People ex rel. Johnson v. New York State Board of Parole
The petitioner, previously on parole after convictions for sodomy, rape, and robbery, faced parole revocation following allegations of new crimes and numerous parole violations. A hearing officer sustained 19 of 22 violations, leading to parole revocation. The petitioner's administrative appeal was superseded by an unannounced "Full Board Case Review" (FBCR) by the Board of Parole, which affirmed the revocation without providing the petitioner notice or an opportunity to be heard, effectively undermining his appeal rights. The Supreme Court dismissed the petitioner's subsequent habeas corpus application. The appellate court reversed, ruling that the FBCR procedure was an unauthorized violation of the petitioner's due process rights and statutory right to appeal, causing irreparable harm. The court also noted significant weaknesses in the identification evidence against the petitioner and strong alibi evidence, suggesting a high probability of reversal on the merits. Consequently, the court granted the petition, discharging the petitioner from custody and restoring him to parole status.