Two college students pled guilty to charges stemming from their involvement in the Ogg Hall hate crime in December after seeing their charges reduced. Kevin Cochacki, a freshman from Purdue University, and Caleb Moore, an Auburn University freshman, pled guilty to disorderly conduct misdemeanors after felony criminal damage to property charges against them were dropped.
Cochacki and Moore were visiting Madison freshmen Michael Riha and Benjamin Chamberlain Dec. 21, when the four allegedly defaced the bulletin board of an LGBT liaison in Ogg by writing threats and spitting on the door.
Chamberlain and Riha have also since been cleared of the criminal damage to property charges against them.
Eric Trekell, director of the LGBT campus center, said, I'm sad that it came to court, that the whole situation occurred.\
He said he is more concerned about the UW-Madison students allegedly involved because the ""[the out of town students] have no further impact on this campus. What I would hope for is that the two students from this campus would choose to come back here and make a difference in terms of helping to change the climate and attitude they have engaged in here."" He also said neither Purdue nor Auburn have on-campus LGBT centers.
Riha is expected to appear in court June 20 for a final pre-trial and jury selection for his case, scheduled for July 24. Chamberlain pled guilty to a disorderly conduct misdemeanor in March, after a seeing his felony charge dropped.
The judge recommended the state-run First-Time Offenders Program to Cochacki and Moore, which could significantly reduce their sentences.
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