2008 Woodie Awards
Arrests could lead to judicial board, jail
Jack Willems
Issue date: 2/18/08 Section: News
Double jeopardy might be illegal, but students arrested on campus by UA Police officers will go through two judicial systems.
Anytime the UAPD arrests a student the Office of Community Standards receives a report, said Lt. Gary Crain, public information officer for the UAPD. This office handles referrals to the student judicial system for minor violations of law, he said.
Students who commit misdemeanors but are not arrested will be referred to the student judicial system, as well as those who commit felonies, Crain said. Students who are arrested will be turned over to the Washington County jail, Crain said.
All misdemeanors on the university campus are also prosecuted by city attorney Casey Jones, while felonies are prosecuted by the county attorney, Jones said. Sometimes Jones will dismiss a case if he does not feel there is enough evidence to prosecute, he said.
While the legal system does its investigation, the student judicial system also deals with the student, said Aisha Kenner, associate dean of students.
The university has on- and off-campus jurisdiction, Kenner said. The judicial system may not wait for the criminal process to finish, and often the judicial board hands down sanctions before the legal system hands down its sentence, she said.
While all arrests on campus will be referred to the judicial board, students arrested off campus may not be sanctioned unless they have committed a felony, committed several crimes or were involved with drugs or alcohol, Kenner said.
"An arrest in Fayetteville will not necessarily lead to judicial action on campus," Kenner said. "If it is on campus, we will almost always act."
Students are most commonly charged with driving while intoxicated, public intoxication and being in the possession of marijuana, Crain said. If students are caught drinking or using drugs, they can be forced to take alcohol or drug education classes, do community service, have alcohol assessments at a community mental health center or pay a fine, according to the handbook of student life.
Anytime the UAPD arrests a student the Office of Community Standards receives a report, said Lt. Gary Crain, public information officer for the UAPD. This office handles referrals to the student judicial system for minor violations of law, he said.
Students who commit misdemeanors but are not arrested will be referred to the student judicial system, as well as those who commit felonies, Crain said. Students who are arrested will be turned over to the Washington County jail, Crain said.
All misdemeanors on the university campus are also prosecuted by city attorney Casey Jones, while felonies are prosecuted by the county attorney, Jones said. Sometimes Jones will dismiss a case if he does not feel there is enough evidence to prosecute, he said.
While the legal system does its investigation, the student judicial system also deals with the student, said Aisha Kenner, associate dean of students.
The university has on- and off-campus jurisdiction, Kenner said. The judicial system may not wait for the criminal process to finish, and often the judicial board hands down sanctions before the legal system hands down its sentence, she said.
While all arrests on campus will be referred to the judicial board, students arrested off campus may not be sanctioned unless they have committed a felony, committed several crimes or were involved with drugs or alcohol, Kenner said.
"An arrest in Fayetteville will not necessarily lead to judicial action on campus," Kenner said. "If it is on campus, we will almost always act."
Students are most commonly charged with driving while intoxicated, public intoxication and being in the possession of marijuana, Crain said. If students are caught drinking or using drugs, they can be forced to take alcohol or drug education classes, do community service, have alcohol assessments at a community mental health center or pay a fine, according to the handbook of student life.
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