Hearing postponed once again

After lengthy deliberations on Monday, the Associated Students Judiciary granted a one-week extension to the special counsel representing the A.S.I. in the hearing that questions using A.S. funds for the Khallid Muhammad speech.

A.S. President Suzie Aramesh appointed Mark Raber to serve as acting special council on Monday.

Raber was granted a continuance date set for March 27 at 4 p.m. after the judiciary committee denied his motion for a mistrial. According to a memo sent by the A.S.I., the motion for mistrial was based on three specific points.

The A.S.I. does not have proper representation after the resignation of A.S. Attorney General, Daisy Uy Kimpang Gonzales on Feb. 22.

The special council has not had sufficient time to prepare for the case.

Gonzales has not been able to be reached, therefore, the A.S. I. does not have any of her documents, which would have enabled them to progress further in the case.

The lawsuit against the A.S.I. was brought about by A.S. Senator Steven Negley and Cal State Long Beach student Joseph Thinn.

The plaintiffs charge "misappropriation of funds" because approximately $4,000 of student fees were used to fund the November 1994 Black Consciousness Conference on campus. The dispute comes after Muhhamad was contracted by the Black Student Union and the Black Cultural Programming Committee to be a keynote speaker for the conference.

According to a U.S. Supreme Court ruling, Smith vs. the California Board of Regents, mandatory student fees may not be used to support activities or student organizations whose focus is to advance political or ideological interests.

Negley and Thinn contend that by funding Muhammad's speech, the A.S.I. violated the court ruling.

Muhammad is an ex-aide to Nation of Islam leader, Louis Farrakhan. Muhammad's critics accuse him of anti-semitism and racism. He was dismissed by Farrakhan in November 1993 for antisemitic remarks during a speech he delivered to an audience at Kean College.