, he said the fraternity members had a duty of care when they served alcohol to minors.
Judge Allen Sinclair dismissed the most serious charges last September, including involuntary manslaughter charges that were refiled. He is expected to rule on both the refiled charges and new charges on Wednesday.
