The 50 Honor Court members are selected by written applications and a series of interviews. They are appointed by the student body president and confirmed by Student Congress. In hearings, a panel of five Honor Court members runs the sessions. I don't know if you could get closer to a true jury of your peers. Presnell said the Honor Court tries to ensure fairness to the accuser and the accused.
Defendants can confront their accusers and have the right to call witnesses in their defense.
The only people allowed in Honor Court sessions are the Honor Court members, the student prosecutor, the student defender and the student who was charged. In cases of assault or discrimination, the victim can also be present. If Honor Court is forced to open its doors to reporters and the public, that could create new problems, administrators say. It might lead to labeling. For example, if a newspaper covered the first day of a two-day Honor Court trial and the student were found not guilty the second day, readers could get the wrong impression, Barrett said.