Former Northwestern student Alexander Krzyston pleaded not guilty to the felony charge of providing alcohol to a minor in connection with the spring 2008 death of Matthew Sunshine on Tuesday.
Gary Adair, Krzyston’s attorney, said he was confident in his client’s chances.
“I feel good about our case, and we’re looking forward to going to trial,” he said.
Sunshine died in June after attending a party in his dorm, Foster House, 2253 Sheridan Road. According to police, Krzyston allegedly supplied the alcohol for a drinking game that caused Sunshine’s death from alcohol poisoning.
Police said the 19-year-old was found unresponsive the next morning and had attained a blood-alcohol level of 0.396.
Evanston police arrested Krzyston on Dec. 16. His father posted the minimum 10 percent of a $25,000 bond the next day.
The next hearing will take place March 11 in the Cook County Circuit Courthouse. Circuit Court Judge Garritt Howard, who arraigned Krzyston, will preside over the hearing.
Krzyston was last enrolled at NU during Spring Quarter. Circuit Court Judge Timothy Chambers granted the Burr Ridge, Ill. native permission to leave the state to continue his job as a consultant during a preliminary trial in January.
If convicted, Krzyston could face a maximum of one to three years in prison and a $25,000 fine.
But according to an Associated Press analysis of cases between 1998 and 2008, defendants accused of charges similar to Krzyston’s are rarely penalized with jail time. Only about 40 percent of alcohol poisoning deaths during that period resulted in a criminal charge.
