22. Habeas Corpus.

U.S. District Court DISCIPLINE GOOD TIME

Hoskins v. McBride, 202 F.Supp.2d 839 (N.D.Ind. 2002). A state prisoner filed for a writ of habeas corpus, challenging revocation of earned good time credits and demotion in his credit time earning class, following a disciplinary proceeding. The district court denied the petition, finding that prison officials did not deny the prisoner due process by falling to compel witnesses to name a "certain offender" named in a tip regarding drug trafficking, nor by denying him permission to view security videos and other physical evidence. The court noted that while prisoners have the right to call witnesses to testify on their behalf at disciplinary hearings when it is consistent with institutional safety and correctional goals, but that this is not an unlimited right. (Indiana State Prison in Michigan City)

U.S. Appeals Court DISCIPLINE

Martinez v. Hedrick, 36 Fed.Appx. 209 (7th Cir. 2002). A state prisoner filed for a writ of habeas corpus challenging a disciplinary board's reprimand for entering into an unauthorized contract. The district court denied the petition and the appeals court affirmed. The appeals court held that the inmate was not denied due process. The alleged contract was a subscription to Men magazine, unauthorized because the subscription was not prepaid. The court noted that it has not yet addressed whether [section] 2254 or the Due Process Clause are implicated when an inmate alleges only that a prison decision caused his retention in, rather than demotion to, a particular credit-earning class. (Indiana)

U.S. Appeals Court DEATH PENALTY

Sanchez-Velasco v. Secretary of Dept. of Corr., 287 F.3d 1015 (11th Cir. 2002). An attorney, who worked for an entity that had been created by a state...