FOURSTAR v. COPENHAVER (2019)

MEMORANDUM *

Victor Fourstar, Jr. appeals the district court’s denial of his 28 U.S.C. § 2241 habeas corpus petition. We have jurisdiction pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1291. We affirm the district court.

We review de novo the district court’s decision denying Fourstar’s petition for habeas corpus filed pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 2241. Wilson v. Belleque, 554 F.3d 816, 828 (9th Cir. 2009). Fourstar argues his right to due process was violated during a prison disciplinary hearing because he was not permitted to present a witness. Procedural due process requires that an inmate have an opportunity to present witnesses at a disciplinary hearing. See Wolff v. McDonnell, 418 U.S. 539, 566–67, 94 S.Ct. 2963, 41 L.Ed.2d 935 (1974). However, a disciplinary hearing officer may exclude a witness’s testimony if that testimony is irrelevant. See id. Here, the requested witness’s testimony concerned a subsequent alleged assault and was not relevant to the issue before the disciplinary hearing officer, a fight that occurred earlier that day. During the habeas proceedings, Fourstar submitted an unsworn “affidavit” stating that the witness saw the first attack, but he does not claim that the disciplinary hearing officer was aware of this. We hold that Fourstar’s right to procedural due process was not violated.

Fourstar argues the district court abused its discretion by denying him the right to an evidentiary hearing. The district court did not abuse its discretion by declining to grant an evidentiary hearing because the record “conclusively shows that petitioner is not entitled to habeas corpus under 28 U.S.C. § 2241.” Anderson v. United States, 898 F.2d 751, 753 (9th Cir. 1990).

AFFIRMED.1

FOOTNOTES

1.   We GRANT the motion to withdraw the related motion to consolidate appeals (Dkt. Entry No. 78) and DENY Fourstar’s motion to consolidate (Dkt. Entry No. 77) as moot.