Brown v. State

592 So. 2d 618, 1990 Ala. Crim. App. LEXIS 991, 1990 WL 124131
Court of Criminal Appeals of Alabama·Decided August 3, 1990·No. CR 89-77·Published·Cited by 1 cases

Opinion

JAMES H. FAULKNER, Retired Justice.

Leroy Brown, an inmate at Easterling Correctional Center, filed a petition for writ of habeas corpus on August 21, 1989. On November 8, 1989, the State filed a motion to dismiss the petition and, on January 10, 1990, the circuit court granted the State’s motion to dismiss. Brown appeals from the circuit court’s dismissal of his habeas corpus petition.

In his petition for a writ of habeas corpus, Brown challenged the disciplinary board’s decision to deprive him of 12 months’ good time for an alleged escape from a Montgomery work release facility on February 16, 1977. Brown contends that he was denied due process of law because (1) notice of the disciplinary action was not served on him within the time prescribed by an administrative regulation; (2) the complaint was signed by a Kilby Correctional Facility official instead of by a Montgomery work release employee; (3) the prison disciplinary board was composed exclusively of Kilby Correctional Facility officials and was not impartial; (4) the only evidence supporting the board’s actions was a document which set forth the charges against him; (5) the disciplinary proceedings were not recorded, and the board did not provide him with a statement of the facts upon which it relied in imposing the sanctions against him; and, (6) the circuit court ordered that monies in any of Brown’s accounts be withheld until all court costs in connection with his habeas corpus petition are paid.

We shall address each of Brown’s contentions separately.

(1) Rule 403, III 5. A(l), Alabama Department of Corrections Administrative Regulations, provides that “[a]dvance written notice of the charges against the inmate be given him at least 24 hours before his appearance before the disciplinary committee.” The record reveals that Brown received advance written notice of the charges against him on June 20, 1989, six days before his appearance before the disciplinary committee on June 26, 1989, thereby satisfying the regulation’s notice requirement.

Brown also contends that Rule 403 of the Alabama Department of Corrections Administrative Regulations requires that an arrest for a rules violation be made within 10 calendar days after the violation is reported or discovered, or within 10 calendar days after an escapee is in the Department of Corrections’ custody. This argument is likewise devoid of merit. Rule 403 of the Alabama Department of Corrections Administrative Regulations contains no requirement that an arrest for a rules violation be made within a prescribed time.

(2) Rule 403, III 2., Alabama Department of Corrections Administrative Regulations, provides in pertinent part that an “arrest of an inmate for a rules violation may be made by any employee of the Department of Corrections.” Hence, it was proper for Brown’s arrest complaint to [620]*620be executed by a Kilby Correctional Facility official.

Brown also contends that, as a resident of a community based facility, he was improperly disciplined for the violation of Rule 403, which applies only to inmates. We disagree.

Rule 403, Alabama Department of Corrections Administrative Regulations, applies to all inmates confined within Alabama Department of Corrections facilities, including penitentiaries and community-based facilities. This regulation, moreover, provides in detail the procedure for selecting a disciplinary committee in a community-based facility. Rule 403, III .1., Alabama Department of Corrections Administrative Regulations.

(3) Rule 403, IV. 1. A., Alabama Department of Corrections Administrative Regulations, provides that the disciplinary committee “must be impartial, meaning that no committee member was the arresting officer, serving officer, witness to the actual incident, an investigating officer, a party to the incident, the victim of the incident, or an official who has approval authority over the disciplinary committee’s recommendations.”

The appointment of members to serve on the disciplinary committee is governed by Rule 403, III 1., Alabama Department of Corrections Administrative Regulations:

“Institutional wardens and directors of community based facilities will appoint persons to serve as chairpersons of the institutional disciplinary committee. The chairperson designated to direct the proceedings will select two other members to compose the committee. When possible these members will consist of one member each from the institutional security staff and the treatment staff, as well as a person of the same race and sex as the inmate. Wardens/directors, or other personnel involved in approval/disapproval of appeals process, or who were involved in investigation of the charges, are not allowed to be members of a disciplinary committee.”

Brown does not contend that the disciplinary committee was partial due to a violation of Rule 403, IV .I.A., Alabama Department of Corrections Administrative Regulations. Rather, Brown argues that the mere fact that all committee members were Kilby Correctional Facility officials makes the committee per se partial. We disagree. Rule 403, III 1., Alabama Department of Corrections Administrative Regulations, states that where possible, the committee members should consist of one member each from the institutional security and treatment staffs. Hence, the regulation favors committee selection from a single institution.

(4) The evidentiary standard required in prison disciplinary hearings was stated in Superintendent, Massachusetts Corrections Institution, Walpole v. Hill, 472 U.S. 445, 105 S.Ct. 2768, 86 L.Ed.2d 356 (1985): “We hold that the requirements of due process are satisfied if some evidence supports the decision by the prison disciplinary board to revoke good time credits.” 472 U.S. at 455, 105 S.Ct. at 2774.

Some of the evidence supporting the decision by the prison disciplinary board to revoke good time credits included: (1) an apprehension report which stated that Brown escaped while on work release in Montgomery on February 16, 1977; (2) testimony that Brown was taken into custody by the Highland Park, Michigan Police Department on May 3, 1989, and extradited to Kilby Correctional Facility; and, (3) Brown’s admission that he was extradited from Michigan. Hence, because some evidence supported the board’s decision to revoke good time credits, the minimum requirements of due process articulated by the United States Supreme Court are satisfied.

(5) Brown’s contention that he did not receive a copy of the facts relied upon in revoking his good time credits is vitiated by Brown’s inclusion of a copy of the disciplinary report as an exhibit to his habeas corpus petition—the report contains a copy of the facts, testimony, and reasons supporting the board’s decision.

[621]*621Brown’s corollary contention that Rule 403 of the Alabama Department of Corrections Administrative Regulations requires that a disciplinary hearing be held with 72 hours after the complaint is served is likewise without merit. Rule 403, III. 5.E.(1), Alabama Department of Corrections Administrative Regulations, provides that disciplinary hearings will be held within seven calendar days after the inmate has been served his notice of hearing. This seven-day period may be extended if an investigation or other circumstances warrant.

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Brown v. State, 592 So. 2d 618, 1990 Ala. Crim. App. LEXIS 991, 1990 WL 124131 (Ala. Ct. App. 1990).

592 So. 2d 618 (Brown v. State) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

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