Attorneys for a former University of Montana student charged with two counts of rape have subpoenaed the university for a complete list of attendees at a fraternity party. The Montana Kaimin first reported the subpoena, which MTPR verified through Missoula County District Court filings.
The university is able to produce the guest list due to a policy established in 2019 that requires students attending fraternity parties to swipe their student ID card for entry. UM spokesperson Dave Kuntz says the university will comply with the subpoena.
“This policy was put in place as a proactive safety precaution that is required for when fraternities serve alcohol at gatherings,” Kuntz said. “But there’s never a circumstance where the university would disclose any of this information publicly.”
UM legal counsel Allyson Brown told the Kaimin the guest list includes 155 names.
Court documents show the defendant’s lawyers issued the subpoena for the Sigma Alpha Epsilon Halloween party guest list because they say the defendant and Jane Doe were both in attendance. The defense said they’re exploring “this and other interactions” between the defendant, Jane Doe, and their mutual friends.
The defendant, Andrew Parker Beckett, has pleaded not guilty to two counts of sexual intercourse without consent, each of which carries up to $50,000 in fines and 20 years in prison. Prosecutors say the defendant assaulted two women, identified as Jane and Jenny Doe, on two separate days in September 2021.
The court has set Beckett’s trial for July 10, 2023.
