The chief justice and four additional justices have been selected for the newly reinstated judicial branch of the Undergraduate Student Government. 

Graduate student Jess Hunter will serve as the Chief Justice. Other justices are juniors Eli Rozansky and Erica McCugaem, freshman Charlie Wondergem, and senior Christine Duda. 

These students were appointed by Antoine Perretta, president of USG. They will serve until the end of the year and next year’s USG president will select the new justices for next year. 

The judicial branch was reinstated this year after almost 20 years of absence.

Jim Francescon, vice president of USG, said, “We needed it to help with issues dealing with licensed organizations and the senate. Other universities have [a judicial branch] and it has proved to be successful.”

According to Perretta, the purpose of the judicial branch is to keep student organizations and the senate accountable and to solve issues between the two. 

“They create a third unbiased party,” said Perretta.

In the future the justices will also come up with a plan to deal with cases of academic dishonesty. This, however, will not go into effect until Jan. 2010.

Francescon believes that it will be beneficial to have students dealing with these issues in the future.

“Students tend to judge other students harsher, so it will be more helpful with the issue of academic integrity,” he said.