campus briefs

Trial set for reporters arrested at UA

Arizona Daily Wildcat

Two British journalists who were arrested for barging into UA golfer Brenna Cepelak's class last month will go to trial in January.

Lawyers for David Thomas O'Neill and Sarah Oliver, of the London-based newspaper The Mail on Sunday, said the pre-trial conference is a "fairly routine matter," and that the preliminary court date has been set for Jan. 18.

O'Neill and Oliver were arrested Oct. 27 for disorderly conduct (interference with the peaceful conduct of an educational institution) after barging into Cepelak's Communications 200 class while in the pursuit of a story assignment. Famed British professional golfer Nick Faldo previously had announced his divorce from his wife, Gill. British tabloids subsequently reported that Faldo was leaving his wife for the 20-year-old golfer.

Following the incident, Tom Brill, assistant coach for the UA women's golf team, said Cepelak had withdrawn from classes and quit the team.

The Dean of Students office said yesterday Cepelak has requested that no information on her enrollment status for this semester be released, under rights granted her by the student privacy act and the Buckley Amendment.

Naked protester acquitted of charges

Arizona Daily Wildcat

Last year's controversial "naked Mall protestor," cited by UA police after disrobing in the free speech area of the UA Mall, was acquitted of disorderly conduct and indecent exposure charges yesterday.

Bruce Friedemann, a 39-year-old Tucsonan, was cited Sept. 19, 1994 for disorderly conduct. The Pima County Attorney's Office later added indecent exposure to the charges, Friedemann said.

Friedemann said he staged the demonstration to show people that nudity itself is not indecent.

"I told the jury I did what I thought was right and I'd do it again," he said. "God inpired me to do this."

Friedemann said he plans to stage another demonstration, probably in the spring when the weather turns warmer and he feels more physically fit.

UA students arrested in Tempe

Arizona Daily Wildcat

The Tempe Police Department arrested two UA students last week for violating park curfew in an attempt to paint the "A" on "A" Mountain in Tempe, Ariz.

Patrick McCafferty, of 1018 E. South Campus Dr. #18, and Christopher Crowell, of 1018 E. South Campus Dr. #20, were arrested on Nov. 21 at 2:33 a.m. on the west side of "A" Mountain, said Sgt. Toby Dyas of the Tempe Police Department.

After they were arrested, the two admitted they were trying to paint the "A" red and blue, University of Arizona colors, Dyas said.

Dyas said that patrols around the mountain were not reinforced for the tradition of UA students attempting to paint Arizona State's A red and blue.

Some students from Arizona State University did camp at the top of the mountain three or four days to watch over the "A," Dyas said.

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