Violent Offenses on College Campuses
Among the most serious crimes you can face while a college student are those considered to be violent offenses. The following is information on what constitutes a violent offense and what types of consequences may take place if you are charged. For legal assistance consult with a Maryland student defense attorney today.
Types of Violent Crimes
Some of the most violent crimes are murder, rape, or interactions with people that cause permanent physical injuries where they cannot fully recover. Those kinds of criminal acts are among the most serious in the court system and the most serious that any university has when they are handling disciplinary proceedings.
Less serious allegations are things such as theft, which are very common on college campuses. Theft involves something with monetary value that can usually be replaced, so it is treated as something that is less serious than a criminal act that results in permanent or serious injury to an individual.
Assault Related Offenses on Campus
Assault related offenses happen in any number of ways. They can be things as simple as shoving matches on a sporting field or include interactions of domestic violence between a couple.
Hazing Offenses on College Campuses
Hazing occurs on college campuses, particularly in fraternities and sororities. Most college campuses have very strict rules about hazing. They have a zero-tolerance policy on hazing when it goes beyond what is supposed to be a fun recruiting interaction and borders on violence or affects the potential safety of students in the college community.
Consequences of Violent Crimes on Campus
The consequences of being found guilty of a violent crime on campus include suspension, expulsion, or anything that the institution feels is necessary to keep the individual from repeating the offense and keeping the community safe. This could include participating in some kind of anger management program, community service, or probation.
How a Student Defense Attorney Can Help
The student defense attorney assists in the investigation of these actions by helping individuals deal with university authorities and police officials to make sure they are not sharing information that has a negative impact on the investigation against them. If there is not a sufficient amount of proof, the individual does not suffer consequences for actions brought against them.
If there is enough information to prove the allegations; the university cannot punish the person in a way that is not proportional to the alleged criminal act. For example, if someone commits a rape or sexual assault on campus, they would not have the same consequences as a person who committed a theft on campus.