Matter of Bellamy v. Venettozzi

2017 NY Slip Op 5892, 152 A.D.3d 1102, 56 N.Y.S.3d 479
CourtAppellate Division of the Supreme Court of the State of New York
DecidedJuly 27, 2017
Docket523538
StatusPublished

This text of 2017 NY Slip Op 5892 (Matter of Bellamy v. Venettozzi) 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
Matter of Bellamy v. Venettozzi, 2017 NY Slip Op 5892, 152 A.D.3d 1102, 56 N.Y.S.3d 479 (N.Y. Ct. App. 2017).

Opinion

Proceeding pursuant to CPLR article 78. (transferred to this *1103 Court by order of the Supreme Court, entered in Albany County) to review a determination of the Commissioner of Corrections and Community Supervision finding petitioner guilty of violating certain prison disciplinary rules.

Petitioner was charged in a misbehavior report with possessing a weapon and smuggling. According to the misbehavior report, petitioner reported that he had swallowed a weapon two days earlier that he had been concealing in his mouth and that it was caught in his throat. After being examined at the correctional facility infirmary, petitioner was transported to an outside medical center, where an X ray revealed no weapon or unusual object in petitioner’s throat or body, and it was determined that the soreness in his throat was the result of where the weapon had previously been lodged. Following a tier III hearing, petitioner was found guilty of both charges, and that determination was affirmed upon administrative appeal. This CPLR article 78 proceeding ensued.

We confirm. Contrary to petitioner’s contention, the detailed misbehavior report, authored by the correction officer to whom petitioner made the admission about the weapon, is sufficient, by itself, to provide substantial evidence supporting the determination of guilt (see Matter of Simmons v LaValley, 130 AD3d 1126, 1127 [2015]; Matter of Karacostantakis v Prack, 107 AD3d 1277, 1277 [2013]; Matter of Figueroa v Lacy, 260 AD2d 765, 766 [1999]). We are unpersuaded by petitioner’s contention that the determination should be annulled because no weapon was seen on the X ray or recovered. The misbehavior report, which the Hearing Officer found credible, relates that petitioner admitted that he had swallowed a weapon and indicated that the weapon may have passed through his stool prior to reporting the incident. Under these circumstances, the determination of guilt will not be disturbed (see Matter of Hall v Fischer, 87 AD3d 1235, 1236 [2011]).

McCarthy, J.P., Garry, Lynch, Clark and Rumsey, JJ., concur.

Adjudged that the determination is confirmed, without costs, and petition dismissed

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Related

Matter of Simmons v. LaValley
130 A.D.3d 1126 (Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, 2015)
Hall v. Fischer
87 A.D.3d 1235 (Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, 2011)
Karacostantakis v. Prack
107 A.D.3d 1277 (Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, 2013)
Figueroa v. Lacy
260 A.D.2d 765 (Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, 1999)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
2017 NY Slip Op 5892, 152 A.D.3d 1102, 56 N.Y.S.3d 479, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/matter-of-bellamy-v-venettozzi-nyappdiv-2017.