Student court drops second bid to unseat Madison ASM chair

The Associated Students of Madison student judiciary dismissed a second brief filed by Rep. Michael Harry on Sept. 29, leaving the current chair in office. Harry, a candidate in the April 24 election for the 33rd session chair, had asked the body to review alleged procedural violations that occurred during and after the vote.

Harry submitted the brief on Sept. 22, marking his second formal request for the judiciary to examine the matter. In this latest filing, he argued that the judiciary mishandled its prior order and that Chief Justice Chloe Sieman misapplied rules during the proceedings. His earlier brief, filed on April 30 and amended on Sept. 14, claimed that meeting rules were broken during the election and that the Chief Justice failed to preside.

The procedural history of the dispute centers on a Sept. 8 order that allowed Harry’s initial brief to be discussed as a special item at the Sept. 16 student council meeting. This order modified an earlier version issued on April 30. At that meeting, ASM representatives voted against adopting the special order. The motion failed to reach the required two-thirds majority, although a simple majority of representatives voted in favor. A successful vote would have permitted the council to re-elect the 33rd session chair by a simple majority.

Harry’s second brief contended that the requirement for a two-thirds vote to take up the first brief as a special order lacked precedent. The dismissal notice states that a majority of student justices recused themselves from deciding the brief. This group included Chief Justice Sieman, whose recusal Harry had specifically requested. Because of these recusals, the student judiciary did not assign a full panel to hear the case.

Haia Al Zein, the current ASM chair, welcomed the decision in a statement provided to The Daily Cardinal. "The Student Judiciary's decision gives me hope for the remainder of the 33rd session, and I hope it serves as an opportunity for us to work more collaboratively and move forward in greater unity," Al Zein said. Sieman, Harry, and the student judiciary declined to provide further comment on the brief.