Student court says no to final appeal over Madison chair seat

A majority of the student justices recused themselves from the decision, ending the final legal challenge to the April chair election at the Associated Students of Madison. The judiciary dismissed the second brief filed by Rep. Michael Harry on Sept. 29.

Harry lost the chair election for the 33rd session on April 24. He sent his first petitioner's brief to the Student Judiciary on April 30, arguing that the results were invalid. On Sept. 14, he amended that filing to add details and requested that alleged violators be banned from future chair races.

The dispute centered on procedural rules. Harry claimed that meeting rules were broken during the vote and that the Chief Justice did not preside over the proceedings. The Student Judiciary issued an order on Sept. 8 to allow his first brief to be discussed as a special order at the Sept. 16 meeting. That order replaced an earlier version issued on April 30.

At the Sept. 16 student council meeting, representatives voted against adopting the special order. The motion required a two-thirds majority to pass. While a majority of representatives voted in favor, the tally did not reach the required threshold. Had the motion passed, the council could have re-elected the 33rd session chair by a simple majority vote.

Harry filed his second brief on Sept. 22. He argued that the judiciary mishandled the order on his first brief and that the Chief Justice misapplied the rules. He specifically contended that requiring a two-thirds majority to take up the first brief as a special order had no precedent.

The dismissal notice states that the student judiciary did not assign a full panel due to the recusals. Chief Justice Chloe Sieman recused herself, an action Harry had requested. Sieman, Harry, and the student judiciary declined to comment further on the brief.

ASM Chair Haia Al Zein welcomed the outcome in a statement. "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.