What Are The Punishments for Arizona Campus Crime?

Decision-making isn’t always at its peak during the college years, but when typical college recklessness, rash decisions, or scuffles with another student result in criminal charges, college students in Arizona face both legal and campus consequences. Colleges have institutional policies a suspect must consider as well as the impacts of a criminal record on a college student’s life following a conviction.

Thousands of students face criminal charges each year. What are the short and long-term consequences of a criminal conviction for a college student in Arizona?

Common Campus Crimes in Arizona

Whether it’s a serious crime or one foolhardy moment, a single wrongful action can impact the rest of a college student’s life if they’re convicted of a crime. According to Arizona’s latest crime statistics, common crimes on Arizona campuses include the following:

• Alcohol-related crimes such as underage drinking, DUI, or use of a fake ID
• Assault ranging from simple assault charges to felony assault
• Drug possession
• Drug trafficking
• Theft
• Disorderly conduct
• Vandalism
• Harassment
• Public indecency
• Sexual assault

Arrests for the above charges range from misdemeanor crimes to felonies resulting in legal consequences for a conviction and disciplinary action on Arizona campuses.

What Is the Disciplinary Process Involved in Crimes on Campus?

All educational institutions are unique, but many use a similar process when the campus police arrest a student or the student faces criminal charges. In most universities, the process works as follows:

• A victim or eyewitness reports a crime to a university official or campus police
• The university dispatches campus police to investigate. Campus police are law enforcement officers like any others and operate from a police department situated on campus
• The student may be held in a holding cell on campus and then transferred to county jail or released, depending on the results of the investigation
• The Dean of Students is informed about the case
• The student may face temporary suspension and/or no-contact orders to protect the victim
• The college conducts a thorough investigation in addition to the criminal investigation by law enforcement

If convicted of a crime, the student may face school disciplinary action as well as criminal penalties.

Consequences of a Criminal Conviction in College

Criminal convictions for misdemeanor crimes and felonies result in legal consequences including incarceration, fines, prohibition, community service, a permanent criminal record, and civil liability depending on the type and severity of the crime. For a convicted college student, further penalties occur on campus that could include any of the following:

• Suspension
• Expulsion
• Loss of scholarship
• Disqualification for student loans
• Ineligibility for graduate school

Criminal convictions also make it more difficult to get a job after college because a criminal record appears in routine background checks. If the crime was a sexual offense, a conviction also means a lifelong registry as a sex offender, making the student ineligible for some types of jobs.

Criminal Charges in College Require an Aggressive Defense Strategy

Because a criminal conviction has tremendous lifelong consequences for a college student, it’s critical after an arrest to seek a strong Phoenix criminal defense lawyer to put an immediate strategy in place to prevent a conviction. A single heedless action in college has the potential to cast a shadow on the rest of the convicted student’s life.