On Thursday, the Florida A&M Student Government Association’s Judicial Branch implemented a new system of appeals for students with on-campus traffic tickets.
The new system is designed to inform students of the basics of appealing a traffic ticket. Once a student is ticketed, he or she has five business days to appeal the citation. If found guilty, students then can appeal at a level-two hearing.
The Student Body Statutes on SGA’s website chapter 409, section 409.1, states, “The FAMU Student Traffic Court shall serve as an official hearing body for the disposition of unresolved non-moving student traffic tickets arising from cited violations.
The Student Traffic Court is under the general supervision of the Division of Student Affairs and will be coordinated by the Dean of Student Affairs.”
“The Judicial Branch is being redeemed under new leadership. They have new innovative ideas and they’re ready to serve the student body at FAMU,” said Sen. Natalie Amore, a second-year biology student from Miami.
Tavures Williams, a fourth-year political science student from Fort Lauderdale, is the branch’s new associate chief justice for student Traffic Court.
“My vision is to make this branch of the court grow as much as possible,” Williams said.
The associate chief justice will be accepting tickets in SGA and taking them to parking services to begin the appeal process. Because the new system will not be proactive but reactive, students must bring citations to SGA to be assisted.
Next semester, the justices will organize a “Know Your Rights Seminar and Traffic Jam,” an informational seminar where students will be informed on parking rights and privileges.
“I think this is extremely important and will be very helpful,” said Guerby Destina, a fourth-year physical therapy student rom Delray Beach, Fla.
Parking services representatives will be at the seminar to cover student responsibilities in the appeal process.
“Our vision is to get every student on campus to know the basics of their rights,” Williams said.