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THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
THURSDAY, AUGUST 28, 2014
PAGE 3A
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'Traffic Court' to update procedures
DALTON KINGERY
@daltonkingnews
The University's student-led Court of Parking Appeals, popularly known as "Traffic Court," has implemented a number of changes to modernize the quasi-judicial body. The court, located in Green Hall, developed new online resources, made procedural changes and is going paperless.
The Traffic Court has created a public wiki, or online encyclopedia, as a resource for anyone that needs information on the court. It contains informational videos, copies of the court's rules and procedures and information for student-judges and attorneys. In addition to the online resources, the court now has
the option to go paperless to lower costs and improve efficiency.
The Traffic Court also implemented a number of new procedural changes this fall, marking the first significant rule changes since 1993, said Nicholas Birdsong, a third-year law student from Lyndon and Chief Justice of the Traffic Court. In-person hearings are now optionally recorded; in the past, audio recordings were required. Provisions have been put in place that create new consequences for attorney and judge misconduct. Clear rules against conflict of interest for judges and attorneys now exist as well.
Although the Traffic Court is not a true court of law, Student Senate gives the court authority over ticket appeals.
Birdsong said the University's appeals court is unique in that it is managed entirely by law students. He added that many universities may have appeal policies in place, and some, such as the University of Nebraska, even have a court. To be exclusively student-led is a
"I parked at the Rec Center when I didn't have the right permit and I got a ticket. I appealed it and I lost."
BYRAN HOLDENER Sophomore from O'Fallon, III.
trait that can only be found at the University, he said.
on campus. Nobody likes getting parking tickets on campus," Birdsong said. "Instead of just making people pay it, we have a unique option for students or faculty to appeal to a court."
"People get parking tickets
Through personal research, Birdsong found the earliest record of the Traffic Court to be in 1976, in the form of an attorney general order that the traffic court could no longer hear misdemeanor cases.
"It says that we're interested in furthering the education and experiences of our law students," said Bethany Brayton, a KU Parking and Transit employee who works closely with the court's appeal system. "My favorite thing is that it is done by students. Sometimes they
have a better perspective into other students' situations."
Students seem to appreciate the options the Traffic Court gives them, even if the court doesn't throw out every ticket.
"I parked at the Rec Center when I didn't have the right permit, and I got a ticket. I appealed and I lost," said Bryan Holdener, a sophomore from O'Fallon, Ill. "But they could just say 'screw you, pay it.' But they give you a chance to explain yourself."
The court's new wiki can be viewed at http://wiki.kutraficcourt.com. To appeal a ticket, visit http://www.parking.ku.edu/appeals.
Edited by Kelsey Phillips
Student participation important in elections
ALLISON KITE
@Allie_Kite
On Nov.4, students and faculty will have to make decisions in several national and state elections.
Clay Cosby, a senior from Overland Park studying political science, said he believes education funding, voting rights, taxes and equality are going to be major issues in the upcoming elections. As the director of organizing for the Future Majority, a bipartisan campus political organization created last year, Cosby said his goal is to inform students on some of the major issues this election season.
Cosby said the 2012 decision that requires people to provide proof of citizenship to register to vote in Kansas makes the voting process more difficult
for students, which could deter some people.
"We want to go through all those loopholes and get students registered to vote, but also make sure they know that there's some voter suppression going on in the state," he said. Natalie Parker, a senior majoring in journalism from Overland Park and Future Majority's director of communications, said she believes education funding should be one of students' major concerns during the election.
The total approved state university and board of regents budget decreased by more than $42 million from fiscal year 2014 to 2015, and the portion of that budget that comes from the state general fund increased by more than $28 million.
Two national republican incumbents, Rep. Lynn Jenkins and Sen. Pat Roberts, will face opposition from Lawrence attorney Margie Wakefield and Shawnee County District Attorney Chad Taylor. Gov. Sam
CLAY COSBY
Senior from Overland Park
"We want to go through all those loopholes and get students registered to vote..."
Brownback will face Kansas House of Representatives minority leader Paul Davis, and Secretary of State Kris Kobach will face Democrat Jean Schodorf.
bernatorial elections and the secretary of state race, Kansas state representatives from the six districts in Douglas County will be up for reelection. Students' representatives can differ based on their proximity to campus, the three closest being 44,10 and 46.
In addition to national, gu-
Students who choose to vote as residents of Douglas County can register through Oct. 14. Students who wish to vote as members of their home counties can contact their local elections office to get more information about absentee and advance ballots.
Students can register in Douglas County online with a Kansas driver's license or non-driver's ID. They can also register at a county clerk's office with a registration form. Offices can also mail those forms, and students can find
Students who are registered in other parts of Kansas can request an advance ballot online and either return it to their home county or the Douglas County Clerk's Office, which will send it on to the student's home county.
them online, fill them out and mail, email, fax or carry them into the office.
A valid Kansas driver's license or non-driver's identification is needed to register online. You may register in person without.
For those registering for the first time, proof of citizenship is necessary. You can mail, fax, email or hand deliver the proof of citizenship.
Edited by Emily Brown
Law student elected as interim student body vice president until September reelection
Tyler Childress, a first-year law student from Coffeyville, was elected as the interim student body vice president in a Student Senate meeting Wednesday night in a vote by acclamation.
Childress served as chief of staff during the 2013-2014 school year under Student Body President Marcus Tetwiler, a spring graduate from Paola.
Emma Halling, interim student body president, started the meeting by encouraging the senators to consider the impact of upcoming decisions.
"Though I suspect that some people have lost sight of the long-term implications of the current state of affairs, the fact of the matter is, that what occurs within the next few weeks will have a remarkably widespread and long-term impact," Halling said.
The Senate also voted to approve all of the 2014-2015 executive staff, so they could continue in their positions until the election scheduled for Sept. 9 and 10. The entire executive staff was approved, and all of those votes were also votes by acclamation. This is the entire staff that Morgan Said, former student body president, and Miranda Wagner, former student body vice president, had hired at the end of last school year.
the Senate had to vote to individually suspend S.R.S.R. 5.16.1.1. before they could approve former Jayhawker candidates Mitchell Cota, acting chief of staff, and Patrick Jacquinoit, acting outreach coordinator.
5. 16.1.1. dictates that if a senator commits an egregious violation, they are banned from participating in senate for 12 months. This rule includes appointed positions like the executive staff. This is the rule that did not allow for any former senators from the Jayhawker coalition to have voting or speaking rights in Wednesday's full senate meeting.
— Miranda Davis
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN PRESENTS
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