Staggering through the murky swamp of collegiate obstacles and mysteries is stressful enough, but mix in a poorly-drafted lease, debt collectors and accusations that your resident assistant can smell the marijuana in your dorm room, and you’ve got a legal nightmare.

Unfortunately, you’re also not alone.

More students get referred to Judicial Affairs than we care to empathize with, and few of them go armed with legal counsel.

A new weekly service offered by the Off Campus College has us beaming with the possibility of new legal advice (offered every Wednesday and on the first Tuesday of the month). Local lawyers will be coming to campus to offer their (free) legal insight to any problems Binghamton University students may have.

Judicial Affairs, the veritable criminal court of BU bureaucracy, allows you to bring a lawyer with you to a hearing ‘ but that lawyer is not permitted to speak on your behalf. Often the body’s specific vocabulary can be confusing enough ‘ you are found ‘responsible,’ not guilty; punishments are referred to as ‘sanctions;’ it’s not called a trial, but a ‘hearing’ ‘ but access to counsel is the first step in deflating the mysterious process.

On Page 5, information delineating information available to students thinking about moving off campus is offered. But before the uniformed members of the University Police Department come knocking, on campus or off, Pipe Dream thought it was time to review some of the basics in dealing with the police and Judicial Affairs.

Just because police are knocking and you’re engrossed in a game of Kings doesn’t mean you have to open the door. You certainly don’t have to let them in or let them search your room, either. The officers can still refer you to Judicial Affairs, but the pyramidal structure made of Coors Light cans won’t be on their police report.

Remember that police and Residential Life staff can and will forcibly open your door if they believe there is a life-threatening situation inside the room.

Although you are not obligated to give Residential Life officials a statement, doing so could convince them to be more lenient when it comes time to charging you or deciding what the sanction will be. ResLife staff can only enter rooms without permission during announced inspections and, even so, they can only report you for what is visible in ‘plain sight’ (i.e. if you have beer in the fridge, you’re good to go).

If they ask you to open your fridge and you refuse, you could be charged with ‘failure to cooperate,’ but getting charged with failure to cooperate is better than being charged with having liquor in your room illegally.

Also keep in mind that even if you’re 21, there’s a limit to the quantity of alcohol you can have in your room. If you’re going to cop to having liquor, don’t show them everything. You’re permitted to have one case of beer, two liters of wine and two liters of distilled spirits.

Remember that ResLife staff are also required to give you honest answers when you ask what their limitations are.

During the trial, you have the right to refuse to answer any questions. You also have the right to see every document and written report being used against you.

Above all, information is most assuredly your ally. Knowing your own rights will ensure your use of OCC’s legal advice is kept to a minimum.