As a Colorado State University (CSU) student, you may think that being charged with a crime means you will only have to deal with the Larimer County courts, but you would be wrong. Sure, it seems understandable if the alleged crime occurs on campus or at a university sanctioned event that the university would get involved, but it extends well beyond that. It seems that CSU has some sort of in with the Fort Collins police or Larimer County Sheriff where they are notified when any person who is a student of the university is given a summons or arrested. This means that for CSU students, the consequences become two-fold and even if you get the situation taken care of with the court, you still may have issues with the school.
Colorado State University Student Charged with a Crime in Fort Collins: What Should I Do Next?
Ok, let’s say you are a CSU student and you get pulled over leaving a house party off campus and arrested for drinking and driving (DUI). Your best next step is to contact an experienced criminal defense attorney who will fight to make sure that one mistake doesn’t ruin your entire college career.
How CSU Gets Involved After an Arrest in Larimer County
Referring back to the original example with the DUI, once CSU has been told by what ever little birdy they have whispering in their ear that you were arrested, an email is sent stating that the University knows about your recent run-in with the police and that they are being sent copies of the police reports. It states that once they have obtained these reports, they will be in touch to schedule a meeting. This meeting is a time to discuss the instance with the CSU representative. Then a determination is made as to what penalties they think are appropriate. This determination can be appealed. For the DUI case, maybe CSU would require you to do 5 sessions of therapy with the university – even though you are already doing the classes and therapy through probation and the courts.
Are CSU’s Actions Legal? Can I Be Punished for the Same Crime Twice?
Technically, yes. When you agree to attend CSU you are bound by the Student Conduct Code which is basically CSU’s list of prohibited behavior. It includes school related issues like cheating and plagiarism all the way to stalking, drug use, and sexual misconduct. Any violation, whether on or off campus, is subject to review by Colorado State University.
If you or your college student has been charged with a crime, be smart, exercise your right to remain silent, and contact the best criminal defense attorneys from the O’Malley Law Office at 970-658-0007 to schedule your free consultation today. Together, we can protect your future.
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