Hearing Conducted in Absence of Inmate Okay Due to Inmate’s Assaultive and Menacing Conduct

The Third Department affirmed a guilty determination even though the hearing was conducted in the inmate’s absence.  The inmate had a history of assaults and menacing conduct:

It is well settled that an inmate has a fundamental right to be present at a disciplinary hearing, unless “he or she refuses to attend, or is excluded for reasons of institutional safety or correctional goals” (7 NYCRR 254.6 [a] [2]…). When an inmate is denied the right to be present at a hearing, there must be a factual basis in the record supporting the Hearing Officer’s decision … .  Here, the Hearing Officer set forth on the record his reasons for excluding petitioner from the hearing, including petitioner’s menacing conduct at a hearing earlier that same day, which he personally witnessed,  as well as petitioner’s multiple assaults on staff during the past several months.  Based upon these incidents, the Hearing Officer could reasonably conclude that petitioner’s presence at the hearing would jeopardize institutional safety and correctional goals.  Matter of Barnes v Prack, 514889, 3rd Dept 9-19-13