Opinion ID: 440214
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Procedural Features of the Hearing

Text: 14 In cases involving only liberty interests, the courts have required only that the claimant be accorded notice of the charges against him and an opportunity to support his allegations by argument however brief, and, if need be, by proof, however informal. Memphis Light, Gas & Water Div. v. Craft, 436 U.S. 1, 16 n. 17, 98 S.Ct. 1554, 1564 n. 17, 56 L.Ed.2d 30 (1978); White v. Thomas, supra; Endicott v. Huddleston, supra. In light of such flexibility, the district court was correct to reject appellant's claim that the hearing provided by appellees was constitutionally inadequate. With respect to adequacy of notice, appellant had the full period between her termination and the January 21, 1982, hearing to familiarize herself with the charges that had been made against her; moreover, the record of the hearing shows that she had, and availed herself of, opportunity to hear and cross-examine all adverse witnesses and to attempt to rebut their claims of insubordination and mishandling of funds. As to appellant's charge that the composition of the tribunal rendered impartiality impossible, we agree with the district court that the nature of the hearing resolves this question. Because the purpose of the hearing was not to re-evaluate appellant's termination but to allow her to clear her name, the fact that the tribunal was composed of members of the Board of Commissioners did not impair its ability to preside in an acceptably impartial manner. 3