Hate crime charges have been dropped against 12 of the 15 Salisbury University students charged in connection to an assault at an off-campus apartment in mid-October.
Police arrested students ranging in age from 18 to 21 last month.
According to police, the suspects allegedly invited the victim to a residence under false pretenses, surrounded him and forcefully sat him in a chair in the middle of the living room.
The victim was allegedly kicked, punched, and spat on while being called derogatory names. He was shoved to the ground during several attempts to flee.
Twelve of the defendants had preliminary hearings this week, and court records show they are all mainly facing misdemeanor assault and false imprisonment charges.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: 12 Salisbury students accused of hate crime, lured victim through social media
Zachary Leinemann,18, and Elijah Johnson,19, had their cases moved to Circuit Court and, according to court records, still face hate crime charges.
One defendant, Logan Clark,19, still faces felony assault and hate crime charges. His preliminary hearing is scheduled for next Thursday, December 12th.
Many of the defendants have trials scheduled to start in late January.
