Arson and 4 Other Felony Charges Dropped Against WCU Student

WEST CHESTER, PA — Only one felony charge was upheld against a West Chester University student accused of arson in Lancaster last month, with the district judge conceding that it is a crime with a "low bar," to be a felony.

Taylor Enterline, 20, had 9 of 14 charges against her dropped. Of the remaining five charges, four are misdemeanors. A third-degree felony charge, intent to commit a felony-riot, is the only felony charge, of six against Enterline, that was not dropped.

The other charges Enterline still faces are all misdemeanors, which are: failure to disperse upon an officer's order, disorderly conduct engaging in fighting, obstruction of a highway, and defiant trespass.

Enterline has been free on $50,000 bail after her original bail was set at $1 million. Enterline and a group of defendants were charged with riot, arson, and other crimes in Lancaster City in the aftermath of a fatal police shooting of a mentally ill man who charged at an officer with a knife on Sept. 13.

In Monday's hearing in Lancaster County Magisterial District Court, Judge Bruce Roth dismissed all but one felony charge against Enterline. The dismissed felony charges are: arson with danger to bodily injury or death, institutional vandalism to a school, criminal conspiracy to engage in arson and bodily injury, criminal conspiracy to engage in institutional vandalism, criminal conspiracy to engage in riot, and criminal conspiracy obstruct highways.

However, Roth, who had set the $1 million bail, upheld misdemeanor charges of failure to disperse, obstructing highways, disorderly conduct and trespassing charges against Enterline, and the lone third-degree felony of riot, conspiracy to commit felony.

Roth said while the legal definition of riot was "a pretty low bar for such a serious charge," he would hold the charge to county court due to the legal description, according to Lancaster Newspapers.

"The law is the law," Roth said.

Enterline's formal arraignment is set for Nov. 13.

Nine preliminary hearings related to protests following the Sept. 13 police shooting death of Richard Muñoz were held Monday, with similar charges dropped for others arrested in the incidents.

Read a related stories on Enterline's charges and bail here and here.