Criminal Charges And Academic Codes Of Conduct

All criminal charges, including the large majority of Summary Offenses such as underage drinking, public drunkenness and disorderly conduct, will result in disciplinary action under the Penn State Code of Student Conduct for Penn State Students charged with such offenses.

Even under circumstances where the criminal charge is dismissed after completion of educational and community service components of an alternative adjudication approved by a judge the Penn State Office of Student Conduct will conduct an inquiry. Students are typically not permitted to have legal representation at the initial meeting within this process. If representation is permitted to attend, their involvement will be permitted not as an advocate but more as an adviser.

After the initial meeting with the Office of Student Conduct students will be supplied with a notice of proposed sanctions which they either must agree to or appeal to a full hearing. Legal representation at this phase is limited to providing advice on preservation of the student’s 5th amendment rights.

Discipline resulting from this process can result from probation to expulsion depending on a number of factors including the severity of the offense, the prior conduct record of the student and the perceived danger to the University community from continued behavior of the type charged.

Thus there are at least two components to every offense alleged against a Penn State student. The goal of a competent, experienced attorney should be the protection of not only a student’s criminal record but his or her standing with the University as well. I have been protecting Penn State students for over 10 years in such a fashion. You can trust that I will attempt to protect all Penn State students to the fullest extent possible in both their criminal issues as well as Conduct Code issues.

 

AV | Preeminent | Ronald F. Saupe | 2013