Kareem Milhouse v. Warden Lewisburg USP
700 F. App'x 158
| 3rd Cir. | 2017Background
- Petitioner Kareem Milhouse challenged a prison disciplinary finding that cost him 68 days of good-conduct time after being charged with possession of a weapon and destroying government property (a damaged mattress).
- Officer's written cell-search report and photographs of the homemade knife and damaged mattress were the Hearing Officer’s primary evidence.
- Milhouse argued the knife was in a separate mattress on a top bunk and the damaged mattress had another inmate’s name and was given to him already damaged.
- The District Court dismissed Milhouse’s § 2241 petition before service; Milhouse appealed.
- Milhouse later submitted additional documents via a post-appeal Rule 60(b) motion, which were not part of the district-court record.
Issues
| Issue | Plaintiff's Argument | Defendant's Argument | Held |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whether the disciplinary decision revoking good-conduct time is supported by "some evidence" | Milhouse: insufficient evidence; contraband and damage attributable to other inmate or preexisting condition | Bureau/Hearing Officer: officer report and photos show contraband in shared cell and damaged mattress; institutional procedures support attribution | Affirmed: "some evidence" standard met by cell-search report and photos; shared-cell rule supports possession finding |
| Whether court of appeals may consider documents filed after district-court decision (Rule 60(b) materials) | Milhouse: requested consideration of post-decision documents attached to Rule 60(b) motion | Respondent: appellate review confined to record before the district court | Court refused to consider post-decision documents; appeal reviewed only district-court record |
Key Cases Cited
- Superintendent v. Hill, 472 U.S. 445 (some evidence standard for prison disciplinary revocations)
- Denny v. Schultz, 708 F.3d 140 (3d Cir.) (contraband found in shared cell can support possession finding)
- Fassett v. Delta Kappa Epsilon, 807 F.2d 1150 (3d Cir.) (appellate review limited to district-court record)
