Defense pleased N.J. teens in football scandal to be tried as juveniles

By Sascha Brodsky (Reuters) - Lawyers for New Jersey high school football players charged in a hazing scandal that led to the remainder of the season being canceled praised on Tuesday a prosecutor's decision to charge their clients as juveniles. “This was a fair decision because this case properly belongs only in a juvenile court,” said Pamela Brause, a lawyer for one of the seven defendants from Sayreville War Memorial High School. “Only the most severe cases belong in an adult court.” The defendants’ lawyers were informed on Monday that prosecutors would not move the cases from juvenile to adult court. The teenagers, age 15 to 17, remain suspended from school, Brause said. Richard Klein, who represents another player, said the prosecutor “made the proper decision after a review of the evidence and the circumstances.” Prosecutors say hazing victims were held in the locker room against their will while other teammates improperly touched them. After the hazing came to light last month, seven football players were suspended and charged with sexually abusing four freshmen members of the team. Witnesses to the alleged attacks said older players would shout “hootie hoo” before flicking the lights on and off and tripping victims, the New York Times reported. In one case, two older players held a boy down by his arms while players punched, kicked and groped him. Three of the defendants face multiple charges including aggravated sexual assault, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in adult court. Cases tried in juvenile courts carry less harsh penalties and usually focus on rehabilitation instead of long prison terms. Gerald Alfonso, whose son is a freshman at the school and was not connected to the incident, said he was relieved at the prosecutor’s decision. “I don’t believe that taking these kids into adult court would have made things any better,” he said. Tony Vallillo, a local resident who graduated from the high school in 1962, said: “I think they did something wrong but the punishment if they are tried as adults would be too severe.” Last month, school officials suspended five coaches at the school, including head coach George Najjar, who led the team to three state titles. School district Superintendent Richard Labbe canceled the remainder of this year's high school football season and said he was considering suspending the program in future years as well. (Reporting by Sascha Brodsky in New York; Editing by Barbara Goldberg and Eric Beech)