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Friday, December 8, 2000
CAMPUS
THE BATTALION
Page 5 A
Cadets caught with 30-foot tree,
»/ Others admit to decoration theft
practice ii
By Sommer Bunce
h weekday me Battalion
spoitsknoJ Ten Corps of Cadets members
e streets,” 1 were stopped by police shortly before
good to dfr'M.m. Tuesday on Rock Prairie Road
Pcirents." with a 30-foot pine tree protruding
megaDely from the back of their pickup,
cornmimiij The tree, apparently taken from
s. He said'; Efrdzos County land, was taken by
all himm tie cadets with an intent to “deco
rate the quad,” said College Station
Police Department (CSPD) Sgt.
Dan Jones.
I “They appeared to be going all
otit,” Jones said.
I Earlier in the week. University
Police Department (UPD) officials
were alerted to a rash of stolen
Christmas decorations in the Col
lege Station area. A resident said the
■fenders were cadets, and UPD be-
ie typicalt
id gettioo
d.
and soror
mmunitya
fricatt-Aur.
o participi
>urs of serij
dlen saidd
f hergrr
mentomd 8‘ n searching Corps dorms to re-
nmunity. §
:e to be fir
»ack to tie,
cover the items, said Director Bob
Wiatt.
In a room on the fourth floor of
Dorm 7, police found three of the
stolen decorations, Wiatt said.
Three cadets, whose names have
not been released, admitted to tak
ing the decorations, he said. The
items were a wreath and two rein
deer lawn ornaments.
According to the Corps of Cadet
Headquarters, that floor is the resi
dence of Company P-2, a Navy and
Marine unit.
P-2 and Corps leaders were not
available for comment.
No charges have been filed for
either offense, Jones said. Besides
the traffic violations involving the
pine tree, which took up two lanes
of traffic and dropped branches on
the road, no criminal offense has
been tied to the incident. The cadets
may face charges from the Brazos
County Sheriff’s office if it is deter
mined that the tree was taken from
They have
admitted that it
was simply a
stupid, foolish
Christmas
prank”
— Bob Wiatt
UPD director
private land. One cadet was in
volved in both offenses, Jones said.
“The property involved is not of
huge monetary value,” he said.
“But things like Christmas decora
tions involve a deal of sentimental
value. Simply because of the quan
tity of offenses and the number of
items taken, it’s too early to say
that nothing will be done about
this. There will be some type of
restitution.”
The names of the three cadets who
took the ornaments have been turned
over to the Department of Student
Life for possible disciplinary action,
Wiatt said.
“They have admitted that it was
simply a stupid, foolish Christmas
prank,” he said.
The cadets involved will face
disciplinary action from the Office
of the Commandant, said assistant
Commandant for Corps Discipline
Col. Rick Mallahan.
i me, and a
iobs to be Is
Appeals court reverses dismissal ruling
on A&M regent’s misconduct conviction
! mu
1 AUSTIN (AP) — A state appeals court on
Wednesday reversed a lower court’s ruling that had
ihrown out the official misconduct conviction of a
former Texas A&M University regent.
I The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals said the
iwer appeals court was wrong when it ruled that
le evidence against Ross D. Margraves was in-
jufficient and that the state law used to convict him
was unconstitutionally vague.
Brazos County District Attorney Bill Turner,
/ho prosecuted the case, said the ruling stopped
short of reinstating the conviction, but ordered the
lower court to reconsider Margraves’ case.
Turner said he hoped the ruling would prompt
the lower court to uphold the conviction.
‘The point of the case was that the rule of the
law applies equally to everyone regardless of their
status,” Turner said.
Margraves’ attorneys could not immediately be
reached for comment.
Margraves served on the A&M Board of Re-
Igents from 1989 to 1994 and was chairman in 1993
[when he used a University airplane for a trip to
[Louisiana State University (LSU).
His son was graduating from LSU that week-
|end and Margraves and his wife made the trip,
[which cost taxpayers $ 1,435.
Margraves, charged with using the plane for
personal reasons, testified during his 1996 trial that
the main reason for the trip was business. He said
he went to discuss the possibility of A&M chang
ing athletic conferences.
He said the graduation was the secondary
reason.
Margraves was convicted of a third-degree
felony of official misconduct. A plea agreement or-
“The point of the case
was that the rule of the
law applies equally to
everyone regardless of
their status”
— Bill Turner
Brazos County district attorney
dered him to be placed on four years probation,
fined $3,000 and pay $1,435 in restitution.
The 14th Court of Appeals in Houston, howev
er, reversed his conviction in 1999.
The lower court questioned the clarity of the
law used to prosecute Margraves. Other regents
and University officials were aware of the trip,
considered it vital and sanctioned it, the court said.
Prosecutors had dismissed the talks with LSU
as an excuse that was created only after an inquiry
started. They also countered that the law was still
broken because state property can be misused on
official business.
Che lower court had said the law was so vague
that it would subject officials to prosecution for in
nocent behavior, such as playing golf while at
tending a conference or lunching with a relative
while out of town on official business.
Clearly unconvinced by Margraves’ claims of
a business trip, the Court of Criminal Appeals
said such trips would not be converted into per
sonal ones any more than his personal trip was
turned into a business trip by his “trivial or sham
business conduct.”
The high court also said the law used to convict
Margraves was not vague.
The responsibility to distinguish between per
sonal and business expenses “has long been fa
miliar to those who own or run a business and file
their tax returns,” Judge Paul Womack wrote for
the court.
“It is not a great imposition on public officials
to ask them not to charge the state for their per
sonal trips,” the court said.
, IF YOU ORDERED a 2001 Aggielond and will not be on campus
next fall to pick it up, you can have it mailed. To have your
yearbook for the ’00-01 school year mailed, stop by 015 Reed
; McDonald Building or telephone 845-2613 (credit cards only)
| between 8:30 am and 4:30 pm. Monday through Friday and pay
: a $7 mailing and handling fee.
Cash, Check, Visa, MasterCard, Discover and American Express accepted
International Students
and families
are invited to
Christmas Eve Dinner
December 24, 5:30 p.m.
at Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church
1007 Krenek Tap Road, College Station
For a ride or more information, call 693-4514
Guests are invited to stay for
traditional Christmas Eve worship at 7:00
CARPOOL would like to thank all of our
sponsors for their generous contributions.
PrimeCo
Enterprise Rent-a-Car
Cox Communications
Plantation Oaks
Infinity Design
Xerox
Grin and Take It Defensive Driving
Papa John's
Double Dave's
Outback Steakhouse
Northgate District Association
Jim's Food Mart
Office Max
Carpools services will end Saturday, Dec. 9, 2000 and
begin Thursday, Jan. 18, 2001.
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To apply, or for more information, please call our Recruiting
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Ladies' Night
Ladies 18 and up in
FREE
y all night!
s 1.00 PINTS ALL NIGHT
$ 1.00 BAR DRINKS TIL 11 P.M.
696-5570
for details
Party Safe and Designate a Driver
Beat the Hell Outta Finals!
got
smiles?
Class of 2001
Bring your smiling faces to AR
Photography to get your FREE
Senior picture taken for Texas
A&M’s 2001 Aggieland yearbook.
No appointment needed.
Extended sittings available for
$10. Visit AR Photography at
1410 Texas Ave. South (next to
Copy Corner) or call 693-8183.
2 0 AGGIELAND ()'
In 1960, Texas A&M was still an all-male campus.
You've come
a long way,
Baby!
(979)845-2681
http://aggieland.tamu.edu
AGGIELAND
OUTFITTERS
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