Opinion
January 6, 2000
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 a prison disciplinary rule.
Andrew Crandall, Comstock, petitioner in person.
Eliot Spitzer, Attorney-General (Nancy A. Spiegel of counsel), Albany, for respondent.
Before: CARDONA, P.J., MERCURE, CREW III, GRAFFEO and MUGGLIN, JJ.
MEMORANDUM AND JUDGMENT
Petitioner, a prison inmate, challenges the determination finding him guilty of possessing contraband classified as a weapon. The charges stemmed from a manila envelope found, which petitioner admitted belonged to him, containing a razor-type weapon. The misbehavior report, authored by a correction officer who witnessed the event, together with the testimony offered from the correction officers involved in the incident, provides substantial evidence to support the determination of petitioner's guilt (see, Matter of Norman v. Wood, 261 A.D.2d 755; Evans v. Goord, 256 A.D.2d 695; Matter of Blanche v. Selsky, 253 A.D.2d 944). Furthermore, it was a credibility issue properly before the Hearing Officer to assess petitioner's claim that he mistakenly identified the envelope as his own (see,Matter of Alvarado v. Goord, 252 A.D.2d 650). We find nothing in the record to support petitioner's assertion that the Hearing Officer was biased or that the outcome of the hearing flowed from the alleged bias (see, Matter of Monge v. Goord, 251 A.D.2d 804;Matter of Applegate v. Coombe, 237 A.D.2d 836, lv denied 90 N.Y.2d 803). Petitioner's remaining contentions have been reviewed and found to be without merit.
Cardona, P.J., Mercure, Crew III, Graffeo and Mugglin, JJ., concur.
ADJUDGED that the determination is confirmed, without costs, and petition dismissed.