Perretti v. Fischer

58 A.D.3d 999, 871 N.Y.S.2d 746
CourtAppellate Division of the Supreme Court of the State of New York
DecidedJanuary 15, 2009
StatusPublished
Cited by17 cases

This text of 58 A.D.3d 999 (Perretti v. Fischer) 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
Perretti v. Fischer, 58 A.D.3d 999, 871 N.Y.S.2d 746 (N.Y. Ct. App. 2009).

Opinion

Spain, J.

Proceeding pursuant to CPLR article 78 (transferred to this Court by order of the Supreme Court, entered in Albany County) to review a determination of respondent which found petitioner guilty of violating certain prison disciplinary rules.

After an October 17, 2007 appearance before the Board of Parole, petitioner, an inmate at Otisville Correctional Facility in Orange County, was denied parole. He then filed a formal complaint with the Division of Parole against a parole officer named Goldsmith alleging that a packet of documents submitted by his attorney was not in his parole file at the hearing. In a misbehavior report dated October 23, 2007, petitioner was charged with violating two prison disciplinary rules for soliciting personal identifying information (i.e., a home address) of an employee of the Department of Correctional Services—Senior [1000]*1000Parole Officer James Cassell—and making a physical threat against Cassell. The report was based upon confidential information received by its author, Sergeant Howerter, the day before, during an interview with a confidential informant.

At the multiday tier III disciplinary hearing, petitioner testified at length, denying ever attempting to acquire Cassell’s home address or making any threats against him. He was adamant that Cassell had repeatedly helped him before and during the parole hearing to ensure that his parole papers were in order, that he was never angry at Cassell and had no reason to seek his home address or to threaten him; he explained that his anger was directed solely at Goldsmith, against whom he had filed a complaint. The hearing was adjourned to take the confidential testimony of Howerter and the informant. Thereafter, the Hearing Officer explained her denial of most of petitioner’s requests to call witnesses, but granted his request to call Cassell. Cassell testified that petitioner never asked him for his home address or directly threatened him, that their conversations during the parole process had been “cordial” and he was not aware of any motive for petitioner to harm him although he had received information indicating that petitioner had engaged in the charged conduct against him. Petitioner was found guilty of soliciting personal identifying information related to Cassell and not guilty of making threats against him. He was sentenced to 365 days in the special housing unit, six months of which were suspended and deferred, and later modified on administrative appeal. Petitioner commenced this CPLR article 78 special proceeding, transferred to this Court, and we confirm.

The determination of guilt is supported by substantial evidence, including the misbehavior report, the in camera testimony of its author and of the confidential informant, and the documentary evidence (see Matter of Nova v Selsky, 54 AD3d 453, 454 [2008]; Matter of Crosby v Selsky, 24 AD3d 1076, 1077 [2005]). We do not agree with petitioner’s contention that he lacked fair notice of the charges because the misbehavior report did not allege “the date, time and place” that he committed the alleged misconduct, i.e., attempting to acquire Cassell’s home address (7 NYCRR 251-3.1 [c] [3]).

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Davis v. Fischer
78 A.D.3d 1416 (Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, 2010)
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78 A.D.3d 1399 (Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, 2010)
Reese v. Bezio
75 A.D.3d 1029 (Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, 2010)
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65 A.D.3d 1401 (Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, 2009)
Bennett v. Fischer
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Ellison v. Fischer
63 A.D.3d 1382 (Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, 2009)

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Bluebook (online)
58 A.D.3d 999, 871 N.Y.S.2d 746, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/perretti-v-fischer-nyappdiv-2009.