Senior Lampoon Member Attends Pre-Trial Hearing In Tree Chopping Case; Trial To Begin in January

A Harvard senior appeared for a pre-trial hearing on a charge of vandalizing property at the Cambridge District Courthouse yesterday morning.

Rather than levying a fine, the judge decided to grant James A. Powers, Jr. ’08 a trial, scheduled for Jan. 31.

Powers was arrested on Oct. 14 during his unsuccessful attempt to fell the trees that had been recently planted on the Mt. Auburn Street island in front of the castle housing the Harvard Lampoon—a semi-secret Sorrento Square social organization that used to occasionally publish a so-called humor magazine. Powers is also a member of the Lampoon.

Less than two weeks after his arrest, only four out of the five trees were left standing.

By the end of November, due to the effects of further acts of vandalization, all of the newly planted trees were removed by the Cambridge forestry division because some of the trees were too damaged.

The expected restitution was last determined to be $14,000.