If you’ve been found responsible for (guilty of) a misconduct offense at Stephen F. Austin, your back is against the wall, no question. Your case isn’t over just yet, though. Under the university’s own policies, you have the right to file an appeal. That could give new life to your defense.

An appeal is never an easy prospect, though, and you don’t want to undertake it alone. Make sure you have the best possible help before you take on the university.

No one offers you a better chance at success than the LLF National Law Firm. Our Student Defense Team was founded to protect student rights. We know how SFASU operates, including what’s involved in appeals, and we have the experience of having helped hundreds of students defend themselves. Most importantly, we’re always on your side, no matter the situation.

It’s important you act quickly, though. SFSAU gives you just fourteen days to file your appeal, and that’s not a lot of time to prepare your arguments and evidence. Don’t wait. Call the LLF National Law Firm today at 888-535-3686 to find out what we can do for your case, or use our online questionnaire to tell us more about your situation.

The Filing Process

The real work of filing an appeal happens during the writing process. We’ll get into that in a bit. Let’s start, though, with a rough outline of how you file. After all, you want to make sure you dot all of your “i’s” and cross all of your “t’s.” Failure to do so can result in a rejected appeal, no matter how strong your arguments.

  • There are no forms to guide the content of your appeal. You’re simply directed to offer your best arguments and evidence.
  • You submit your appeal to the university’s Appeal Officer. Again, you must do this within fourteen days of receiving notification of your hearing outcome.
  • The Appeal Officer notifies the other party in your case, and they have seven days to issue a response.
  • The Appeal Officer then has ten days to issue a final response. There are no hearings in appeals cases.

The Appeal Officer has three options. They can affirm the original decision, modify the terms of your sanctions, or refer the case back to the Dean of Students for a new hearing.

Drafting Your Appeal

So what’s the big deal? You write up your arguments, you attach some evidence, and you file it all, right?

The big deal is that you won’t get a chance to address the Appeal Officer in person. That puts enormous pressure on the quality of your writing. Anything that’s unclear or confusing will damage your chances of success.

The big deal is also that you’re not arguing your innocence anymore. That issue was decided at your hearing. Appeals have nothing to do with guilt or innocence, and if you use the same arguments and evidence you presented at your hearing, your case is doomed before you even begin. You have just four options when it comes to argument.

  • You can argue that the sanctions that have been imposed are more severe than the nature of your offense. To do this, though, you must admit responsibility for the offense. You won’t get a new hearing, but you could be eligible for a reduced penalty.
  • You can argue that some procedural irregularity prevented you from having a fair opportunity to prove your case. As a result, you deserve a new hearing under fair conditions.
  • You can argue that someone involved in your case had a clear conflict of interest that prevented you from receiving a fair outcome. Again, you deserve another hearing.
  • Finally, you can argue that some new piece of evidence has come to light that should be considered. Of course, this means finding some new piece of evidence after your hearing.

You’ll also need to rely exclusively on the record of your original hearing to prove your case. Remember that you aren’t arguing for your innocence, so evidence of your innocence is irrelevant.

Finally, the big deal is that you’ve already been found guilty. You’re facing the equivalent of “challenging the ruling on the field,” and that’s never an easy proposition. When you were first charged, you were “innocent until proven guilty.” That means you didn’t have to come up with any evidence to prove your innocence. It was SFASU’s responsibility to come up with evidence overcoming that initial presumption. Now, however, the “burden” is on you.

None of these factors is insurmountable. You are always at a disadvantage when you file an appeal, but all you need to win a new hearing is one mistake on the university’s part. It turns out, colleges and universities aren’t great when it comes to justice. There’s every chance SFASU committed some error. All you have to do is uncover it, and you don’t have to do that alone. Remember that the LLF National Law Firm is on your side. If there are grounds for an appeal, we’ll find them. We’ll also help you draft a document that is both clear and compelling.

The Office of General Counsel

Within the context of the university’s disciplinary misconduct system, a failed appeal is the end of your case. You do have another option, though, even if this happens. You can always contact the SFASU administration directly and ask a university official to intervene in your case. This can sometimes result in a lesser sanction or even case dismissal. At a minimum, you can ask the university to remove your offense from your record, so you can transfer elsewhere and complete your degree.

As you might have guessed, though, this can be every bit as tough as filing an appeal. To pull it off, you need an inside connection. Here again, the LLF National Law Firm can help. We’ve been at this a long time, and along the way, we’ve forged numerous relationships with Offices of General Counsel at schools across the country.

Who are the OGC? They’re attorneys hired by colleges and universities to provide legal advice. If we can convince one to talk with an official on your behalf, we can usually set up a meeting to negotiate a fair resolution to your case.

Trust the LLF National Law Firm With Your Case

Whether you’re entirely innocent or simply looking to get fair treatment from Stephen F. Austin, you owe it to yourself to continue the fight. The LLF National Law Firm’s Student Defense Team is here and ready to help. We’ll guide you through the entire appeals process, make sure your case is airtight, and guarantee the college respects your rights.

As we said in the beginning, though, you cannot afford to wait. There are deadlines for filing your appeal. Get started now. Contact the LLF National Law Firm at 888-535-3686 or use our online form.

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