Opinion ID: 424928
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Expunction and Injunctive Relief

Text: 92 The expunction of a disciplinary violation from a prisoner's record may be appropriate when that violation was established contrary to due process guarantees. Hayes II, 637 F.2d 493. We have ruled that in sixteen cases the Adjustment Committee Summaries were constitutionally inadequate. No agency or court in the future will be able to properly assess the basis for the Committee's decisions in those cases. Undeserved adverse collateral consequences could flow from these guilty findings if they are allowed to remain in the inmates' records. On the other hand, we also have found that the Committee members' refusal to disqualify themselves, found unconstitutional by the district court, may not have been improper. 93 The decision to expunge a violation from an administrative record should result from balancing the interests of the parties. The defendants have an interest in maintaining accurate records and insuring prison security. The plaintiffs' interest in avoiding adverse consequences is apparent. Here it seems that the plaintiffs' interests outweigh the defendants' interests. Nevertheless, we believe that the district court should balance the equities and exercise its discretion, with the guidance of this court's discussion in Hayes II, 637 F.2d at 493. 94 Expunction clearly is not warranted for Plaintiff Jones and the February 4, 1980, hearing for Plaintiff Tedder. Additionally, the jury's conclusion that Plaintiff Tedder was not injured by any of the twelve hearings indicates that expunction may not be appropriate for any of his claims. The district court on remand should reconsider the appropriateness of ordering expunction for Plaintiffs Nalls, Armstrong, and Tedder. 95 The district court also should reconsider the propriety of the plaintiffs' requests for injunctive relief in light of our disposition of the issues.