The lawyer of football players Justin King and Jerome Hayes said his clients had no physical involvement in a fight last month and should have all charges against them dropped.

Ron McGlaughlin said cornerback King and redshirt sophomore linebacker Hayes should not be charged with disorderly conduct because they didn't hurt or threaten anyone in a fight in which six football players are charged. Officials announced charges Friday for the players, who allegedly forced their way into an apartment and assaulted partygoers April 1.

King and Hayes were charged Friday along with teammates Anthony Scirrotto, Chris Baker, Tyrell Sales and Lydell Sargeant for their alleged involvement in the off-campus fight.

King, Hayes, Sales and Sargeant face charges of criminal trespass, disorderly conduct and harassment. Scirrotto is charged with burglary, criminal trespass, simple assault, harassment and two counts of criminal solicitation, and Baker is charged with burglary, criminal trespass, simple assault, criminal mischief, disorderly conduct and harassment.

The incident occurred in a third-floor apartment at Meridian II, 646 E. College Ave., shortly after midnight, police said. Police said the fight at the Meridian stemmed from an earlier street confrontation on the corner of High Street and College Avenue.

McGlaughlin said he expects and hopes charges will be dropped at the preliminary hearing Friday, which will occur at the Centre County Courthouse in Bellefonte.

McGlaughlin said the charges against his clients stem from the fact that police cannot definitely determine who was actually involved in the fight.

His clients do not have any assault charges against them, but McGlaughlin said he doesn't believe his clients should be charged with disorderly conduct either since they did not physically harm anyone.

However, law enforcement officials believe the charges they have filed are appropriate, based on their investigation and witness testimony.

"If they went in knowing they were not to be there, as the allegation claims, that's when we believe the crime had occurred," Centre County District Attorney Michael Madeira said during a Friday press conference to announce the charges.

McGlaughlin said he understands that anyone who crossed the threshold of the apartment without being allowed access was committing a crime, but he does not think the players should be charged for trying to end a fight.

The players should not be penalized for walking by an open door, seeing their friends involved in a fight and attempting to end the conflict, McGlaughlin said.

"Just because you are at the scene where a crime may have been committed does not mean that they are guilty of anything," he said.

King told police he was trying to get his friends out of the apartment during the fight and told them "Yo. You got to get out of here," according to court documents. He said he followed the crowd to the apartment and later left the building by himself, according to the complaint.

Hayes also said he was trying to get his friends out of the apartment, according to the complaint. Later, when questioned by police, he said, "We went down to protect" and "We realized the whole confrontation shouldn't have been," according to court documents.

Two days ago, Tom Sales, Tyrell Sales' father, said his son also went in as a peacemaker.

McGlaughlin said he does not treat the case differently because his clients are football players.

"An allegation is an allegation. It doesn't matter if it's John Doe or a member of the football team," he said.

However, he acknowledged that the community has put more attention on the case because of the prominence of the defendants.

McGlaughlin said his clients "feel like anyone who has been charged with crimes they didn't commit."

They can't wait for the ordeal to be over and hope that it ends Friday with charges being dropped, he said.