When you found yourself accused of misconduct at Michigan State, you decided to try to handle the situation yourself. Maybe you thought the process would be relatively straightforward or that whatever penalty you might face would be minimal. Maybe you were just afraid that hiring an attorney would mean getting your parents involved.
The fact is campus justice can be extremely complex. Rules and procedures can be difficult to navigate, and while you have some important rights, it's not always easy to know how to use them to your best advantage. Meanwhile, sanctions, even for minor offenses, can be severe. The bottom line is that you are always better off with an experienced attorney on your side.
Your case isn't necessarily over. You still have the right to appeal the hearing outcome or to ask for a formal reconsideration of that outcome. Make sure you don't make the same mistake this time. Trust your appeal to the attorneys at the Lento Law Firm. Our Student Defense Team was founded to protect student rights. We know what you're up against and what's at stake. We also know how the Michigan State system works, including what's involved in the appeals process. We're always on your side, and we'll use every resource at our disposal to get you the best possible resolution to your case.
It's important you act quickly, though. You have just five class days from the end of your hearing to file an appeal and just thirty days to file for reconsideration. That's not a lot of time to prepare a strong case. Call 888-535-3686 today, or use our online questionnaire to tell us more about your case.
The Appeals Process at Michigan State University
Let's start by talking about appeals at MSU. An appeal is not a hearing. You face some significant challenges you didn't face before.
- When you were initially charged with misconduct, MSU was required to treat you as "innocent until proven guilty." The school couldn't just dismiss you without an investigation and hearing. It had to "prove" you were Responsible (guilty). In judicial terms, the university had the "burden" in the case. At this point, however, you have been found Responsible. That means the burden has now shifted to you. The working assumption is that MSU treated you fairly. It's up to you to prove otherwise.
- Your goal at the hearing was to prove your innocence and/or justify your actions, and you had the freedom to use any reasonable argument to do that. Your arguments are now far more limited. There are only four acceptable grounds for appeal at MSU:
- Some procedural error occurred that could potentially have affected the outcome of the hearing.
A member of the hearing body had a conflict of interest that could have prevented them from judging you fairly. - The outcome of the hearing does not fit the evidence.
- The sanction in the case is more severe than the offense warrants.
- At the hearing, you were allowed to rely on any reasonable evidence to make your case. You had access to physical evidence, the right to call witnesses, and the right to raise questions for witnesses against you. The only evidence you may rely on in your appeal is the hearing record.
- At the hearing, you had the chance to make your case in person. That gave you some advantages. It is always harder to find a person guilty if you have seen them and heard their voice. Appeals happen on paper, though. You must use your writing to create a compelling case.
- If you had won your hearing, your case would have been over. Appeals aren't about innocence, though. They're about whether or not you were treated fairly. If you "win" your case, it means you get the opportunity to defend yourself at an all-new hearing.
If you're filing an appeal, you can be certain your Lento Law Firm attorney will carefully review the entire record of your case. If there are grounds for your appeal, we'll find them. We'll also draft the appeal itself, making sure your arguments are both clear and compelling.
Requests for Consideration
In addition to the appeals process, MSU also offers the opportunity to request a reconsideration of your hearing outcome. These cases are based entirely on the discovery of new evidence. As a result, you have up to thirty days after the hearing to file such a request.
These requests also involve a different process. Rather than submitting your request to an appeals official, you submit it to the original hearing body. If this body accepts your new evidence, it considers that evidence directly and renders a new decision.
Here again, you can count on your Lento Law Firm attorney to work with you to uncover evidence and to draft the content of your request itself. No matter what your situation, we'll ensure that MSU respects your rights and treats you fairly.
What's at Stake
Appeals and requests for reconsideration aren't easy prospects. They are important elements of the justice system at MSU, though, and no matter how difficult they may seem at the outset, it's important you keep fighting for your future.
Michigan State takes misconduct seriously, and it assigns serious sanctions to everyone caught violating school policy. It's entirely possible that you've been punished with either suspension or dismissal. Dismissal, of course, means the end of your time at MSU. It could mean the end of your academic career altogether. In addition to being expelled from the university, you'll have to deal with a transcript notation that describes your offense. That can make enrolling at another college or university difficult.
If you've been suspended, you have a chance to hang on to your spot at MSU, though it is always difficult to return to school once you've been away for any length of time. You may also need to start repaying any student loans you've taken out, and that can get you onto a work treadmill that's hard to get off. Finally, suspension comes with a transcript notation, just like a dismissal. Even if you do manage to earn your degree, you're going to have to deal with that notation when you go to apply for a job.
The good news is that lots of students win their cases if they just keep fighting. Why? Because university judicial systems make mistakes—lots of mistakes. They're not run by serious legal minds. They're run by faculty and students. Those faculty and students have a tendency to get things wrong. The whole point of an appeal or a request for reconsideration is to make sure you have a chance to put things right. Take advantage of that opportunity.
Fight For Your Future
The appeals process at Michigan State exists for a reason: to ensure justice is done. The Lento Law Firm's Student Defense Team is always on your side and ready to fight for justice. We'll protect your rights, and we'll make sure you get the best possible resolution to your case.
As we said in the beginning, though, you cannot afford to wait. The windows for filing your appeal or request for reconsideration are limited. Get started now. Contact the Lento Law Firm at 888-535-3686 or use our online form.
