Crawford v. Bergami

CourtDistrict Court, N.D. Illinois
DecidedFebruary 23, 2023
Docket3:21-cv-50312
StatusUnknown

This text of Crawford v. Bergami (Crawford v. Bergami) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, N.D. Illinois primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Crawford v. Bergami, (N.D. Ill. 2023).

Opinion

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF ILLINOIS

Donovon Crawford (28354-057), ) ) Petitioner, ) ) Case No. 21 C 50312 v. ) ) Hon. Iain D. Johnston Thomas Bergami, Warden, ) USP Thomson, ) ) Respondent. )

MEMORNADUM OPINION AND ORDER

Donovon Crawford, a federal prisoner incarcerated at USP Thomson, petitions for a writ of habeas corpus, 28 U.S.C. § 2241, contending his rights were violated in two prison disciplinary proceedings where he lost good-time credit. He seeks expungement of the disciplinary tickets and restoration of 54 days of good-time credit. (Dkt. 1.1 ) The Warden of USP Thomson, Andrew Ciolli,2 argues that Crawford did not exhaust his available administrative remedies, and that, even supposing he did, both disciplinary proceedings complied with due process requirements. (Dkt. 21.) For the reasons below, the Court denies in part and dismisses without prejudice in part Crawford’s § 2241 petition [1]. I. BACKGROUND Crawford is serving a 262-month sentence for possession with intent to distribute cocaine base, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and possession of a firearm by a felon. U.S. v. Crawford, 552 F. App’x 240, 243–44 (4th Cir. 2014); (Dkt. 21 at p. 1.) He

1 Crawford submitted a reply (Dkt. 25) more than a year after the deadline to file one expired. The Court does not endorse (extremely) late filings. Even if it did, Crawford’s reply only summarizes the points he already made. And so, even considering his reply, it does not change the Court’s analysis.

2 The current Warden of USP Thomson is Thomas Bergami. The Court substitutes Warden Bergami as the named Respondent in this habeas action. Fed. R. Civ. P. 25(d). challenges two prison disciplinary punishments from two separate prisons, which resulted in him losing, among other things, 54 days of good-time credit. In 2019, prison officers witnessed Crawford fighting with another inmate at FCC Coleman in Florida. (Dkt. 21 at p. 73.) The reporting officer stated that he witnessed the two inmates

exchange closed fist punches at each other’s head and reported that they did not comply with orders to cease fighting. (Id.) Crawford was cited in an incident report for one rule violation—fighting with another person (Code 201). (Id. at p. 74); see 28 C.F.R. § 541.3, Table 1. On July 10, 2019, the Unit Disciplinary Committee (UDC) convened and transferred the incident to the Disciplinary Hearing Officer (DHO) because of the severity of the charge. (Dkt. 21 at p. 73.) Crawford, however, did not appear at the UDC, though records indicate he was given the opportunity to do so. (Id. at p. 77.) That same day, while Crawford was provided with written notice of both the disciplinary hearing before a DHO and his rights, he did not elect to have a staff representative, did not request the introduction of any witness testimony, and did not sign the notice confirming its receipt. (Id. at pp. 75–76.)

At the July 23, 2019 disciplinary hearing, the DHO reported that Crawford understood his rights, had no documentary evidence to present, did not request any witnesses, declined the services of a staff representative, and was ready to proceed. (Id. at p. 96.) Crawford denied the charge and stated he “was never UDC’d.” (Id.) The DHO considered Crawford’s denial and noted that the UDC signature certified that the UDC did convene. (Id.) After weighing Crawford’s denial against the incident report, two officers’ witness accounts, video footage, and medical records of both Crawford and the other inmate, the DHO ruled that Crawford committed the prohibited act of fighting. (Id.) Crawford was sanctioned with the loss of 27 days of good-time credit, 10 days disciplinary segregation, and the loss of 90 days of visiting and commissary privileges. (Id. at pp. 96–97.) Attempting to comply with the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) administrative grievance process, Crawford claims to have twice appealed the DHO ruling to the Regional Office. (Dkt. 1-3 at p. 4.) For both appeals, in August and October 2019 respectively, Crawford did not receive a response.

(Id.) Two months later, Crawford appealed to the General Counsel (id.), but in January 2020, it was rejected for lack of an appeal on record at the Regional Office (Dkt. 21 at p. 116). Crawford appealed a second time directly to the General Counsel (Dkt. 1-3 at p. 4), but in March 2020, that office again rejected his appeal for not initiating the appellate process at the regional level. (Dkt. 21 at p. 116.) Finally, the record ends with a third appeal to the General Counsel, which was rejected in June 2020 noting that he failed follow the instructions provided to him in the January 2020 rejection notice directing him to file with the Regional Office. (Id. at p. 115.) Later in 2020, after Crawford was transferred to USP Thomson, a prison officer reported finding a 5½ inch metal rod with a sharpened point inside Crawford’s shared cell. (Dkt. 21 at p. 120; Dkt. 1-5 at p. 1.) Opposite the pointed end, the metal rod was wrapped in material to act as a

handle. (Dkt. 21 at p. 120.) Crawford was cited in an incident report for one rule violation— possessing a dangerous weapon (Code 104). (Id.); see 28 C.F.R. § 541.3, Table 1. On January 10, 2021, after the Federal Bureau of Investigation declined the criminal referral, the UDC convened and referred the incident to the DHO because of the severity of the charge, with the UDC recommending the loss of good-time credit. (Dkt. 21 at pp. 103–02, 121.) That same day, Crawford was provided with written notice of both the disciplinary hearing before a DHO and his rights, and he elected to have a staff representative. He did not, however, request the introduction of any witness testimony. (Id. at pp. 105–06.) Crawford signed the notice confirming its receipt. (Id.) At the February 18, 2021 disciplinary hearing, the DHO reported that Crawford appeared with a staff representative, even though it was not his preferred staff representative. (Id. at p. 98.) Crawford did not ask the staff representative to do anything on his behalf because his preferred representative “had the information.” (Id.) And he did not call any witnesses. (Id. at p. 99.)

Crawford denied the charge, claiming that the metal rod “wasn’t found in [his] possession.” (Id. at p. 98.) But Crawford agreed that it “was found on the floor.” (Id.) The DHO relied on the responding officer’s statement, which stated in part, that he located the metal rod “on the floor inside the cell next to the door, wrapped in tissue paper.” (Id. at p. 99.) The DHO ruled that Crawford committed the offense of possessing a weapon. (Id.) Crawford was sanctioned, again with the loss of 27 days of good-time credit, as well as the loss of 60 days of commissary and phone privileges. (Id. at p. 100.) To appeal the sanction, Crawford requested the DHO report but was denied. (Dkt. 1-2 at p. 4.) About two months after the disciplinary hearing, the report was completed, but apparently not delivered to Crawford. (Dkt. 21 at p. 100.) Another four months later, without having received the

report, Crawford filed this § 2241 petition on or around August 3, 2021. (Dk.t 1-2 at p. 4; Dkt. 1- 6 at p. 1.) Over three weeks after mailing his petition, Crawford received the report on or around August 27, 2021. (Dkt. 21 at p.

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Bluebook (online)
Crawford v. Bergami, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/crawford-v-bergami-ilnd-2023.