The five Columbia students charged with running a drug ring out of school dorms and frats had another court appearance today where they were served up with a slew of new charges to add to their plate. The five students, along with their three alleged suppliers, had previously been charged with 30 counts ranging from drug possession to drug sales and criminal nuisance. Now that number has been upped to 65 counts (basically more of the same), based on all of the items that were seized from their dorm rooms.

The students are due back in court again on April 5. In the meantime their lawyers are working on their defenses. Though we won't know until the trial starts, as of now it looks like they'll mostly be seeking leniency on account of criminal histories and drug addiction (at least two of the gang are currently in some form of rehab). As one lawyer, who was hoping his client's case could be pushed down into the drug courts, put it to the Columbia Spectator: “Michael [Wymbs] is better off helping society and being treated for his problems than being incarcerated and treated as a pariah."