The trial between Electoral Commissioner Marva Butler and Talia Smith regarding this year’s fall elections initially ended with Butler being sanctioned. However, after Butler appealed, the four sanctions were removed.
Smith, a former Fall 2007 graduate attendant candidate, took Butler before the student court with accusations of unconstitutional mishandling of voting procedures.
The case ruled for Butler to serve four sanctions, which mandated a formal apology to all the graduate candidates, attendance to the 37th Student Senate Document Review Day, the operation of an electoral informational booth on the Set and a 20-percent payroll deduction.
Dominique Bercy,22, the attorney general who represented Butler, Bercy, a senior English student from Port St. Lucie, said the sanctions were harsh and unnecessary.
“I didn’t think Talia’s case was valid mainly because it was not documented appropriately. The opposing counselor didn’t even bring a case, there were no witnesses, they didn’t cross examine my witnesses and Talia had nothing to say during the trial,” Bercy said.
Smith and Butler were both unavailable for comment.
Prior information regarding the case attributed from an article written in a past Famuan issue: October 22, 2007.