The fraternity house of Psi Upsilon, commonly referred to as "Castle," on Jan. 31.
Credit: Abhiram JuvvadiThe Municipal Court of Philadelphia found College senior Nicholas Hamilton not guilty for an alleged assault that occurred on campus in fall 2021.
Hamilton was on criminal trial for charges of simple assault and harassment by physical contact, according to court documents viewed by The Daily Pennsylvanian, after being charged by the Philadelphia District Attorney’s office. On Jan. 31, Municipal Court of Philadelphia Judge Christine Hope ended the trial after ruling that Hamilton was not guilty on both counts.
Hamilton was accused of injuring a then-Penn sophomore at a party held on Sept. 4, 2021, in the chapter house of his fraternity, Psi Upsilon — also known as “Castle." The alleged incident sparked a four-day protest outside of Castle and demands to remove the fraternity from their on-campus house.
In response to a request for comment, a spokesperson for the University wrote to the DP that they do not usually comment on legal cases. The Philadelphia District Attorney’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
“We don’t comment on specific cases, but I can confirm the case disposition is not guilty,” a spokesperson for the Court wrote in a statement to the DP.
The trial began after a private criminal complaint against Hamilton was filed in the Court on Oct. 3, 2022. The proceedings, which started on Nov. 8, were repeatedly delayed after a series of requests by Hamilton’s lawyer for continuance. A joint request for continuance and a subsequent defense advance request for continuance further pushed the ruling to Jan. 31.
Hamilton was represented in the case by Michael Patrick Parkinson, a private attorney for Parkinson, Tarpey & Lloyd, a Philadelphia criminal defense group.
"We were anxious to proceed with a full and fair trial in order to vindicate Nicholas's reputation and good name," Parkinson wrote in a statement to the DP. "We achieved exoneration in a court of a law, which speaks more loudly than any hollow allegations or false claims.”
Editor's Note: The story has been updated to include a written statement by Hamilton's attorney, Michael Patrick Parkinson.
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