After a two-and-a-half hour deliberation Monday, the Associated Students judicial court ruled in favor of the Elections Committee after a complaint was filed claiming they had disregarded their own codes and regulations during this semesters elections.
‘We’re pleased that the judicial court upheld our decisions and believed we interpreted the codes justly,’ said Mazen Hafez, A.S. director of elections.
‘What they were asking for is the disqualification of an entire slate because one candidate broke the rules’hellip;if Kobe Bryant commits a crime the Lakers don’t get in trouble.’
The Judicial Court approves all clubs and organizations’ constitutions and ensures that all codes within A.S. are upheld.
Audrey Younna, the campaign manager for the A-Team accused the A.S. committee of not following their own codes by failing to disqualify the entire Students for Change campaign when a violation occurred.
The Students for Change campaign broke a violation by passing out campaign stickers and as a result they were unable to pass out fliers at a specific time.
‘I always had the hope that the judicial court would respect the students’ vote,’ said Abel Pacheco the presidential candidate for Students for Change. ‘(Younna) is using anything within her rights to appeal the decision and the vote and I’ll respect the process she’s free to express her concerns and opinions.’
Students for Change received 1146 votes during the run-off elections and the A-Team received 835, according to the Election Committee’s unofficial results.
A member of the campaign, Jackie Guzman, was caught distributing flyers during the these hours and was disqualified.
It was argued by Younna that all members of the slate should have been disqualified based on codes that the A.S. committee created. When Younna didn’t feel her complaint was being heard she sought after the judicial court, said Younna.
‘We just want to make sure the codes are being followed,’ Andrew Collard presidential candidate for the A-Team slate. ‘It’s not emotional it’s strictly the principle of the code being followed.’
During the hearing, both sides were given the opportunity to speak. Bringing forth witnesses, arguing against the opposition and provide a closing statement.
The decision made by the judicial court will leave the elections results as they stand. The AS elections committee will put a senate ratification on their agenda for next week and make the results official, said Hafez.
‘I’m not going lie I’m a little disappointed but there’s other steps. This is not the final step and I still believe in it,’ Younna said. ‘I will take the necessary steps to make sure it is heard. The next step is to appeal it to senate so I am just going to look into it and see and weigh my options.’
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