Judicial Witness Frequently Asked Questions
- What do I do if I am called to be a witness against a student at a Judicial Council hearing?
- What do I do if I am called to be a witness for a student at a Judicial Council hearing?
- Under what circumstances would I be called to be a witness?
- What happens once I arrive at the hearing?
- Am I required to show up as a witness against a student? What might happen if I do not appear?
- What do I do if I am called to be a witness against a student at a Judicial Council hearing?
- What do I do if I am called to be a witness for a student at a Judicial Council hearing?
- Under what circumstances would I be called to be a witness?
- What happens once I arrive at the hearing?
- Am I required to show up as a witness against a student? What might happen if I do not appear?
Make sure that you are familiar with the I-Doc. If you need to read it, just come by the Office of Judicial Affairs and we would be happy to let you look at a copy of it. Ask any questions that you feel are necessary.
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If you are a witness to the event, make sure that you are familiar with the events from that incident. If you are called as a character witness, you need to only speak about the character of the person, not about the incident in question.
If a student comes and has a Judicial hearing, they have the option of rejecting that officer’s disciplinary decision and taking their case to a Judicial Council. The Council is a board made up of 3 students, 3 faculty, and 1 non-voting faculty chair. They will hear the case as if it was never heard by a hearing officer. This is the student’s chance to question the witness(es) against him/her and also bring witnesses of his/her own. If you are somehow involved in the case by writing the I-Doc or witnessing the event, then you will likely be called as a witness. Your testimony about the events, or about the person’s character, is critical in determining responsibility and sanctioning of the student’s behavior.
Once you arrive, a staff member will escort you to a room with other witnesses against or for (these are 2 separate rooms). After the hearing begins, once it is your turn to testify, a member of the Council will come and bring you into the hearing room. The Council will ask you about the details of the event. It is your responsibility to answer honestly and provide as much information as possible. The accused student will then have the opportunity to question you about the incident. The Chair will not allow any inappropriate questions. Remember that you are not the one being accused. Your presence is only to clarify details of the incident.
If you are a Resident Advisor or Hall Director, it is part of your job obligations to serve as a witness for the Office of Judicial Affairs if needed. Failing to appear for a hearing will result in the notification of the Office of Residence Life that you did not appear for a Judicial Council hearing and they will determine the appropriate action from that point. Also, if you do not appear as a witness against a student, it could be cause for the case to be dropped and the student to be found “not responsible."