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COURT OF APPEALS
DECISION                                                                            NOTICE
DATED AND FILED
This  opinion  is  subject  to  further  editing.  If
published, the official version will appear in the
bound volume of the Official Reports.
January 18, 2001
                                                                                                                                                        A  party  may  file  with  the  Supreme  Court  a
                                                                                                                                                        petition  to  review  an  adverse  decision  by  the
                                                                                    Cornelia G. Clark
                                                                                                                                                        Court of Appeals.   See WIS. STAT. § 808.10 and
                                                                                    Clerk, Court of Appeals
                                                                                                                                                        RULE 809.62.
                                                                                    of Wisconsin
No.                                                                                 00-1224
STATE OF WISCONSIN                                                                  IN COURT OF APPEALS
DISTRICT IV
STATE OF WISCONSIN EX REL. DENNIS JONES,
PETITIONER-RESPONDENT,
V.
JON E. LITSCHER, SECRETARY, DEPARTMENT OF
CORRECTIONS,
RESPONDENT-APPELLANT.
APPEAL  from  an  order  of  the  circuit  court  for  Dodge  County:
JOSEPH E. SCHULTZ, Judge.   Reversed and cause remanded with directions.
Before Dykman, P.J., Roggensack and Deininger, JJ.
¶1                                                                                  PER CURIAM.    Jon  Litscher,  Secretary  of  the  Department  of
Corrections, appeals from an order reversing a disciplinary decision.   The trial
court found that the department violated a procedural rule by denying Dennis




No. 00-1224
Jones a seven-day postponement of his disciplinary hearing without good reason.
Consequently, the court reversed the department’s finding of guilt and ordered it
expunged  from  Jones’  record.    The  department  contends  that  the  appropriate
remedy  is  a  remand  for  further  administrative  proceedings,  rather  than
expungement.   We agree and therefore reverse.
¶2                                                                                             On  certiorari  review,  we  independently  review  administrative
decisions without deference to the trial court’s determination.   State ex rel. Ortega
v. McCaughtry, 221 Wis. 2d 376, 385-86, 585 N.W.2d 640 (Ct. App. 1998).   In
our view, the better remedy for a minor rule violation is a remand to allow the
department an opportunity to provide a hearing with proper application of the
disciplinary rules.1   Such is the preferred remedy where additional proceedings do
not offend considerations of due process and fair play.   See State ex rel. Gibson v.
DHSS, 86 Wis. 2d 345, 353, 272 N.W.2d 395 (Ct. App. 1978).
¶3                                                                                             We  reverse  the  trial  court’s  order  insofar  as  it  provides  for  the
expungement of Jones’ disciplinary violation.   On remand we direct the trial court
to order the matter remanded to the department to either provide Jones a hearing in
compliance with departmental rules or to dismiss the charge against him.
By the Court.—Order reversed and cause remanded with directions.
                                                                                               This  opinion  will  not  be  published.     See  WIS.  STAT.  RULE
809.23(1)                                                                                      (b)5 (1999-2000).
1  Under any reasonable view, the department’s rule violation in this case was minor.
Jones requested a seven-day postponement of the scheduled hearing which the department could
deny only on good reason.   See WIS. ADMIN. CODE § DOC 303.76(3).  Jones received a four-day
postponement, with no reason provided for denying the additional three days requested.
2




No. 00-1224
3

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