Rodin's driver will not face charges

The Philadelphia District Attorney's office will not press charges in connection with last week's seizure of marijuana and a loaded .22 calibre revolver from the car of Donald Gaines, a staff assistant in the office of University President Judith Rodin, according to Public Safety Managing Director Thomas Seamon. Seamon said yesterday that University and Philadelphia police will not continue the investigation of the case. "The D.A. felt that, at this point, we could not associate the drugs with anyone," he said. "No one is being charged." Last Monday, University Police Officer John Washington discovered two hand-rolled cigarettes and a bag filled with a "green leafy-type substance" in Gaines' car, which was parked in a University lot at 38th and Walnut Streets. Seamon said Philadelphia Police tested the substance Washington took from the car and determined that it was marijuana. The incident itself never appeared in the official crime log maintained by University Police, even though Washington filed an incident report describing his actions and a property receipt detailing what he took from Gaines' car. In a "Letter to the Editor" in yesterday's Daily Pennsylvanian, Seamon explained that the incident was never entered into the log because it did not involve criminal charges. Last night, he explained that if someone is charged in connection with this incident in the future, it will then be entered into the police log. According to the University's annual crime report, which is mandated by state law, the log contains "all crimes and significant incidents responded to and documented by University Police." The log is available to any member of the University community and is the basis of the crime report listed in the Daily Pennsylvanian. Yesterday, Seamon defined a significant incident as one "that affects the safety and security of the University." "A [loaded] weapon, by itself, doesn't affect the safety and security of the University," he said. Seamon said University Police have, in the past, found weapons in cars and not reported them in the police log. Also in his letter, Seamon said he instructed a sergeant involved in the investigation to continue "in the same way the department would proceed for any other University employee or non-affiliate." Seamon said last night he wanted to make sure the case was handled "with no favoritism." While police have finished their criminal investigation, the University is proceeding with an "ongoing" internal investigation, according to Steve Schutt, vice president and Rodin's chief of staff. And Gaines will remain suspended with pay, pending the results of the investigation, Schutt said on Monday. He added that the president's office is working with the Division of Human Resources and the Department of Public Safety on the investigation.