Citing Cohen's interpretation of the constitution, Driskell ruled, as the first order of business, that the articles of impeachment were not constitutional and should be dismissed.

After her ruling, John P. Marshall '01, one of the sponsors of the legislation to remove Burton from office, motioned for the council to overrule her decision.

Council members on both sides of the debate agreed that the wording of the council's constitution was ambiguous.

The constitution outlines two methods for removing a representative from office: a two-thirds vote of the council following a petition signed by 10 council members, or a campus-wide referendum with two-thirds of the student body calling for removal from office, following a petition by 10 percent of the student body.

Driskell and her supporters argued the former method did not apply to popularly elected council officers, and that Burton could therefore be removed only by the student body at large.

But Marshall, joined by former President Noah Z. Seton '00, said that the constitution simply provided two separate methods of removal.

The council meeting brought out more members of the Harvard community than any other meeting this school year.