A college student’s academic standing and future can be threatened when they are charged with a university conduct code or academic code violation. If the campus or local police were involved, criminal charges may also be brought. Arrests and criminal charges create additional complications in the form of university violations. The outcome can greatly affect the rest of the young person’s life.
When faced with student conduct code violations, families are often stunned that the school entrusted with their child’s education has turned against them. The situation may worsen due to a lack of familiarity with the school’s processes, which may be a hybrid of court structures and student disciplinary code procedures. A diligent criminal defense attorney well acquainted with school codes knows how to minimize the risks to your child’s professional and academic career. It is important to seek legal advice from a Metairie student defense lawyer immediately.
What Justice Looks Like on Campus
Universities and colleges have their own ways of disciplining students who break rules. Each school has its handbook and code of conduct for students explaining investigatory processes and punishments for specific actions. Disciplinary hearings do not occur in courthouses or in front of a judge. Students do not have the protections or evidentiary requirements they would have within a court of law, so they must be careful when they go to a disciplinary proceeding.
Disciplinary actions, Title IX actions, criminal cases, and other proceedings advance very differently, and a student could potentially face more than one. A Metairie lawyer with experience handling campus offenses could protect the student’s rights.
Causes and Consequences of Disciplinary Proceedings
Accusations of breaking the rules sometimes stem from activities on campus, like underage drinking, cheating on an exam, or pranks that cause damage. Others arise off campus, like arrests for drug possession, assault, or driving while intoxicated. Students can face dual proceedings on campus and in the court system. Even if an off-campus arrest never results in criminal charges or gets dismissed, the student’s arrest can trigger disciplinary proceedings.
Probation, suspension, curfews, restriction of activities, and expulsion all may result from findings of guilt in student disciplinary cases. As a result, prospective employers, graduate and professional schools, and scholarship administrators may be less likely to consider them for opportunities that can enhance their future careers. These penalties will also appear on background checks in the years ahead. A student defense lawyer in Metairie could give a student a better chance to build their future.
Let a Student Defense Attorney in Metairie Guard Your Rights
Every campus has different rules and processes. While most colleges and universities use the same basic judiciary model, each school adopts its own set of policies and procedures that govern everything from who decides whether a student should be disciplined to whether they are entitled to legal representation. We could guide you based upon your specific situation and what university you attend.
Our team may advise you on the best strategies to minimize disruption to your studies and danger to your future career. A permanent stain on your criminal or academic history can be highly detrimental to your future. Reach out today to get started on your case.
