Opinion
976 TP 19–00995
11-08-2019
In the Matter of James LAGO, Petitioner, v. Anthony ANNUCCI, Acting Commissioner, New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision, Respondent.
WYOMING COUNTY–ATTICA LEGAL AID BUREAU, WARSAW (LEAH R. NOWOTARSKI OF COUNSEL), FOR PETITIONER. LETITIA JAMES, ATTORNEY GENERAL, ALBANY (FRANK BRADY OF COUNSEL), FOR RESPONDENT.
WYOMING COUNTY–ATTICA LEGAL AID BUREAU, WARSAW (LEAH R. NOWOTARSKI OF COUNSEL), FOR PETITIONER.
LETITIA JAMES, ATTORNEY GENERAL, ALBANY (FRANK BRADY OF COUNSEL), FOR RESPONDENT.
PRESENT: WHALEN, P.J., LINDLEY, DEJOSEPH, NEMOYER, AND TROUTMAN, JJ.
MEMORANDUM AND ORDER Proceeding pursuant to CPLR article 78 (transferred to the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court in the Fourth Judicial Department by order of the Supreme Court, Wyoming County [Michael M. Mohun, A.J.], entered May 21, 2019) to review a determination of respondent. The determination found after a tier III hearing that petitioner violated various inmate rules.
It is hereby ORDERED that the determination so appealed from is unanimously modified on the law and the petition is granted in part by annulling that part of the determination finding that petitioner violated inmate rule 102.10 ( 7 NYCRR 270.2 [B][3][i] ) and as modified the determination is confirmed without costs and respondent is directed to expunge from petitioner's institutional record all references to the violation of that inmate rule.
Memorandum: Petitioner commenced this CPLR article 78 proceeding, transferred to this Court pursuant to CPLR 7804(g), seeking to annul a determination, following a tier III disciplinary hearing, that he violated inmate rules 102.10 ( 7 NYCRR 270.2 [B][3][i] [threats] ), 103.10 ( 7 NYCRR 270.2 [B][4][i] [extortion] ), and 107.20 ( 7 NYCRR 270.2 [B][8][iii] [false statement] ). As respondent correctly concedes, the determination that petitioner violated inmate rule 102.10 is not supported by substantial evidence. We therefore modify the determination by granting the petition in part and annulling that part of the determination finding that petitioner violated that rule, and we direct respondent to expunge from petitioner's institutional record all references thereto (see Matter of Washington v. Annucci , 150 A.D.3d 1700, 1700–1701 [4th Dept. 2017] ). Inasmuch as petitioner has already served the penalty and there was no recommended loss of good time, there is no need to remit the matter to respondent for reconsideration of the penalty (see id. at 1701, 53 N.Y.S.3d 451 ). Contrary to petitioner's contention, the determination finding that he violated rules 103.10 and 107.20 is supported by substantial evidence (see generally Matter of Foster v. Coughlin , 76 N.Y.2d 964, 966, 563 N.Y.S.2d 728, 565 N.E.2d 477 [1990] ; People ex rel. Vega v. Smith , 66 N.Y.2d 130, 139, 495 N.Y.S.2d 332, 485 N.E.2d 997 [1985] ).