Hillard v. Coughlin

187 A.D.2d 136, 593 N.Y.S.2d 573, 1993 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 908
CourtAppellate Division of the Supreme Court of the State of New York
DecidedFebruary 4, 1993
StatusPublished
Cited by50 cases

This text of 187 A.D.2d 136 (Hillard v. Coughlin) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of the State of New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Hillard v. Coughlin, 187 A.D.2d 136, 593 N.Y.S.2d 573, 1993 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 908 (N.Y. Ct. App. 1993).

Opinion

OPINION OF THE COURT

Mercure, J.

Petitioner was served with a misbehavior report which alleged violations of Department of Correctional Services rules 104.10 (rioting [see, 7 NYCRR 270.2 (B) (5) (i)]) and 109.11 (leaving an assigned area without authorization [see, 7 NYCRR 270.2 (B) (10) (ii)]) as a result of his participation in the May 28-29, 1991 takeover of the outdoor exercise yard to A-Block at Southport Correctional Facility in Chemung County. The report, authored by Correction Officer R. Farrell, alleged, inter alia, that petitioner was "personally identified in the A-block Yard as a participant in the takeover” and despite "several opportunities to leave the yard * * * continued to participate”.

On June 11, 1991, petitioner’s disciplinary hearing commenced. Petitioner pleaded guilty with an explanation to the charge of leaving an assigned area and not guilty to the riot charge. Petitioner testified that he had been forced from his recreational pen by tear gas and, although he attempted to return to the pen, the tear gas prevented him from doing so. Petitioner also stated that he had covered his face during the riot so as not to be identified, that he was never given an opportunity to leave the yard and, even if given the opportunity, other inmates had barricaded the exits. Farrell and Correction Sergeant Field, testifying by telephone, each affirmed the accuracy of the misbehavior report. Field also stated that although petitioner was a participant, he was not, in Field’s view, an "active” participant in the affair. Petitioner did not call any other witness, but did request the opportunity to examine certain photographs and videotapes of the riot. The videotapes consisted of a black and white film taken from a fixed point showing the incident from the beginning and a color film taken with a hand-held camera from different perimeter points commencing some 20 minutes after the start of the riot. This request was denied.

On June 27, 1991, between the second and third days of [138]*138petitioner’s hearing, the Hearing Officer, along with several other Hearing Officers required to conduct disciplinary hearings arising from the Southport riot, viewed the videotapes and photographs of the incident. In later affidavits describing the viewing session, the Hearing Officer stated that he had "limited discussion, in general terms, about the Southport riot” and did not discuss specific issues regarding petitioner, and James Raymond, an investigator with respondent who made the presentation, averred that "any information communicated by me * * * was general in nature, and solely for purposes of orienting the officers to the events shown in the visual materials”.

Thereafter, the Hearing Officer resumed petitioner’s disciplinary hearing and found petitioner guilty of both charges, citing the misbehavior report, the testimony of Farrell and Field, and his review of the videotapes. The Hearing Officer indicated that although he could not identify petitioner in the videotapes, he was unable to observe any unwilling participants in the riot on the basis of his viewing of the video evidence. Petitioner was sentenced to 30 months’ confinement in a special housing unit, two years’ loss of good time and 30 months’ loss of various privileges. Following unsuccessful administrative review, petitioner brought this CPLR article 78 proceeding to annul the determination.

Initially, the misbehavior report, confirmed by the testimony of Farrell and Field, the videotape evidence that the inmates achieved a swift and uniform departure from the four-man exercise pens in A-Block yard at the start of the uprising, and petitioner’s testimony that he concealed his face during the riot provide substantial evidence supporting both findings of guilt (see, Matter of Foster v Coughlin, 76 NY2d 964, 966; People ex rel. Vega v Smith, 66 NY2d 130, 139-140; Matter of Williams v Coughlin, — AD2d —, 1993 NY Slip Op 647 [decided herewith]; Matter of Torres v Coughlin, 161 AD2d 1080, 1082; Matter of Smith v Coughlin, 161 AD2d 1082, 1083; Matter of Collins v Coughlin, 156 AD2d 793, lv denied 75 NY2d 707; cf., Matter of Bryant v Coughlin, 77 NY2d 642; Matter of Bettis v Coughlin, 186 AD2d 1080; Matter of Taylor v Coughlin, 158 AD2d 881, 882-883).

Petitioner further contends that several procedural errors warrant annulment. We reject petitioner’s arguments that the misbehavior report did not sufficiently describe his alleged misconduct (see, Matter of Williams v Coughlin, — AD2d —, [139]*139supra) and that he was denied due process by respondent’s failure to record the June 27, 1991 session (see, supra). There is merit, however, to the claim that petitioner was denied due process by respondent’s refusal to show him the videotapes and photographs that the Hearing Officer reviewed.

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Bluebook (online)
187 A.D.2d 136, 593 N.Y.S.2d 573, 1993 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 908, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/hillard-v-coughlin-nyappdiv-1993.