John,

A steward once told me that, unlike a civil CoA, the CoA also has the power to find violations that have nothing to do with the specific issue before it. Example - you get dinged for a PuY and appeal. The SCCA CoA looks at the evidence and upholds the protest but, in reviewing your race tape, determines that you hit the car you were overtaking and imposes a penalty for that. A civil CoA wouldn't have that option.

True or false?