The Mississippi State University Student Association Judicial Council struck down the impeachment proceedings against SA President Cameron Cummings on Thursday morning, declaring the process unconstitutional.
In a unanimous opinion delivered by Chief Justice Alexandra Williams, the council found that the Senate failed to meet the constitutional requirements when it accepted the Sept. 2 motion to impeach Cummings. The ruling states that the motion did not receive the mandated majority vote of senators present, making all subsequent actions “null and void.”
“The current application of impeachment procedure employed by the Student Association Senate has failed to complete certain requirements outlined in the Student Association Constitution and Bylaws,” the opinion reads. “Accordingly, The Mississippi State University Judicial Council rules that any continuation of the impeachment proceedings of Student Association President Cameron Cummings under the existing motion of impeachment is henceforth unconstitutional.”
The council determined that the impeachment motion filed on September 2 was improperly allowed on the Senate floor without a majority vote. According to the impeachment process outlined in the SA Bylaws Article VIII, when Campus-wide Senator Sydney Broderick made the motion for impeachment and other senators seconded it, a vote should have been conducted to decide whether the motion could proceed to the floor. If at least half of the Senate had voted in favor, the impeachment process would have continued. However, that vote did not take place.
If the Senate wishes to pursue impeachment, the opinion states that it must restart the process with a new motion. Any future attempt must fully comply with the SA Constitution and Bylaws, including securing the required majority vote.
The Judicial Council also announced that it will release a document clarifying the impeachment process.
On Sept. 2, the Senate voted to initiate impeachment proceedings against Cummings on charges of misconduct of public affairs, misuse of lawful authority and refusal to complete duties while in office. A hearing was scheduled for Sept. 16; however, the Judicial Council released an injunction on Sept. 15 that temporarily halted any impeachment proceedings for three days.
This is a developing story.
