IUSA Congress to vote on Supreme Court nominee

Who would have thought the Mexican drug war would have any effect on the IU Student Association?

Mikaela Shaw was set to go to Mexico when her study abroad program was canceled because of security issues. She in turn accepted a year abroad program in Spain, a decision that forced her to resign from her IUSA Supreme Court justice seat.

Her resignation led to IUSA President Michael Coleman going against a 10-year precedent of the Court nominating its own justices. Instead Coleman pushed the approval of his own nominee.

Shaw submitted her official letter of resignation Monday. Today, IUSA congress will vote on Hannah Kinkead, Coleman’s nominee, to be selected as a Supreme Court justice.

Last Tuesday, Coleman rejected the Supreme Court’s nominee, Matthew Bower.
Coleman and Supreme Court Chief Justice Tara Maloney both said it’s not personal, it’s policy.

Coleman said he is working within the IUSA constitution; however, the Court is concerned about Kinkead’s previous role with Coleman and the executive branch.

Kinkead was a member of Coleman’s iUnity legislative relations team, but he said she played a limited role.

Coleman said the reason he pushed for Kinkead was because she was a second alternate in the Supreme Court elections last spring.

“The sooner we make a decision on this, the better. Why go through the whole interview process again?” Coleman said. “It’s been my logic the whole time.”

The Court has no reason to believe Kinkead will be biased toward the executive branch, but they are more concerned with the perception of bias.

The Court has the ability to request Kinkead to not be included in certain issues, Chief Justice Tara Maloney said.

There has been frustration with Coleman’s “flat-out rejection” of Bower, Maloney said. Bower was the Court’s nominee after a lengthy application and interview process.

The last 10 years have set the precedent of the Court nominating a justice and the president approving the nomination.

Supreme Court members want a strong Court, and having a separation of branches is an aspect of that, Ronak Shah, associate Supreme Court justice said.