Local

Hazing defendant enters no contest plea

ORLANDO, Fla. — The first of more than a dozen defendants charged in the hazing death of a Florida A&M drum major has entered a plea of no contest to third-degree felony hazing.
 
An Orlando judge on Tuesday withheld adjudication for 23-year-old Brian Jones. His attorney says that means no conviction will be on his record since Jones isn't admitting or denying guilt.
 
In agreeing to the deal, Circuit Judge Marc Lubet said Jones' role in the hazing death of Robert Champion was relatively minimal.
 
Champion died last November after being beaten by fellow band members during a hazing ritual aboard a bus parked outside an Orlando hotel following a football game
 
Ten other FAMU band members face felony hazing charges, while two others face misdemeanor counts for alleged roles in Champion's hazing.