The committee voted unanimously to approve Newcomb after about 40 minutes of questioning and debate. He must go before the full Student Congress tomorrow night and field more questions before members vote on his final approval.
Newcomb was nominated Feb. 12 by Student Body President Brad Matthews for the position. "I was honored and overwhelmed," Newcomb said.
Matthews selected Newcomb from a pool of three applicants. "I can say with absolute confidence that Brad is the right person for this job," Matthews said.
In the past 14 months, Newcomb has participated in the Honor Court, serving on more than 50 cases as either an investigator or defense counsel. Newcomb said his involvement in in-depth and high-profile cases increased in the last three months with his appointment as special investigations associate student attorney general.
Newcomb said he feels better communication and understanding of the Honor Court will lead to better public opinion. A Web site explaining the Honor Court system and public awareness weeks are two of the ways in which he plans to increase understanding.
Newcomb also addressed the scope of the Honor Court's jurisdiction. "I do not feel that it is in the best interest of the University to pursue allegations that do not directly impact the University," he said.
However, when asked his opinion on how the court should handle the students who flipped the car on Franklin Street after the men's basketball team's victory over Duke University, Newcomb said, "That is a situation that impacts the University. This took place 50 feet off University property with large numbers of students, and (students) could have gotten seriously hurt."
Reforms in Honor Court procedure could occur in the coming year, especially in the area of representation for accused students. Currently, investigation and defense counsel work together to try to find the truth. Changes have been proposed to institute a system in which the two counsels do not cooperate to find the truth but instead attempt to prove their sides of the case so the defendant would have a stronger advocate.
Newcomb responded to fears that this system could lead to cases being decided by the skill of the lawyers instead of the merits of the case. "I am first of all concerned for the basic right of good defense counsel," he said. "I think it is important to realize that training counsels is the No. 1 responsibility (of my post)."
