Appeals panel put phone passcode order on hold in Gruver case

BATON ROUGE - A three-judge panel of the First Circuit Court of Appeal has ruled that Matthew Naquin, accused of negligent homicide in the hazing death of Max Gruver, does not have to give prosecutors his phone passcode for the moment.

Judge Beau Higginbotham had ordered in January that Naquin must provide prosecutors with the access code for his cell phone by Monday. The panel's ruling puts that deadline on hold.

Naquin is the only person charged with negligent homicide in the death of the late LSU student. Last fall, Gruver drank himself to death as part of a fraternity's hazing ritual.

Authorities say Naquin was the ringleader of the group and targeted Gruver to make him drink more than others.

Attorneys representing Naquin say they plan to appeal the ruling.