Opinion
2012-03-22
In the Matter of Derrick HAMILTON, Petitioner, v. Norman R. BEZIO, as Director of Special Housing and Inmate Disciplinary Programs, Respondent.
Derrick Hamilton, Elmira, petitioner pro se. Eric T. Schneiderman, Attorney General, Albany (Marcus J. Mastracco of counsel), for respondent.
Derrick Hamilton, Elmira, petitioner pro se. Eric T. Schneiderman, Attorney General, Albany (Marcus J. Mastracco of counsel), for respondent.
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 the Commissioner of Corrections and Community Supervision which found petitioner guilty of violating certain prison disciplinary rules.
Petitioner, a prison inmate, commenced this CPLR article 78 proceeding to challenge a tier III disciplinary determination finding him guilty of assaulting staff and refusing a frisk. The Attorney General has informed this Court that, during the pendency of this proceeding, the determination has been administratively reversed, all references thereto have been expunged from petitioner's institutional record and the mandatory surcharge has been refunded to his inmate account. With respect to petitioner's request that he be restored to the status he enjoyed prior to the tier III hearing, inmates have no constitutional or statutory right to their prior housing or programming status ( see Matter of Huston v. Bezio, 87 A.D.3d 781, 927 N.Y.S.2d 807 [2011]; Matter of Valdez v. Fischer, 85 A.D.3d 1264, 1265, 923 N.Y.S.2d 920 [2011] ). Accordingly, petitioner has received all the relief to which he is entitled and the proceeding must be dismissed as moot ( see Matter of Sherman v. LaValley, 89 A.D.3d 1337, 932 N.Y.S.2d 917 [2011]; Matter of Jones v. Prack, 83 A.D.3d 1331, 920 N.Y.S.2d 743 [2011] ).
ADJUDGED that the petition is dismissed, as moot, without costs.