State: Florida
Here is my situation:
In my dorm room, i had collected some empty liquor bottles and placed them in a mantle in my room. A policy for our dorms states that we are not allowed to have these empty bottles in our room. Here is how the policy reads:
B.1 Alcohol Beverages
The use or possesion of alcoholic beverages is permitted only in those campus facilities so specified by the University's Board of Trustee and in accordance with the terms stated in the Alcohol Beverage Policy. Empty alcohol beverage containers may also constitute possesion, and are not permitted.
So the other night they decided to have a fire drill in our dorm and everyone had to leave the building. They had signs up saying that there would be a drill and that they would look in the rooms to see if anyone was present in the rooms (no where on this sign did they say they could search our rooms for things; it just said they were looking to make sure people were out of the rooms). I was not present in my room when the firedrill went off and could not enter the building.
I got back to my room after waiting for the drill for 60 minutes, the bottles were still there. About 20 minutes later, i got a knock on my door. It was the RA's from my floor asking for permission to enter the room. I denied them permission and they told me that basically they had seen the bottles and came to confiscate them. I argued with them for them for a while about the situation and they told me that if i don't let them come in the room and take the bottles away that i would be written up/in a lot of trouble for non-compliance. So basically they came in my room and took the bottles away and told me i'd never see them again.
I got a letter in the mail saying i have to meet with the residence coordinator of the building and that there is a fine ($50) and a 3 hour alcohol-related course that is given for this violation.
My questions are:
Can they justify a fire-drill to come in my room and search for things other than to see if people were present in my room (aka was this search unconstitutional)? Am i obliged to pay this fine and take this course? If this is unconstitutional, can i get my bottles back?
Thanks for the help,
Mark
Here is my situation:
In my dorm room, i had collected some empty liquor bottles and placed them in a mantle in my room. A policy for our dorms states that we are not allowed to have these empty bottles in our room. Here is how the policy reads:
B.1 Alcohol Beverages
The use or possesion of alcoholic beverages is permitted only in those campus facilities so specified by the University's Board of Trustee and in accordance with the terms stated in the Alcohol Beverage Policy. Empty alcohol beverage containers may also constitute possesion, and are not permitted.
So the other night they decided to have a fire drill in our dorm and everyone had to leave the building. They had signs up saying that there would be a drill and that they would look in the rooms to see if anyone was present in the rooms (no where on this sign did they say they could search our rooms for things; it just said they were looking to make sure people were out of the rooms). I was not present in my room when the firedrill went off and could not enter the building.
I got back to my room after waiting for the drill for 60 minutes, the bottles were still there. About 20 minutes later, i got a knock on my door. It was the RA's from my floor asking for permission to enter the room. I denied them permission and they told me that basically they had seen the bottles and came to confiscate them. I argued with them for them for a while about the situation and they told me that if i don't let them come in the room and take the bottles away that i would be written up/in a lot of trouble for non-compliance. So basically they came in my room and took the bottles away and told me i'd never see them again.
I got a letter in the mail saying i have to meet with the residence coordinator of the building and that there is a fine ($50) and a 3 hour alcohol-related course that is given for this violation.
My questions are:
Can they justify a fire-drill to come in my room and search for things other than to see if people were present in my room (aka was this search unconstitutional)? Am i obliged to pay this fine and take this course? If this is unconstitutional, can i get my bottles back?
Thanks for the help,
Mark
