Opinion ID: 767338
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The Right to Call Witnesses

Text: 17 Kalwasinski requested that Sgt. Edwards, Officer Ameigh, and inmate Mike Coleman be called as witnesses. Edwards and Ameigh testified by speaker phone during the hearing, and Kalwasinksi put questions to them. Coleman was at another facility at the time of the hearing and his tape-recorded testimony responding to questions put to him by Cerio was played at the hearing. Kalwasinski complains that he was not permitted to ask questions of Coleman. However, Cerio explained to Kalwasinski at the hearing that he asked Coleman the question Kalwasinski requested and Coleman answered this question, stating what he witnessed of the incident. It is not a violation of due process at a disciplinary hearing to take the testimony of a witness outside the presence of an inmate. See Francis v. Coughlin, 891 F.2d 43, 48 (2d Cir. 1989) (citing Bolden v. Alston, 810 F.2d 353, 358 (2d Cir. 1987)). Nor does an inmate have a constitutional right of confrontation. See Silva v. Casey, 992 F.2d 20, 22 (2d Cir. 1993) (citing Wolff, 418 U.S. at 567-68). 18 Kalwasinski also complains that Cerio did not call fourteen other Southport employees whose testimony he requested. However, a hearing officer does not violate due process by excluding irrelevant or unnecessary testimony. See Kingsley v. Bureau of Prisons, 937 F.2d 26, 30 (2d Cir. 1991) (citations omitted). Edwards testified that no officers other than Ameigh and Burgett were present at the incident, thus providing Cerio with a rational basis for concluding that the testimony of these additional witnesses would be irrelevant or unnecessary. See Scott v. Kelly, 962 F.2d 145, 147 (2d Cir. 1992) (citing Kingsley, 937 F.2d at 30). Cerio explained this to Kalwasinski at the time of the hearing. 19 In light of the above, we conclude that Cerio's refusal to call the additional witnesses requested by Kalwasinski did not constitute a violation of due process. 20