Charges against the president of an unrecognized fraternity were dismissed March 3, giving him an opportunity to have his criminal record wiped clean if he complies with the court ruling.
Jared Letzt, a regional development junior, was charged with drug possession Feb. 25 after police responded to a party at an apartment complex, 1011 N. Tyndall Ave., reports stated.
Letzt is the president of Zeta Beta Tau fraternity, which is not recognized by either the Interfraternity Council or their national organization, according to an e-mail from Jonathan Yulish, the national executive director of ZBT.
Letzt's charges were dropped without prejudice, which means that they will be erased from his record if he has no other legal problems, according to court documents and Bill Dickinson, deputy county attorney.
When a case is dismissed without prejudice, the case is dropped, but it can be brought back for review if necessary, said Marsha Nugent, special assistant to the county attorney.
Having a case dismissed without prejudice is common, Nugent said, but it does not mean a case will not come back. If further investigation does happen and anything else comes up, however, the case can be called back and charges reinstated.
Since Letzt is drug-court eligible, which means he has no prior offences, he can go to drug court for treatment. If he completes the treatment program the charge will be dropped, Dickinson said.
If Letzt does not complete the program, his prior charges will be processed as a typical felony case, Dickinson said.
"The two advantages of the drug court option is two-fold," Dickinson said, "The person will have no criminal record and if they complete the treatment it will hopefully keep them out of drugs in the future."
Letzt declined comment on the charges being dropped, and his lawyer was not available for comment.