Failure to Make Sufficient Effort to Have Inmate’s Witness Testify Required a New Hearing

The Third Department ordered a new disciplinary hearing where insufficient efforts were made to procure the testimony of a witness requested by the inmate:

When  petitioner requested that a fellow inmate  testify at the  disciplinary  hearing,  the Hearing  Officer merely  noted  that the witness had informed petitioner’s employee assistant that he refused  to  testify. Such a notation by the Hearing Officer, without any attempt to determine the reason for the witness’s refusal, is not a sufficient basis upon which to deny petitioner’s right to call the witness … Matter of Dickerson v Fischer, 514685, 3rd Dept, 4-18-13