A hung jury was declared in the trial of Meng Long Li, an alumnus accused of assaulting student Yan Li at a Meridian Township karaoke club on Jan. 31, 2014.
Though the jury acquitted student Shan Gao, the other defendant, of all charges, a verdict was not reached for Meng Long Li. It now rests on the Ingham County Prosecutor's Office to decide whether to undertake a second trial against Meng Long Li.
Ingham County Prosecutor Stuart Dunnings III said he has not decided whether to at this point but is holding counsel this afternoon or on Monday and should have a clear answer after that.
The assault was allegedly connected with a group of Chinese students who call themselves “Chengguan.” In her opening statement, Ingham County Assistant Prosecutor Kimberly Hesse claimed the group is really a gang in which Meng Long Li is an enforcer and Gao a lower-level middle man.
Following the trial Patrick Crowley, Gao's attorney, further dismissed the accusations that there is such a gang.
"I think that it was absolutely absurd for this prosecutor's office to have even attempted to try to invent some claim of a Chinese gang when it was apparent there was never any such thing," Crowley said.
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