Damien Roomets '02 pled guilty on Tuesday in Lebanon District Court to two counts of simple assault for his role in a fight outside Topliff dormitory early in the morning of Sept. 24, according to Lower Grafton County Prosecutor George Waldron. Roomets paid a $1,000 fine.
"We believe but for his initiating the whole thing, it never would have happened," Waldron said.
Hanover Police Chief Nicholas Giaccone said his department completed its investigation of the fight several weeks ago and subsequently arrested and charged Roomets.
The police decided not to file charges against Dan Casella '02, who was originally arrested in connection with the fight. Waldron said Casella would not face any criminal proceedings.
"That's the end of everything as far as we're concerned," Waldron said.
The Committee on Standards suspended Roomets last week for the remainder of Fall term. He will be allowed to re-enroll at Dartmouth in the winter.
Roomets declined to comment Wednesday night.
COS confidentiality policy prohibited Senior Associate Dean of the College Dan Nelson from commenting yesterday on the proceeding.
Casella said he and two other undergraduates involved in the fight were cleared by the College in a five-and-a-half-hour COS hearing on Oct. 26.
"All the facts got straight," Casella said. "I was cleared of everything."
Casella said he did not see what started the fight between the four undergraduates and several graduate students, but that he and another undergraduate merely came to Roomets' aid.
Roomets "was getting hit," Casella said, so Casella and the other undergraduate "held and tackled two guys to the ground."
Casella said he sustained a broken nose in the altercation and was taken to the hospital for treatment.
