When animal science junior Lauren Stanko approached ASMSU’s free legal services after obtaining a minor-in-possession charge during Welcome Week, she was surprised at the limited amount of interaction she had with her lawyer.
“As far as direct contact with the lawyer, I had very little,” she said. “I called and made an appointment, but they didn’t ask who I wanted. They just set up an appointment for me after telling me to plead not guilty — I didn’t know if the appointment was with a lawyer or not.”
But regardless of whether students are satisfied with the services, Asmite Tewelde, legal services director, said ASMSU is on its way to seeing more students than in 2006. Last fall, ASMSU lawyers saw 1,169 students, 510 of whom were looking for assistance with MIPs, Tewelde said.
So far this fall, 781 students have used the legal service, with about 300 being MIPs.
“We will have at least 1,169 students, if not more,” Tewelde said.
Although a bit disappointed, Stanko said she was pleased that ASMSU guaranteed the MIP would be removed from her record — simply by paying the $320 ticket, attending an alcohol class and being placed on a 90-day probation period with random Breathalyzers.
ASMSU is MSU’s undergraduate student government.
After her final court hearing, Stanko was asked if she wanted to meet her lawyer, which she agreed to.
“I chose to do so, so that I could get a clearer understanding of what had happened with my case and what my options were,” Stanko said.
“I wished I could be more involved in the process.”
The fall semester numbers tend to exceed the spring’s, Tewelde said, because of behavior during MSU football games.
But no matter when students obtain MIPs, most of them want a helping hand.
“After getting in trouble, I think students have no idea what to expect,” ASMSU Attorney Jim Newton said.
“Students have tendencies to want someone by them during the process. When setting up an appointment, I tell them I might be able to help them over the phone. We are there looking out for the best interest of the student.”
Newton said he tries making the situation easy for students, such as contacting prosecuting agencies and the court.
Lisa Teverbaugh, a 2007 graduate, said ASMSU legal services tells you exactly what to do and how to handle everything in perfect detail.
“They tell you what to expect — not giving you any false sense of hope,” she said. “They were very up front, and reassured me.”
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