After a nearly three year hiatus, Florida A&M University’s (FAMU) Student Government Association Student Traffic Court will now be able to take and hear students cases.
In Chapter 409 of the FAMU Student Body Statutes, it is stated that the SGA is governed by, “…an official hearing body for the disposition of unresolved non-moving student traffic tickets arising from cited violations,” also known as the FAMU Student Traffic Court. In simpler terms, this court is designed to provide students a chance to resolve traffic tickets received by the FAMU Parking Enforcement agency through student representation in a court-like setting.
Being that parking has been such a recurring issue, a valuable resource such as Student Traffic Court being unutilized can be seen as a loss on the students’ part. Traffic Court Chief, Brian Holloway II, says the reasoning for the lack of services is due to the court not having a quorum.
“There has been no justice recommendations approved by the SGA president in three years… and you need a certain number of justices to have quorum for court,” said Holloway.
Brandon Johnson, a senior political science student, stated his excitement of the return of the traffic court, “as a student with a controversial parking citation, the announcement of the court being reconvened is good news.”
When asked about his expectations of the Traffic Court, Johnson stated he hopes to see monumental change, “I wish to see our traffic court actually advocate for our parking issues and make their advocacy public…Traffic court and those who make up this entity need to be on the front lines in this fight for adequate parking and a better parking services department for our university.”
Some students who have not heard of this service are wary of its usefulness. Senior Psychology student, Amanda Oliver, is not too optimistic on the Traffic Court’s return, “ I never really heard of Traffic Court helping out even before there was a lack of justices…so what is going to change?”
Traffic Court Chief Holloway is adamant that this year the Traffic Court will be visible and ready to help the student body.
“I’m most excited to educate the student body of the opportunities the student traffic court is offering, for instance, our lobbying efforts for more parking on campus for students, and more amnesty initiatives for students to get their tickets paid off,” commented Holloway.
To get an appeal heard by the court, the student must first go to parking services and file an appeal form and then follow the instructions of the parking services student traffic court director.