Ethan Rosencrans’ hands were shaking as Lancaster County Court Judge Merrill Spahn looked down at him to determine his sentence.Rosencrans, according to defense attorney Jessica Bush, was visiting friends at Millersville University Oct. 29, 2023, when on a drunken dareBush said Rosencrans is half Jewish, has a Jewish girlfriend and is one of the most remorseful clients she has represented in her 20 years of practicing law.
Spahn agreed to a plea agreement in which Rosencrans would be put into the accelerated rehabilitative disposition program to resolve his vandalism charge. The ARD program allows qualified offenders to seek expungement of their record upon completion of terms. Rosencrans admitted to police that he drew the swastikas, according to charging documents. In the interview, Rosencrans said he understood the significance of the swastika and how it would be interpreted but did not draw the images to target the school’s Jewish community.