2008 Woodie Awards
Accusation of invalid process raised against A.S. over Robo hearing
Ashley Mackin
Issue date: 4/9/08 Section: Campus
Associated Students may have failed to follow the proper process to remove former Legislative Vice President Jason Robo in his impeachment on March 26.
Accusations have been raised stating that A.S. did not have the proper steps in their constitution to remove him from office, did not follow due process, and made personal issues professional ones in the process.
Former Associated Students President Tony Snow is familiar with the impeachment process. He resigned from his position two years ago instead of going through with an impeachment process.
Snow said most people are unfamiliar with the actual definition of impeach. "The actual dictionary definition of impeach is to call into question the integrity or validly, and to indict someone. It does not mean to remove someone from office."
He also said the A.S. constitution is based on misinformation, and is written to make impeach mean remove from office.
"The definition of due process, which [Robo] did not get, starts with impeachment, then there is a trial process, and then the sanctions process," Snow said. "The three [steps] should not be held in the same meeting." He added that there should have been an impartial judge of the situation to decide on the sanction.
"How is it fair that the accusers get to be the jury in the hearing," Snow said.
Associated Students President Terra Rentz said regarding the code and process, "every process can be better worded, but you don't realize it until it's happening."
She added, "It seemed like a good process, we outlined everything that we would be doing. We want to update the code, it just hasn't happened yet."
Speaking from the perspective of someone with respect for the laws and processes, Snow said he thinks A.S. made up a course of action and a process that didn't exist to move things along in their favor, but did not put it in paper or give a copy to Robo.
"If they knew the process was wrong, and fixed it to work for them, it's wrong," Snow said.
Accusations have been raised stating that A.S. did not have the proper steps in their constitution to remove him from office, did not follow due process, and made personal issues professional ones in the process.
Former Associated Students President Tony Snow is familiar with the impeachment process. He resigned from his position two years ago instead of going through with an impeachment process.
Snow said most people are unfamiliar with the actual definition of impeach. "The actual dictionary definition of impeach is to call into question the integrity or validly, and to indict someone. It does not mean to remove someone from office."
He also said the A.S. constitution is based on misinformation, and is written to make impeach mean remove from office.
"The definition of due process, which [Robo] did not get, starts with impeachment, then there is a trial process, and then the sanctions process," Snow said. "The three [steps] should not be held in the same meeting." He added that there should have been an impartial judge of the situation to decide on the sanction.
"How is it fair that the accusers get to be the jury in the hearing," Snow said.
Associated Students President Terra Rentz said regarding the code and process, "every process can be better worded, but you don't realize it until it's happening."
She added, "It seemed like a good process, we outlined everything that we would be doing. We want to update the code, it just hasn't happened yet."
Speaking from the perspective of someone with respect for the laws and processes, Snow said he thinks A.S. made up a course of action and a process that didn't exist to move things along in their favor, but did not put it in paper or give a copy to Robo.
"If they knew the process was wrong, and fixed it to work for them, it's wrong," Snow said.
Viewing Comments 1 - 2 of 2
Biased trite not fit to be print
posted 4/13/08 @ 10:23 PM PST
This article should have never been printed in the form it did.
Typos and grammar aside (they really take from the "validly" of the piece), this thing was almost embarrassing to read. (Continued…)
Joe Schmoe
posted 4/14/08 @ 1:07 PM PST
Umm, Do you think that the paper should have a disclaimer that Robo's Legal Representation is the husband of Marcy Burnister the advisor to the Lumberjack?
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