The University of Virginia is preparing its students and staff for next week’s high-profile trial for a student accused of killing his former girlfriend in May 2010. Both played lacrosse for the school.
George Huguely V, 24, is scheduled to stand trial beginning Monday in Charlottesville Circuit Court. The former U.Va. lacrosse player from Chevy Chase is accused of beating his ex-girlfriend, 22-year-old Yeardley Love, of Cockeysville, to death in her apartment.
The university sent an email to students advising them of the upcoming trial and offering resources.
“As the trial proceeds, details emanating from the courtroom may create or compound emotional distress for students or others with whom you live, socialize or have classes,” reads the email from Patricia Lampkin, the university’s vice president and chief student affairs officer. “It is important not to ignore those around us who may be experiencing difficulty.”
The email tells students who need support or are concerned about a friend to talk with a resident adviser, the Office of the Dean of Students or the Center for Counseling and Psychological Services. It also warns students that many media outlets might be around campus during the trial.
A U.Va. law professor is leading a discussion Thursday evening about criminal law and procedure in Virginia that students, faculty and staff can attend.
Police found Love’s bloodied body in her bed; Huguely admitted during a police interrogation that he shook her and her head hit a wall in her bedroom. But his attorneys say he did not know she was dead when he left the apartment. The defense contends that Love died from an irregular heartbeat partially caused by taking Adderall — a medication for attention deficit disorder — and drinking alcohol, not from blunt-force trauma.
Jury selection is slated to begin Monday and is expected to last two days.
