THE LEDGER-STAR
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, August 9, 1994 TAG: 9408090595
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B2 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS
DATELINE: CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA. LENGTH: Short : 33 lines
The University of Virginia paid $40,000 in legal fees to a law firm that assisted a former student in overturning an honor-court conviction for cheating, say three former members of the university's honor committee.
Christopher Leggett was cleared in the retrial two weeks ago. He had been found guilty in 1992 of cheating on a computer science test.
In an open letter to the university community, former U.Va. students Roger Mason, Kimberly Manno and Tasos Galiotos said U.Va. spent ``tuition dollars by paying approximately $40,000 in legal fees for Leggett.''
Leggett was assisted by lawyer Dane H. Butswinkas of Williams & Connolly, the same Washington law firm that has aided President Clinton in his Whitewater dealings.
Mason was last year's honor committee chairman. Manno and Galiotos are former committee members.
U.Va. spokesman Mike Marshall refused to discuss the case Monday when contacted by the Richmond Times-Dispatch. He cited federal laws prohibiting release of information about individual students.
KEYWORDS: UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA
by CNB