Dante Martin, 27, was immediately fingerprinted
and taken into the custody of the Orange County Sheriff after the verdict was
delivered. He is scheduled to be sentenced on January 9, 2015. His attorneys
said they plan to appeal.
Martin could face up to a total of 22
years for the manslaughter conviction and two misdemeanor hazing convictions against
former Marching 100 band members Lissette Sanchez and Keon Hollis.
According to the New York Times, “Hollis testified this week that he and Mr. Champion, his friend and fellow drum major, agreed to undergo the ritual in order to solidify their respect among band members.”
Sanchez also said she volunteered
to be hazed in order to gain respect. The Orlando Sentinel reported that: “she testified
that she was required to follow Bus C rules because she had not yet crossed the
bus. Those rules forced her to walk backwards onto the bus and to her seat.
They also forbid her to listen to music on an iPod or sleep during long bus
trips from Tallahassee to band performances in South Carolina and Orlando.”
Sanchez and Hollis both identified Martin
as the leader of the hazing process.
WFTV in Orlando also reported that “defense
attorneys and prosecutors agreed that no witness had said that Champion’s
sexuality played a role in the severity of his hazing.” That led Circuit Judge
Rene Roche to rule that neither side should mention the fact that Champion was
gay during trial, as it was irrelevant.