Arrests could lead to judicial board, jail
Jack Willems
Issue date: 2/18/08 Section: News
Students with alcohol or drug violations may also have their parking privileges revoked for a year, be put on probation or be suspended from the university, according to the handbook.
The severity of the punishment depends on the nature of the violation, whether any other charges are associated with it and whether it is the student's first violation, Kenner said.
"Varying levels of behavior will get varying levels of disciplinary sanctions," Kenner said. "Everything we do here is developmentally based. We are looking for educational opportunities to make a positive impact on behavior."
Possession of marijuana is a misdemeanor if the defendant was found with less than an ounce and it is the defendant's first time, and driving while intoxicated is a misdemeanor for the first three offenses, Jones said. Misdemeanors carry a sentence of up to a year in jail and a $1,000 fine, but jail time for a first offense is unlikely.
More than 95 percent of people charged with these crimes plead guilty, Jones said. While pleading guilty may not always result in a lesser sentence, working out a plea deal with the prosecutor often works in the defendant's favor, he said.
"You accept that this will be your punishment because you do not want to go to trial and risk being punished even worse," Jones said.
In addition to the sentence handed down by the legal system and the sanction handed down by the student judicial system, any crime students are convicted of will go on their criminal records, Crain said. This can be very damaging to job prospects, particularly in the medical or business fields, he said.
"Convictions for crimes can have a detrimental affect on a person's career path," Crain said.
The severity of the punishment depends on the nature of the violation, whether any other charges are associated with it and whether it is the student's first violation, Kenner said.
"Varying levels of behavior will get varying levels of disciplinary sanctions," Kenner said. "Everything we do here is developmentally based. We are looking for educational opportunities to make a positive impact on behavior."
Possession of marijuana is a misdemeanor if the defendant was found with less than an ounce and it is the defendant's first time, and driving while intoxicated is a misdemeanor for the first three offenses, Jones said. Misdemeanors carry a sentence of up to a year in jail and a $1,000 fine, but jail time for a first offense is unlikely.
More than 95 percent of people charged with these crimes plead guilty, Jones said. While pleading guilty may not always result in a lesser sentence, working out a plea deal with the prosecutor often works in the defendant's favor, he said.
"You accept that this will be your punishment because you do not want to go to trial and risk being punished even worse," Jones said.
In addition to the sentence handed down by the legal system and the sanction handed down by the student judicial system, any crime students are convicted of will go on their criminal records, Crain said. This can be very damaging to job prospects, particularly in the medical or business fields, he said.
"Convictions for crimes can have a detrimental affect on a person's career path," Crain said.
Be the first to comment on this story