Attorney Paul A. Mones, author of A ChildKills, has defended several children whokilled their parents. Mones said the motives forGrant's actions should not be oversimplified.

"There's a big difference between people'scognitive abilities," Mones said. "These arecomplicated human events that are not easilypredisposed to simple analysis."

Harvard administrators "should have been morethoughtful and should reconsider their actions,"Mones added.

A Pattern of Deception?

Frankfurter Professor of Law Alan M. Dershowitzcriticized both Grant and the admissions process,but said Harvard should give the teen-ager asecond chance.

"She may or may not hurt anybody againphysically, but she may not have beenrehabilitated from what appears to be a pattern ofdeception," Dershowitz said yesterday.

"The classic definition of chutzpah is someonewho kills their parents and pleads for mercy onthe grounds that she is an orphan," the professoradded. "She may have been rejected on the groundsof chutzpah."

Dershowitz said he believed Grant lied on herapplication, and was not surprised by yesterday'snews.

"The first time I spoke about this case, I saidwe should look into whether or not she told thewhole truth about the circumstances surroundingher mother's death," Dershowitz said.

But Dershowitz blamed the College's admissionprocess as well.

"If every student who lied to an interviewerwas thrown out of Harvard, we'd be able to turnthe dormitories into squash courts," he said."People on their applications are encouraged tosay what they think will get them into Harvard."

Dershowitz added: "The system was unfair toher; she, however, did not make the best use ofit. She was in a pickle."

The law professor called on Harvard to re-openthe case and give Grant a second chance to apply.

"Everybody should start from scratch," he said."I don't want to accept as a given that she lied.I want to see the facts."

Dershowitz said the University should now givea "full hearing" to Grant and her attorney.