On the morning of April 7, Student Government’s Chief Justice, Lucas Richter stepped down as Chief Justice and opened the floor for nominations for his successor. 

Via Zoom, Richter told his fellow Justices that he would be continuing as an Associate Justice for the summer before studying abroad in Scotland for both the Fall and Spring semesters of the upcoming academic year. 

Deputy Chief Justice Nicolas Vincenty thanked Richter for his time as Chief Justice, saying, “You taught me a lot as Deputy, and I’m sure you still will, and I respect you a lot as a leader.” The Justices then presented Richter with a parting gift– a gavel engraved with his name. 

There was only one nominee for the new Chief Justice– Deputy Chief Justice Vincenty. He was confirmed with the votes of all 4 Justices in attendance. 

“During my tenure through the Judicial Branch, I didn’t think I was going to be running for Chief Justice, but when I had the opportunity to go for Deputy and to give more back to the university, I jumped on the opportunity and just have loved my time working with all of you and giving back to Student Government and to the university as a whole,” Vincenty said during the meeting.

“I will continue the path that Chief Justice Richter has put us on of getting us more involved within Student Government, getting the Judicial Branch, I would say, more recognized by Senate, to know that we’re always here.”

He also encouraged his fellow Justices to attend more Senate meetings. “I do want to make sure that every Justice goes to at least one Senate meeting… just to ensure that they all know that we are present.” 

“I’m always open to more suggestions and ideas on how we can continue to move us forward in being more present as a role on campus and in Student Government,” he concluded.

Vincenty, who has previously worked on getting accurate numbers on parking spaces and surge times for parking on campus, discussed how the Judicial Branch will proceed during the COVID-19 crisis, as parking appeals still need to be addressed. Currently, Vincenty is exploring Zoom as an option to proceed with the appeals. 

The Chief Justice will also be involved in the Constitutional Revision process that will be taking place this summer, where Student Government has a chance to make changes to its governing documents. 

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