William Langton, a Massachusetts State Prisoner, filed a pro se lawsuit under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 against the Massachusetts Department of Corrections in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts. The plaintiff argued that his constitutional rights had been violated by the defendant's conduct at a prison disciplinary hearing at which he was found guilty of planning to escape. Particularly, he complained about not being allowed to call certain witnesses and not being able to use informer reports in order to defend himself in the hearing.

The United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts (Judge Rya W. Zobel) dismissed complaint, and plaintiff appealed. On February 13, 1981, the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit (Judge Frank Coffin) affirmed the dismissal, holding that the plaintiff was not deprived of his right to due process at the disciplinary hearing. Langton v. Berman, 667 F.2d 231 (1st Cir. 1981). We have no further information on the proceedings.

Kristen Sagar - 03/28/2006


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