Case Title: Bledsoe v. Comm’r of Corr.

Citation: 

Docket Number: SJC-11647

State: massachusetts

Court: Massachusetts Supreme Court

Date: 2014-12-19T00:00:00Z

Document:
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SJC-11647 
 
HAYWOOD BLEDSOE  vs.  COMMISSIONER OF CORRECTION. 
 
 
 
December 19, 2014. 
 
 
Supreme Judicial Court, Superintendence of inferior courts.  
Practice, Criminal, Transcript of hearing. 
 
 
 
Haywood Bledsoe appeals from a judgment of a single justice 
of this court denying, without a hearing, his petition for 
relief under G. L. c. 211, § 3.  We affirm the judgment. 
 
 
Bledsoe, an inmate in the custody of the Department of 
Correction, commenced an action in the Superior Court against 
the Commissioner of Correction and other officials.  A judge 
issued an order granting summary judgment as to some of the 
counts in Bledsoe's amended complaint.  After a hearing in which 
Bledsoe participated by video conference, a second judge granted 
summary judgment on the remaining counts and entered final 
judgment.  Bledsoe's appeal therefrom is pending in the Appeals 
Court.  Bledsoe's requests for a transcript of the summary 
judgment hearing were denied by the second judge and by a single 
justice of the Appeals Court.  He thereafter moved for a digital 
versatile disc (DVD) record of the hearing at his own expense.  
That motion, too, was denied by a third judge on the ground that 
this is not necessary for his appeal.  Bledsoe's G. L. c. 211, 
§ 3, petition sought relief from the third judge's decision. 
 
 
"Relief pursuant to G. L. c. 211, § 3, is extraordinary.  
We will not disturb the single justice's denial of relief absent 
an abuse of discretion or other clear error of law.  See, e.g., 
Matthews v. Appeals Court, 444 Mass. 1007, 1008 (2005).  A 
petitioner seeking relief under the statute 'must "demonstrate 
both a substantial claim of violation of [his] substantive 
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rights and error that cannot be remedied under the ordinary 
review process."'  McGuinness v. Commonwealth, 420 Mass. 495, 
497 (1995), quoting Planned Parenthood League of Mass., Inc. v. 
Operation Rescue, 406 Mass. 701, 706 (1990)."  Black v. 
Commonwealth, 459 Mass. 1003, 1003 (2011).  Bledsoe has not 
carried his burden under the statute for the simple reason that 
he has not addressed the availability of review in the ordinary 
course.  He offers no reason why he could not have appealed 
directly from the third judge's decision or why he cannot 
address in his pending appeal from the summary judgment his 
asserted need for, and inability to obtain, a DVD recording of 
the hearing.  Moreover, Bledsoe has not substantiated in any way 
his claim that the second judge took testimony or other evidence 
during the hearing on the defendants' summary judgment motion, 
and that this would be reflected on a DVD recording.  He has not 
provided copies of the motion papers or of the second judge's 
memorandum of decision, making it impossible for the single 
justice or for this court to evaluate his claim that the paper 
record is insufficient for his appeal.  In other words, he has 
not demonstrated "a substantial claim of violation of [his] 
substantive rights."  McGuinness v. Commonwealth, supra.  On 
this record, therefore, the single justice did not err or abuse 
his discretion by denying extraordinary relief. 
 
 
The limited issue before us, on appeal from the single 
justice's judgment, is whether Bledsoe was entitled to 
extraordinary relief under the court's general superintendence 
power, which, as we have stated, he was not.  That said, it 
remains unclear to us on this record why he was not permitted to 
obtain a DVD record of the video conference, at his own expense, 
assuming one was available or could readily be prepared for him.1  
The only explanation offered by the motion judge was that a 
record of the summary judgment hearing is not necessary to the 
underlying appeal.  However, litigants who order a written 
transcript or an audio cassette recording of a hearing at their 
own expense are not required to show that such items are 
necessary for their appeals.  Likewise, we would expect that, if 
a DVD or other official record of a video conference exists, a 
litigant would be allowed to purchase it at his or her own 
expense.  An official video record of a hearing would be no less 
of a judicial record than a transcript or audio cassette.  See 
generally Commonwealth v. Winfield, 464 Mass. 672 (2013) 
(discussing third-party access to judicial records), and cases 
                     
 
1 The record does not indicate whether any video (or other) 
recording of the hearing in fact exists, only that a hearing was 
held via video conference. 
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cited.  We trust, therefore, that if Bledsoe were to renew his 
motion in the Superior Court, and if a DVD or other official 
record of the hearing in fact exists or can readily be prepared 
for him, he will be furnished with it at his own expense.  If no 
record of the video conference exists, the judge should so 
indicate. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Judgment affirmed. 
 
 
 
The case was submitted on briefs. 
 
Haywood Bledsoe, pro se.