Supreme Court to hear IUSA code violation petitions

The iUnity ticket for the IU Student Assocation filed Tuesday three separate petitions with the Student Body Supreme Court, which will hear one of the petitions today at 7 p.m. in the Maurer School of Law room 121.

The petition before the court today alleges a violation of Elections Code 303 and says that the number and placement of polling locations were not approved four weeks before the election, as the code requires.

Internal Affairs Chairwoman of the Court Ashley Martin said it is the court’s job to see if the Elections Code was upheld.

While a delay of the elections is a possible outcome of the hearing, it is not the court’s job to set a new election date.

The second petition claims there is a conflict of interest — a violation of Elections Code 101 — because Elections Commission member Tyler Coward and Kirkwood presidential candidate Justin Kingsolver are in the same fraternity, Sigma Phi Epsilon.

The court will accept case briefs from involved parties from 9 a.m. today to 5 p.m. Sunday and will then announce a hearing day and time.

The third petition, which the court denied, alleges that the Kirkwood ticket handed in applications without physical signatures.

The 2010 Election Application for Candidacy specifies that candidates must sign the application and turn it in to the IUSA office and that no digital signatures would be accepted.

Martin said the denial was not based on the merit of the petition but because proper procedure says this petition must be heard by the Elections Commission before the court can hear it.

The iUnity ticket has refrained to comment on the petitions, but is confident the court will uphold the Election Code and encourages students to attend the hearing today, said Neil Kelty, chief of staff for iUnity in an e-mail.

Both parties have the option to submit a brief to the Clerk of the Court and the Chief Justice until one hour prior to the proceedings.

— MJ Slaby