Syracuse University’s Office of Judicial Affairs is pursuing the case of an underage student who appeared in Syracuse Community Court in August for having a party with other underage drinkers.

It is unclear whether she was on or off campus during the incident that led to her arrest.

Rami Badawy, director of Judicial Affairs, said it is university policy for his office to pursue incidents involving students and has jurisdiction to act, regardless of where they happen. Situations like these happen a few times a month, he said.

‘That means student conduct violations not only here in the neighborhood, Comstock or along those lines, but also even at home during the summer,’ Badawy said. ‘Though the violation occurred at home – wherever it may be – that violates the code of student conduct and compromises the mission of Syracuse University.’

The Syracuse Police Department works with the SU Department of Public Safety whenever students are involved in incidents off campus, said Lt. John Sardino of DPS. DPS then forwards the facts to Judicial Affairs, he said.

The case of the female student, whose name university officials would not provide, should come up again in court in October, said Harry Lewis, who often attends court proceedings. Lewis is treasurer of the South East University Neighborhood Association, a local group of landowners known for taking a firm stance on students partying off campus.

Lewis said community court Judge Langston McKinney put the next court date off because he wanted to know what the Judicial Affairs punishment for the student would be before issuing his punishment.

Community court is at 9:30 a.m. Thursdays in the John C. Dillon Public Safety Building at 511 S. State St.

Often, judges let students off because a lawyer, supplied by the university, tells them Judicial Affairs handled the case, Lewis said.

McKinney was not available for comment Monday. An aide would not release the student’s name or details of the case. Syracuse police did not return calls Monday afternoon.

Lewis didn’t want to voice his opinion on the matter, but he said that by trying the student, Judicial Affairs raises questions about whether she could be punished twice for the same incident.

‘If all goes well, she completes her sentence, and she does not repeat the offense,’ Lewis said. ‘Community service is a wonderful service that can teach someone a lesson that needs to be learned.’

Badawy said there’s a difference between a trial at community court and what happens when a case goes through Judicial Affairs.

‘Our systems are different and our goals are different. We do not work with community court. It’s a completely different system,’ he said. ‘We’re talking about different elements of the local law, we’re talking about a different burden of proof, and we’re talking about different goals.’

He said community court’s goals are to punish while his office seeks to educate. ‘No matter what happens at community court, we review the cases because our goals and aims are different,’ Badawy said.

Students were surprised to hear that the university can punish students for what they do when off campus.

‘Though she broke the rules of the school and of the community and should be punished, multiple punishments will not rectify anything,’ said freshman Kevin Young.

‘It seems almost like double jeopardy,’ said a sophomore who wished to remain unidentified. ‘It’s like getting sentenced to jail for life, and then getting tried again for it and being sentenced to life again.’

Published on September 10, 2007 at 12:00 pm