Three of the five Penn students accused of assaulting a Princeton debate team member in the Quadrangle in November had all charges against them dropped today in Philadelphia Municipal Court. The court reduced the charges of the other two students to misdemeanors and gave them the opportunity to complete a probationary program after which their criminal records will be expunged. College freshman Philip Balderston, Wharton Sophomore Tavraj Banga, and College senior Steven Stolk had all charges against them dropped. College freshman David Hochfelder and College sophomore Thomas Bispham Jr. had the felony charges dropped, and their misdemeanor charges voluntarily remanded to a pre-probationary program and will be back in court on March 7 to finalize the details of the plan. The Penn students were originally accused of assaulting Princeton debate team member John Brantl in November by pouring motor oil on him and threatening to light him on fire. They were all originally charged with a range of felonies and misdemeanors, including aggravated assault and recklessly endangering another person's life. Four of the five students appeared in court today dressed mainly in sport jackets and slacks, and appeared anxious to return to school and classes. One was even looking over his notes for an exam. The lone missing student was Hochfelder, who is in Utah for the semester according to his lawyer. He is not currently enrolled in classes, according to the University's Office of the Registrar. Attorneys for the defendants expressed content with the outcome. "We're happy about this," said Frank DeSimone, attorney for Banga. "We've maintained all along that he didn't do anything, he just stood there."
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