Student Judiciary Dismisses Second Brief Alleging Violations in ASM Chair Election

The student judiciary of the Associated Students of Madison (ASM) dismissed a second petitioner's brief from Rep. Michael Harry on Sept. 29. Harry, a candidate in this spring's chair election, had asked the body to examine alleged procedural violations that occurred during and after that vote.

Harry filed the brief on Sept. 22. It is his second submission asking the student judiciary to weigh in on the matter. This time he alleged that the judiciary mishandled its order on his first brief and that the Chief Justice misapplied rules during proceedings.

The dispute traces back to the April 24 election for chair of the 33rd session, which Harry lost. On April 30, he sent the Student Judiciary a petitioner's brief arguing that the election results were invalid. On Sept. 14, he amended that first brief to add information and to request that alleged violators be disqualified from future chair elections.

In his filings, Harry said meeting rules were broken during the election and that the Chief Justice did not preside. The Student Judiciary issued an order on Sept. 8 allowing his brief to be discussed as a special order at the Sept. 16 meeting. That order modified an earlier version issued April 30.

At the Sept. 16 student council meeting, ASM representatives voted narrowly against adopting the special order. Adoption required a two-thirds majority. A majority of representatives did vote in favor, but not enough to meet the threshold. Had the motion passed, representatives could have re-elected their 33rd session chair by a simple majority vote.

Harry's second brief argued that requiring a two-thirds majority to take up the first brief as a special order had no precedent.

According to the dismissal notice, a majority of student justices recused themselves from deciding the brief. Among them was Chief Justice Chloe Sieman, whose recusal Harry had requested. Because of the recusals, the student judiciary did not assign a full panel.

ASM Chair Haia Al Zein welcomed the outcome in a statement to The Daily Cardinal. "The Student Judiciary's decision gives me hope for the remainder of the 33rd session, and I hope it serves as an opportunity for us to work more collaboratively and move forward in greater unity," Al Zein said.

Sieman, Harry and the student judiciary declined to comment further on the brief.