INMATE 24394 v. Schoen

363 F. Supp. 683, 1973 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 11978
CourtDistrict Court, D. Minnesota
DecidedSeptember 10, 1973
Docket3-72 Civ. 73
StatusPublished
Cited by10 cases

This text of 363 F. Supp. 683 (INMATE 24394 v. Schoen) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Minnesota primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
INMATE 24394 v. Schoen, 363 F. Supp. 683, 1973 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 11978 (mnd 1973).

Opinion

ORDER

NEVILLE, District Judge.

This matter having come before the Court by the agreement of the parties, and it appearing that the Court has jurisdiction over the parties and the subject matter, this Court makes the following

FINDINGS OF FACT:

1. Pursuant to Rule 23 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, the named Plaintiffs are proper representatives of the class of inmates incarcerated in the Minnesota State Prison at Stillwater and the Minnesota State Reformatory for Men at St. Cloud, and have been adequately represented by counsel; and

2. The parties have by stipulation reached agreement on those allegations of the complaint dealing with disciplinary procedures.

It is hereby ordered, adjudged and decreed that:

1. All damage claims pending against Defendants Sehoen, McManus, and McRae arising out of disciplinary procedures in the above-entitled matter are hereby dismissed with prejudice;

2. The procedures set forth below shall be implemented by the Defendants at the Minnesota State Prison at Still-water by October 15, 1973, and at the Minnesota State Reformatory for Men at St. Cloud-by November 1, 1973;

3. Prior to the implementation of this Order, the criteria and procedures referred to herein shall be filed with this Court and shall be incorporated herein as a part of this Order; and

4. The entry of this Order shall not in any way be construed to mean that prior disciplinary proceedings conducted by the Defendants, their predecessors or agents violated due process of law.

PROCEDURES FOR DISCIPLINARY PROCEEDINGS AT MINNESOTA STATE PRISON AND MINNESOTA STATE REFORMATORY FOR MEN

I. Inmate’s Rights to Disciplinary Hearing.

Any inmate incarcerated at the Minnesota State Prison or the Minnesota State Reformatory for Men and *684 accused of violating a rule of the institution is entitled to a full hearing before the institution’s disciplinary board before any disciplinary action can be taken.

II. Definition.

A. For the purposes of this Order the following words, terms and phrases shall have the meanings given them in this section, unless another intention clearly appears.
1. “Disciplinary Board”: One or
more impartial persons convened as a panel to hear the facts, arrive at a determination of guilt or innocence, and impose a sentence on an inmate accused of an institutional rule violation. Under no circumstances may this panel include any of the following individuals:
a. The staff member who filed the complaint.
b. The staff member who investigated the alleged violation.
c. • Any person, whether or not called as a witness, who was an eyewitness . to the alleged violation.
d. Any person who shall subsequently review the proceedings * for the purpose of appeal.
2. “Warden or His Designee”: Includes the warden or superintendent of the institution, the associate wardens or superintendents and the person in charge of the institution at any point in time, including the ranking custodial officer.
3. “Mentally Retarded Inmate”: An inmate scoring in the bottom 3% of the general over-all population on standardized tests global intelligence (i. e., tests which attempt to measure vocabulary, memory, reasoning, judgment and visual-motor functions).

III. Notice.

A. Written notice shall be given to the accused inmate as soon as possible, but not later than five days after the inmate has been charged with a rules violation; or in the event that an inmate is being detained prior to his disciplinary hearing, written notice shall be given to him within 24 hours of his detention. This notice shall consist of two portions —“Part A” and “Part B.” “Part A” shall include:
1. A verbatim statement of the prison rule allegedly violated.
2. A summary of the facts upon which the alleged violation is based.
3. A list of witnesses adverse to the inmate and a brief statement of their testimony.
4. A list of physical evidence that will be introduced by the institution’s staff.
5. A declaration of the maximum penalty for such a violation.
6. A statement of the date and time of the inmate’s hearing before the disciplinary board.
7. A recitation of all rights that an inmate will have before the disciplinary board as set forth herein.
8. An optional statement that will inform the inmate of the sentence he will receive should he decide to plead guilty and thereby waive his hearing and all due process rights. This provision for pre-hearing pleas is strictly optional with the Department of Corrections.
B. “Part B” of this notice shall be designed in such a way that it may be easily separated from “Part A” and returned to the institution’s staff at the option of the accused inmate. “Part B” shall include:
1. A form on which the inmate may list the names of witnesses he wishes to have present at his hearing, a brief statement of their testimony, and such evidence as he deems material.
*685 2. A provision whereby the accused inmate may waive his rights and plead guilty to the charge.
3. A space in which the accused inmate may make any additional statements or include any further information which might assist the institution’s staff in its investigation.
C. The notice is to be personally delivered to the accused inmate, at which time he will be informed that he has 24 hours to complete and return “Part B.”
1. At the time of delivery of the notice to the accused inmate, he will be asked to sign a receipt that will be returned to the disciplinary board. Should the inmate refuse to sign the receipt, a statement to that effect shall be recorded and signed by the staff member serving the notice upon the accused inmate and such record shall be delivered to the disciplinary board.
2. In the event that an inmate ' does not return “Part B” of the notice within 24 hours, a staff member shall return to the inmate and request the return of said part.
3. When the accused inmate returns “Part B,” the staff member shall sign “Part A” acknowledging receipt of that delivery.

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Related

Ronald W. Harvey v. Kenneth Schoen, etal
245 F.3d 718 (Eighth Circuit, 2001)
Harvey v. Schoen
245 F.3d 718 (Eighth Circuit, 2001)
Harvey v. Schoen
51 F. Supp. 2d 1001 (D. Minnesota, 1999)
Kelsey v. State Of Minnesota
622 F.2d 961 (Eighth Circuit, 1980)
Kelsey v. Minnesota
622 F.2d 961 (Eighth Circuit, 1980)
Berch v. Stahl
373 F. Supp. 412 (W.D. North Carolina, 1974)
Bones v. Warden
77 Misc. 2d 617 (New York Supreme Court, 1974)
Rhem v. Malcolm
371 F. Supp. 594 (S.D. New York, 1974)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
363 F. Supp. 683, 1973 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 11978, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/inmate-24394-v-schoen-mnd-1973.