Nearly five months after an altercation in the HUB-Robeson Center, a fourth Penn State football player was charged yesterday in connection with the violent fight.
Former defensive tackle Phillip Taylor, 19, was arraigned yesterday before Magisterial District Justice Jonathan Grine on one felony charge of ag-gravated as-sault as well as misdemeanor charges of simple assault and disorderly conduct and a summary charge of harassment and stalking, according to court documents. He was released without bail to return to court for a preliminary hearing on March 12.
The arraignment comes three-and-a-half months after three other football players were charged in connection with the incident, a delay Centre County District Attorney Michael Madeira acknowledged.
"We've been trying to work with the victim -- trying to work with witnesses and with the timing of the Judicial Affairs hearing," Madeira said, referring to last week's unfinished disciplinary hearing for former defensive tackle Chris Baker, who is also facing criminal charges from the fight. The victim was set to testify at the hearing but did not, Madeira said.
State College attorney Ron McGlaughlin confirmed yesterday that he is representing Taylor but declined further comment.
According to court documents regarding Baker's charges, Baker identified Taylor as punching victim Varney Capehart, an out-of-town fraternity member. Baker told police he also observed Taylor, along with several other players, kicking the victim while he was on the floor.
Additionally, former defensive back Knowledge Timmons, also charged in the fight, identified Taylor as punching the victim at the conclusion of the fight, court documents state.
During a preliminary hearing for Baker and former linebacker Navorro Bowman on Dec. 5, the victim positively identified Taylor as an attacker while Taylor sat in the courtroom gallery observing his teammates' hearing.
Taylor, a sophomore from Clinton, Md., was temporarily suspended from the football team in early February until "[his] academic situation improves and any off-the-field issues are behind [him]," according to a statement released by the athletic department last month. Former wide receiver Chris Bell was suspended from the team at the same time and has also been mentioned in court documents as a participant; however, he is not facing criminal charges.
Baker, Bowman and Timmons were "excused" from the football team in late January.
Baker and Bowman were originally arraigned in mid-November on the same charges Taylor now faces. Although Centre County District Judge Carmine Prestia dropped the aggravated assault charges for both men in a Dec. 5 preliminary hearing, Centre County Assistant District Attorney Steve Sloane refiled the charges later that month, and the charges were sent to trial in January under a different judge.
Timmons was charged with misdemeanor counts of disorderly conduct and defiant trespass after being accused of overturning furniture while looking for his iPhone after the fight.
Although eyewitnesses said as many as 15 players were involved in the fight, only Baker, Bowman, Timmons and Taylor have been charged.
Even with Taylor's arrest, Madeira said the investigation is "not necessarily" complete.
"We have to work with the evidence we have at this point," he said.
Bowman's attorney, Stacy Parks Miller, filed a petition Friday seeking county funds to retain a private investigator for Bowman's case.
Miller argued that Bowman requires the services of an investigator to adequately defend himself of the allegations made against him in the case. She wrote that he is a full-time student "without employment or assets sufficient enough to engage the services of investigators."
Madeira said he would file an objection to the motion.
"I don't believe they do [need a private investigator], so we'll make an objection, but it's ultimately the court's decision," he said.
--Collegian staff writer Danielle Vickery contributed to this report.
