SGA drafts parking ticket appeals court

Proposed student-run traffic court would allow students to fight parking fines
By Matthew Boyle | mboyle@flagler.edu
Photo by Matthew Boyle

Flagler College Security Director Kerry Davis wants a non-administrative outlet for students with campus parking citation issues.

Currently, though, Davis said students can only appeal parking citations directly with him. “I’m not going to void a ticket simply because of their story,” he said.

Student Government Association Publicity Chair Alicia Abbott is finalizing plans to implement a “traffic court” allowing students to appeal parking tickets to a student-run board.

The court proposal is currently up for administration approval and SGA doesn’t know when to expect a final decision.

“I would love for it to happen for February,” Abbott said. “Realistically, though, I want it in place by Fall 2010. It depends on how quickly the administration gets back to us.”

In the proposed plan, a four-student board and a chairperson would hear parking ticket appeals. The four students would vote as to whether the ticket is valid or not and, in the case of a tie, the chairperson would cast the deciding vote.

A campus security officer would also be present at the traffic court to answer any questions the board or appealing student may have. The security officer would not have a vote.

Abbott said SGA hasn’t yet considered who would chair the court or who the four students would be.
“We want to get all the messy stuff out of the way first,” she said.

To be on the court, Abbott said, a student would have to be a voting SGA member and only an SGA officer can chair the board.

SGA President David Matulewicz said the parking ticket court’s decision would be final with no room for further appeal from the college or the student.

This is Davis’ second full semester as Flagler’s Security Director. Previously, he served as Stetson University’s Captain of Public Safety.

“I ran into it [traffic court] a little at Stetson,” Davis said. “It gives the students the ability to go beyond me.”
Stetson SGA President Akeel St. Jean said he’s pleased with Stetson’s traffic court. “We didn’t have any issues at all,” he said. “We’ve seen a lot less students complaining.”