<p>Two friends and myself got caught with weed in my on-campus apartment, we each got a charge of "possession or use" because we each were stupid enough to not take the 5th and admitted smoking to the cops, but never ratted out the single owner of the weed.</p>
<p>So I must go to this hearing and "should * be found guilty of these allegations, action will be taken which could range from a Formal Warning to Residence Hall Probation and/or reassignment or removal from the Residence Hall."</p>
<p>Personally this is my first experience with this, though I know a few people who have been through this a lot and I plan to ask them about it soon. I know every campus is different but if anyone has advice or experience on how these things generally go that would help. I suppose the RHA conducts their own cases on these incidents, otherwise I think I would already be found guilty seeing as I admitted smoking to the cop.</p>
<p>Instinct says to go plead guilty, apologize, it will never happen again and hope for a formal warning. But I don't know all of what pleading guilty entails, I still plan to transfer to a new school next semester but if being charged as guilty creates any obstacles for me in this school for the remainder of my time that would be something to think about, etc. On the other hand I doubt I should try and fight the case, after all I did admit to the cop that I smoked.</p>
<p>I appreciate any help and I anticipate the "dumbass/scumbag" comments :)</p>
<p>There are two issues: the criminal justice system and the school disciplinary system.</p>
<p>The arrest (I’m assuming that there was one) and charge may go on your record. This could be a potential problem in looking for employment down the road. It may be possible to get these annulled. You should talk to your parents about the legal stuff. They may want to get an attorney involved. Laws on drugs vary from state to state but you should consider a lawyer anytime there’s the potential of jail or large fines. I’ve seen lots of these in the local police blotter - yes, they can be publicly listed so that someone that googles your name or does a Lexis/Nexis search can turn up the incident.</p>
<p>Schools vary all over the place on their honor codes and dorm policies. Talk to others that have been through this to see what happened with them and which approach they used.</p>
<p>Call your parents and tell them what happened. You might get chewed out but they have a stake in your life and it would be better that they found out from you than from the papers, your friends or elsewhere.</p>
<p>I’m pretty sure at this point, there’s no sense in denying anything. You got caught. You confessed. They’re not going to forget about that.</p>
<p>I think the penalties for getting caught with weed are much worse than getting caught with alcohol at my school–i’ve only been caught with alcohol, and it was a first time thing so I just got a $25 fine and a warning. I think the fine’s a lot higher for weed here.</p>
<p>At the disciplinary hearing I had to go to, he basically just asked what happened, if I had anything to say, any questions, and that was it. I didn’t bother denying it or saying that I was in the wrong room at the wrong time.</p>
<p>I’d suggest going with the truth, because lying will get you in worse trouble than you’re already in.</p>
<p>I agree w/ BC eagle. You may not want to involve your parents but you want to be certain about how to best protect your permanent record. You will also want to be sure afterwards how to legally answer the question on employment applications about drugs.</p>
<p>Similarly, son (22) got first speeding ticket for $350. Ticket claims he was going 88 (we don’t think that his car can even do 88). But he came to us and we have been brainstorming the correct action to take. My first thought of mea culpa that may be morally right is not always the decision legally. Denying it concerns me for other reasons.</p>
<p>This mistake can impact job prospects. You want to handle it right.</p>
<p>At my college I served on the judiciary board in my sophomore year. When someone came in and attempted to lie their way out of trouble, we were much harsher in our sanctioning than when they came in, admitted what they did, and seemed to sincerely apologize. </p>
<p>All honor code/honor boards differ at different universities, but all I can say is that at my college the student would benefit by being honest and seeming contrite rather than attempting to fight it. In my experience students who attempted to fight their case when it was obvious that they were in fact guilty (and you admitting to the cop that you smoked is pretty obvious) tended to just make their situation more complicated, messy and got the judicial board on their bad side, which made sanctioning only worse.</p>
<p>Dumbass you should have ate it!!! If you eat it —> no possesion! Possesion is way worse than using because it might count as distributement…, some people go to jail for selling</p>
<p>I am on a judiciary committe that hears these cases at my school. If the police report says it, we believe it. If it was a first offense we give a repremanded warning (school requires it; it stays on your record until you graduate), you have to go to a marijuana counseling session (again, the school requires it), and then we assign some penalty (usually make a poster/give a speech/write a two page paper on why marijuana is bad). Second time it stays on your record for four years after you graduate and penalties get worse.</p>
<p>If it was the on campus cops its probably not going to be a huge deal (depends on the campus, I suppose). </p>
<p>I got caught drinking in the dorms (first and last time ever drinking) and had a meeting and got put on disciplinary probation for 6 months, meaning if I got caught again I’d get kicked out of school.</p>
<p>Its on my record for my school and my school only. Unless I release the records, no other school would know. Of course schools have asked me the question and I was honest about it. Once I graduate (or leave the school - which is what I’m doing), the record is destroyed.</p>
<p>BCEagle and smoda- thank you but actually I’ve got the criminal justice system under control, I’ve been looking into it for the past week and I know what I’m going to do in that department. I’m only asking about the school disciplinary system here because I received notification of this hearing a whole week after the incident, before then I forgot all about this system.</p>
<p>shelovescliche, daniela, maxellis, and s0ad- thanks for the advice; I will definitely go with that option now, and thanks for the heads up on any other possible penalties.</p>
<p>durak, your post alone shows me you probably know less about weed and marijuana laws than I do. As a matter of fact during the bust before the cops showed up I had a perfect opportunity to take the weed and flush it down the toilet but after looking up the possible penalties for tampering with evidence I’m glad I didn’t.</p>
<p>Otherwise I’m surprised at CC, no elitist flamers so far. Have all the hardheads left since I last visited?</p>
<p>The weed laws in this country, as well as Australia (where I’m at now) are completely bogus. </p>
<p>I don’t use weed but I’m very well-informed of the history of the drug laws and the war on drugs in this country. It’s a completely harmless drug. Back in the 60s, the Drug Czar wanted more funding and so basically circulated that weed turns one into a rapist, baby-killing radioactive gorilla. And now the country keeps its laws because old people and religious nuts don’t know what it is and fear the stuff massively. So lets throw everybody in prison.</p>
<p>Jesus Christ, people in general, are very, very dumb.</p>
<p>At the school I go to some students were busted for having marijuana in the dorms. The school did not report them to the police. They were not thrown out of school but were thrown out of the dorms. At least one of them was there on a full sports scholarship that included room and board. He could not afford to stay at the school without the free room and board so had to leave. expensive mistake.</p>
<p>That is the only real case I have knowledge of. I would imagine it depends very much on each school and their individual policies.</p>
<p>my friend at UCLA got caught smoking in his dorm room. The dean talked to him and just gave him a warning. No cops were involved, although the law in California would be more lenient than the law in other states.</p>