Brian Stansbury, University Judiciary Committee Law School representative, may resign from his position if the UJC Executive Committee decides not to excuse his absence from Sunday night's Committee meeting.
The Committee has a policy that four unexcused absences from Committee meetings are sufficient grounds to impeach a representative.
Vice Chairman for Trials Tillman Breckenridge enacted the policy at the beginning of the Committee's term last April. According to Committee bylaws, the vice chair for trials has the authority to create an attendance policy. Past holders of the vice chair for trials position have enacted similar policies.
According to Committee attendance records, before last Sunday Stansbury accumulated four unexcused absences and two excused absences. He has attended three Committee meetings.
Stansbury said he already has been impeached and nearly removed once for having four unexcused absences. Three weeks ago the Committee held a vote to remove him in closed session, he said. A motion to remove requires the affirmative votes of 14 out of the 21 representatives. Thirteen judges voted to remove Stansbury.
After that impeachment trial, Stansbury said he would resign if he received another unexcused absence.
Sunday night, Stansbury did not attend the weekly Committee meeting. He said Breckenridge informed him yesterday afternoon that the absence was unexcused and asked him to resign or face another impeachment.
Stansbury said Breckenridge is treating him unfairly and trying to make an example of him.
Breckenridge is trying to "run me out of the Committee on a rail," he said. He added that he feels Breckenridge takes himself too seriously. "I'm not exactly sure why he has chosen to abuse his power in this way but I certainly don't appreciate it," Stansbury said.
Committee Chairwoman Lissa Percopo said the reason impeachment hearings are closed is to avoid making public examples of the representative. She said Stansbury's departure would not cause a major upheaval, however.
"It being September, we will have enough time to train a new judge," she said. Stansbury informed Percopo yesterday evening that he would not step down until he received an official written statement from the Executive Committee stating that his absence was unexcused.
Stansbury contends Sunday's absence was excused, and that Breckenridge had informed him that it would be excused because it was work-related. Stansbury was visiting with representatives from a Texas law firm.But Breckenridge said he discussed the absence with the Executive Committee and decided it would not be excused. He said he attempted to inform Stansbury that the absence would not be excused.
The Executive Committee will meet today to discuss again whether Stansbury's absence on Sunday was excused or not.Breckenridge said Committee members had been granted excused absences for work-related conflicts in the past.
If Stansbury does resign or is forced to leave the Committee, the Law School's Student Bar Association will work in conjunction with the Committee to fill the position..
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