The following case summaries show the range of situations adjudicated by the judicial administrator. Because the vast majority of cases the office handles involves students, seven of the summaries involve students (five undergraduates, two graduate students). The other summaries include one case each involving a staff member, a faculty member and an organization.
In imposing penalties, the judicial administrator is somewhat restricted by the Campus Code of Conduct. For example, in cases arising under Title 3 (Regulations for the Maintenance of the Educational Environment) -- the title under which most violations fall -- a community service penalty may not exceed 80 hours per violation.
Case #1
A student was riding his bicycle and failed to dismount in a dismount zone. As he proceeded, he collided with a pedestrian; the pedestrian suffered cuts to his head and other bruises. While a typical failure-to-dismount case results in a sanction of 10 to 15 hours of community service, the JA's office assessed 40 hours of community service in this case due to the injuries that were sustained.
Case #2
A faculty member became upset as a police officer was ticketing his car for a parking violation. The officer requested that the faculty member show his identification card, and the faculty member initially refused. The faculty member was assessed 20 hours of community service, 10 of which were suspended.
Note: Suspended sentences are used frequently to deter future violations of the Code, particularly when there are mitigating factors associated with the initial violation. In the event of a subsequent Code violation, the penalty that was previously suspended becomes due, along with any penalty for the subsequent violation.
Case #3
A staff member altered a parking permit and was assessed a penalty of 35 hours of community service with 25 hours suspended. In assessing the penalty, account was taken of the fact that the staff member would be leaving Ithaca within a matter of a few weeks to begin a new job.
Case #4
One student harassed another student by sending repeated unwanted e-mail messages and by posting flyers around the other student's suite. The offending student was assessed a penalty of 60 hours, 15 of which were suspended; the student also was placed on general disciplinary probation for one year. The severity of the penalty reflected the fact that the student had a prior record in the JA's office.
Case #5
While intoxicated, a student gained unauthorized entry into another student's room, did a minimal amount of property damage and stole a number of CDs from that student. The office assessed a penalty of 50 hours of community service, attendance at the Alcohol Education Workshop (10 hours) and payment of a $7 fee for the workshop.
Case #6
A student was alleged to have stolen names and social security numbers of 10 other students and to have provided that information to another student in connection with a scheme to commit credit card fraud. (The other student was prosecuted criminally and left Cornell before any campus disciplinary action could be taken.) The accused student also allegedly used another student's stolen credit card to make purchases and received stolen goods from the accomplice.
The student admitted that she had stolen property and committed fraud. Due to the severity of the offense and the large number of other students who had been victimized, the JA elected to proceed to the University Hearing Board (UHB) with the recommendation that the board consider the most serious penalties available: suspension or dismissal.
The UHB voted to dismiss the student from Cornell. The student appealed to the University Review Board (URB). The URB found what it considered to be numerous mitigating circumstances and voted to reduce the penalty to suspension for at least one year.
To read the story about the annual report from the Office of the Judicial Administrator, click here.