Ben Poss
Legal trouble can be an issue for students who don’t know their rights.
Last year, more than 1,200 University of Iowa students were charged with alcohol and drug violations.
Student Legal Services conducted its latest presentation “Know the Law: Know Your Rights” in the IMU on Wednesday. The presentation was held to help students to be smart when it comes to the law and dealing with police.
With around 100 people in attendance, Student Legal Services’ assistant supervising attorney Amanda Elkins gave useful information about charges that many UI students may face, especially in their college years.
“I think a big thing is criminal convictions can follow you for a long time,” Elkins said. “We want students to make smart decisions so that they don’t have a record. We don’t want crimes to come back and haunt you.”
Some of the crimes outlined included were PAULA, OWI, public intoxication, possession of a fake ID, and drug possession.
An Iowa City police officer who spoke at the event had an interesting story to tell about public intoxication.
“A guy was walking downtown and ran into a trash can as a joke for his buddies,” he said. “Well, guess what? Simulating drunkenness is still public intoxication.”
Elkins and the team at Student Legal Services strive to get the UI student population more aware about what to do if they get caught up in legal trouble.
“One of our goals at student services is to educate the public and students about the law and their rights,” she said. “We want to inform them about the consequences of crimes, but we also want to prevent those things from happening. We want students to know how to interact with the police, and know what’s illegal because every state and city’s laws are different.”
Freshman Jaye Jackson, who attended the presentation, sees value in knowing what rights people have when confronted by police.
“The advice they gave that you don’t have to consent to a search was important,” Jackson said. “It’s good for anybody to know about their rights for future reference.”
The presentation is only one of the topics covered by Student Legal Services. The service also conduct talks for students related to renting and dealing with landlords.