Ition News: 76-DAILY Display Ads: 7640554 Classified Ads: 764-0557 One hundred eight years ofeditorzal freedom Friday January 15, 1999 Phi Delts plead not guilty at arraignment By Nick Bunkley Daily Staff Reporter Lawyers for 10 Phi Delta Theta fra- t ity members arraigned yesterday f alcohol-related misdemeanors argued outside the courtroom that their clients' actions at an Oct. 15 party have no relationship with Courtney Cantor's death - the first public comments from the side of the defendants. "I think that there's a very good pos- sibility they may be held as scapegoats or examples,' said Royal Oak attorney ddis, who represents a majority of t fraternity members. "I find that very unfair to them." The 10 defendants stood mute on the charges and pleaded not guilty at the Washtenaw County Courthouse yester- day morning. Earlier, the students, along with attorneys, family members and other fraternity brothers, solemnly filed into Ann Arbor City Hall just after 8:30 a.m. "They surrendered with their attor- neys," AAPD Lt. Jim Tieman said. "They were officially arrested, booked and taken to the courthouse." He added that the events occurred exactly as police had expected. The fraternity members emerged from City Hall less than two hours later with their lawyers and walked one block along Huron Street to the court- house. Presiding over Courtroom 9, Magistrate James Sexsmith set pre-trial hearing dates for the men during a 25- minute proceeding. Sexsmith released all 10 on personal recognizance and granted those who are not Michigan residents permission to leave the state. Personal recognizance means they do not need to post bond for release. All the fraternity members charged refused to comment and quickly left the building after exiting the courtroom. Joe Simon, a lawyer representing LSA sophomore Adam Feldheim, said he believes prosecutors looked for easy targets in the case involving the Cantor death. "This country ... tries to rectify per- sonal tragedy by finding blame," Simon said, "and I'm not comfortable with that." Cantor, an LSA first-year student, died early Oct. 16 following a fall from her sixth-floor Mary Markley Residence Hall window shortly after leaving a party at Phi Delta Theta. Witnesses told police they saw Cantor drinking at the party. Medical examiners determined her blood-alcohol level to be 0.059 per- cent, below the 0.10 percent level of legal intoxication. Toxicology reports on Cantor also showed the presence of an alcohol-enhancing drug known as "liquid ecstasy" or "lemons" in her blood. A witness named in the final Department of Public Safety report said she "heard some of the people were using 'lemons' that night," but See PHI DELT, Page 7 Phi Delta Theta member Jordan Schmidt fills out a form yesterday at the Washtenaw County 15th district court. The 10 members of the Phi Delt fraternity faced with various alcohol-related charges pleaded not guilty. NATHAN RUFFER/Do y CODE SNOW Suspended BroAdm d oks spakes out *Parking structures to offer free space 'M' football player suspended from 'U' By Jennifer Yachnin Daily Staff Reporter "It's time somebody knows my side of the story," Michigan offensive lineman Jason Brooks said last night as he spoke for the first time about incidents that tar- nished his reputation during the past year. Brooks received a letter last night informing him he has been suspended from the University, Brooks told The Michigan Daily late last night. The hand-delivered letter from the Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs states that Brooks was placed on "emergency suspension" for physically stalking or harming another person and stealing or destroying private or University property, Brooks said. Vice President for Student Affairs Maureen Hartford said she would "nei- ther confirm nor deny" the letter received by Brooks or the suspension itself. Under the Student Code of Conduct, the University's internal discipline sys- tem, the University can issue emergency suspension if a student poses an immedi- ate danger to any member of the University community. According to Hartford, the University issues only a "handful" of emergency suspensions each year. Brooks said Michigan football team fullback Ray Jackson had not received letters of suspension as of last night that he was aware of. Michigan football coach Lloyd Carr suspended Brooks and fullback Ray Jackson on Wednesday for violating team rules. The suspensions came in the wake of Brooks' and Jackson's alleged involve- ment in a fight at the Sigma Chi fraterni- ty at 548 S. State St. early last Friday morning. Fraternity members have told By Michael Grass Daily Staff Reporter University parking structures will be open to the public free of * charge starting tonight so residents can move their cars from area streets that are scheduled to be cleared of snow by the city of Ann Arbor. Starting tomorrow, a snow emer- gency will go into effect, forcing dri- vers to move their cars to off-street parking. "I would encourage students to take advantage" of the free *University parking, Ann Arbor Mayor Ingrid Sheldon said yester- day. The restrictions will be in effect until at least Jan. 21, excluding the Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday Monday, or "once your side of the street is cleared," said Bill Wheeler, city director of public services. During the snow emergency, on even days of the months, cars cannot be parked on the side of the street with even addresses. On odd days, cars cannot be parked on the odd side of the street. Any cars violating the parking restrictions will be towed and ticket- ed. Many campus areas are affected because they are in older parts of the city where streets are narrower and residents are often forced to park in the street due to lack of off-street parking. The excessive snowfall since the beginning of the year has clogged many local streets. Parking lanes that have been snowed in have forced residents to park in the vehicular lanes, often reducing two-way traffic to one, Wheeler explained. Many University students who park their cars in the street have been forced to dig their car out time and time again, each time a street is plowed. "Basically we have to get out and push whenever we have to go some- where," Engineering junior Tom Gentz said. "We need everyone's help for this effort," Sheldon said. ® Starting tomorrow, city crews will concentrate their plowing efforts on campus neighborhoods east of State Street, mainly north of-Huron See SNOW, Page 2 Michigan offensive lineman Jason Brooks holds the letter that was hand- delivered to his home last night. The Michigan Daily they saw Brooks throw a television from the window and steal a laptop computer and PlayStation from the fraternity. Brooks had no comment on the alleged thefts. But the fight, which is under investi- gation by the Ann Arbor Police Department, was racially provoked by the fraternity members, Brooks said. "The frat boys ran out of the house saying 'Where's that big nigger at?',' Brooks told The Michigan Daily late last night in his first public statements on the incident. The fraternity members, who appar- ently had been drinking, then attacked the football players in front of the Sigma Chi house, Brooks said. "I was on the ground like a turtle shell getting kicked," Brooks said. "I See BROOKS, Page 7 impeachment trial DAVID ROCHKIND/Daily Top: LSA senior Violet Chow walks down South Division Avenue yesterday while it is closed for snow removal. Above: Bulldozers clear the avenue. Bo's son sues father, U' over souvenir seats t ETROIT (AP) - Former Michigan football h Bo Schembechler's son has sued his father, the University, its police and officials, alleging they tried to thwart his efforts to turn discarded stadium bleach- ers into souvenirs. Matthew Schembechler's suit - filed in U.S. District Court - alleges breach of contract and defamation in his attempts to raise money for a foun- Bo Schembechler, who retired as Michigan's foot- ball coach in 1989, said he was aware his son had run- ins with the school but knew no specifics. Regardless, the elder Schembechler said he finds his son's suit baf- fling. "Are you kidding me?" he told the Detroit Free Press for a story today. "I have no knowledge of what he's trying to do here" Schembechler said, the University awarded him a con- tract to clear old bleachers from Michigan Stadium over several years for free. So far, he has removed about 34,000 seats. The seats were installed when the stadium was built in 1927. In the 1950s, the University capped the red- wood and cedar with fiberglass. After removing the seats and fiberglass from them, Matthew WASHINGTON (AP) Before a jury of 100 silent senators, House pros- ecutors yesterday demanded President Clinton's removal from office, charging he had "piled perjury upon perjury" and obstructed justice. Senate Republican leaders suggested Clinton might be invited to testify at his impeachment trial. "I think he should be invited, or at least I don't have a problem with him being invited," GOP Whip Don Nickles told reporters at the conclusion of the have been thrashed out for more than a century, the first presidential impeach- ment trial in 131 years trial unfolded in an atmosphere of uncommon gravity. "Failure to bring President Clinton to account ... will cause a cancer to be pre- sent in our society for generations' asserted Wisconsin Republican James Sensenbrenner, standing in the well of the chamber to address the senators and a nationwide television audience count- ed in the millions. The nation's 42nd president was in the White Hous~e nrenaina for next I