News
Charges go away in machete event
Looking for a print version?
Simply use your browser’s ‘Print’ command and a printer-friendly document will be generated automatically.
Also by Courtney Johnson:
- Construction pops up on State Street this spring (November 6, 2007)
- Woods ahead in fundraising race (March 28, 2007)
- E-mail sparks privacy concern (October 9, 2007)
- Big Ten Network reaches deal with UW housing (August 31, 2007)
- City agency to run Halloween entertainment (May 10, 2007)
Sharing tools:
E-mail this article:
Charges were dropped against four Madison men involved in an altercation on the 200 block of Lakelawn Place last week.
The men, three of whom were University of Wisconsin students and members of the Acacia fraternity, were involved in a fight with a pitchfork and a machete. According to a release from the Madison Police Department, the fight started after the men heard noises outside coming from people who were camped outside the fraternity in a "large tent."
No one was injured as a result of the altercation. However, charges were tentatively filed against the four men — Justin Baker, 22, was charged with disorderly conduct while armed; Jeffrey Schorfheide, 20, was charged with disorderly conduct while armed; Matthew Christiansen, 22, was charged with resisting; and George Halkias, 22, was charged with disorderly conduct and resisting. Schorfheide, a UW junior, is the photo editor for The Badger Herald.
Assistant District Attorney Mike Verveer said the District Attorney's Office has decided not to pursue criminal or non-criminal charges.
"The office felt that each of the four cases lacked prosecutorial merit," Verveer said. "They were given today as their mandatory court date, but because we declined to charge them, none of them needed to appear in court this morning."
Verveer said the four men, who were all initially taken to the Dane County Jail, will have the cash bail they posted returned to them.
When interviewed after the incident, MPD Public Information Officer Mike Hanson said he was unsure why the tent was outside the Acacia fraternity to begin with.
10 Comments | Leave a comment
Leave a comment
Herald Blogs
The Beat Goes On
Fans of Waits will not be disappointed
Muckrakers
Report: Barrett to make decision by the end of the week
Extra Points
Top Classified Ads (view all)
SPRING SUBLET: 1 bedroom in 2 bedroom at the Aberdeen. Rent negotiable. Email arkramer@wisc.edu
GENTLE WOMEN...THROUGH the lens of Douglas J. Nesbit, newly released book now available for holiday gifts! www.gentlewomen.us
IP hash: 7c35366a
Obviously this is the Democrat’s fault. - Germain Q. Stemme
IP hash: 9eed8a43
Oh my god, courtney, jesus do some research. It was a party. Night on the nile. they do it every year. you’re so busy writing stories trying to bust people you don’t even look into more facts.
IP hash: 87a96f6a
Nice double standard for the rich kids, huh?
IP hash: 3ecedbc8
I think daddy got them out of this one
IP hash: 2d7a3c65
How does this article ‘bust’ anybody? It’s saying the charges were dropped. If the police don’t know why the tents were there, they don’t know, and that’s all this says.
Stop misplacing your anger.
IP hash: 07082f64
Clearly this is the Republican’s fault. - Germain E. Stemme
IP hash: 969f3c16
Get your facts straight. Jeff is the only one of the four who is a member of Acacia.
IP hash: d98097b9
Some research would be very nice, only one person involved was a member of Acacia. Furthermore, the instigators of the event were members of another fraternity. The lack of factual basis for most of this makes it an opinion article, if you must write opionion articles please do not try to pawn them off as news.
IP hash: 02b2759d
VIVA LOS FRATERNITY GUYS!
IP hash: dd32d8d0
The only reason this has gotten any news at all is because this Schorfheide dude is on the staff of the BH. Otherwise, nobody would give a darn. This just goes to show how the incestuous BH reporters pretend to report news with indulging in petty navel gazing.