Yet many of the same institutions now waging educational campaigns against alcohol abuse and student violence continue to handle fraternity crimes with all the leniency and discretion a closed-door system of justice can afford.

Where fraternities are strong, they are often disciplined in courts of their own or in student-organization courts, responsible to the same university administrators who promote Greek life. Fraternity codes of silence, demands for group loyalty and opportunities for group retaliation often frustrate investigators and intimidate witnesses, critics say. And when student courts do mete out significant penalties, a fraternity appeal to the administration -- bolstered by fraternity alumni -- often results in the sanction being reduced or overturned.

"They'd be crazy not to appeal," said Claudia Schamp, who directs the Office of Greek Life at the University of Georgia. "We run around here like Rambo trying to figure out the facts -- you almost become like a pseudo-police officer and lawyer to get at the truth -- and then we get the rug pulled out from underneath us. It's very, very frustrating."

All elements of a campus justice system, including the campus police, ultimately answer to top college administrators. Seventy percent of campus police departments have full arrest power, giving them great discretion to send cases straight to district attorneys or to keep them in-house for proceedings that range from elaborate trials before student justices to mediation by a single administrator. Most offenses handled by such systems involve infractions like drinking by underage students. But increasingly at colleges across the country, administrators say, they make use of student conduct codes to judge student crimes as serious as assault and arson.

William R. Bracewell, who presides over one of the most elaborate student judiciaries in the country as director of judicial programs here at the University of Georgia, denies that fraternities are favored. In fact, he said, fraternities on campus "perceive us as very anti-Greek." But he proudly proclaims his own fraternity ties, acquired as a late initiate because he could not afford to join when he was a student. He said he had served on his fraternity's national board and in the national conference that represents 62 American fraternities with 5,500 college chapters.

Like other supporters of fraternities, Mr. Bracewell said the problems of a few were too often used to discredit a system that offers lifelong friendships and personal growth to the vast majority of its members.

Mr. Bracewell makes no secret of his loathing for the Georgia Supreme Court decision in The Red and Black v. Board of Regents, which opened the door to the coverage of student court hearings here -- in theory. In practice, complains the newspaper publisher, Harry Montevideo, the university has done everything to frustrate coverage, from scheduling fraternity cases late at night to charging up to $50 a case in copying fees.