TSN: What is your approach to the East Lansing court, which has many younger first-time offenders who face charges such as minor in possessions, or MIPs?
Meadows: Well, the court does have some flexibility in how it approaches MIPs. … Once you’ve gotten past the first offense, certainly the statues are tightened up in how things can be dealt with. … I remember what happened after the 1999 riots, which were really alcohol-fueled events. … Potential employers refused to come to MSU’s campus to interview students for jobs … even a minor criminal conviction can have far-reaching consequences, at least for initial offenders, so we give MSU students an opportunity to graduate and use their degree to further their career. … I might add that I don’t necessarily have the same feeling about violent activity.

TSN: How do you expect to interact with the MSU community?
Meadows: I know because I’ve participated … as a city council member (and) as mayor that freshmen orientation is a point in time where there’s an important interaction with the city … the incoming students to talk about various ordinances that apply in the city and sort of warn them that there are these things that don’t apply in your hometown, but apply in East Lansing. I expect as a city judge, I would participate in that … I think the judge should be willing to come to campus to talk to classes about what happens in court and why it is important for them not to show up there.