Hazing trial starts for 1 FAMU band member
ORLANDO, Fla. - A judge has postponed the cases of three of the four remaining defendants facing charges in the death of a Florida A&M drum major.
Judge Renee Roche delayed the trial Monday at the request of attorneys for defendants Benjamin McNamee, Aaron Golson and Darryl Cearnel. They say they haven't had the opportunity to question witnesses about hazing charges that were added to the case.
Their trials are now set for April.
However, the trial of Dante Martin began as scheduled Monday with jury selection and is expected to last a week.
All have pleaded not guilty.
The trial comes almost three years after drum major Robert Champion, of Decatur, Georgia, died from what authorities say was a hazing ritual in November 2011.
Champion's death led to the FAMU band's more than one-year suspension and contributed to the resignation of FAMU's president.