Rules of evidence

The following rules of evidence shall he followed in contested cases: (a) Rules of evidence. Any oral or documentary evidence may be received, but the presiding officer shall, as a matter of policy, exclude irrelevant, immaterial or unduly repetitious evidence. The commissioners or presiding officer shall give effect to the rules of privilege recognized by law in Connecticut. Subject to these requirements and subject to the right of any party to cross examine, any testimony may be received in written form. (b) Documentary Evidence. Documentary evidence may be received at the discretion of the commissioners or presiding officer in the form of copies or excerpts, if the original is not found readily available. Upon request by any party an opportunity shall be granted to compare the copy with the original, which shall be subject to production by the person offering such copies, subject to the provisions of Section 52-180 of the General Statutes as amended. (c) Cross examination. Such cross examination may be conducted as the commissioners or the presiding officer shall find to be required for a full and true disclosure of the facts. (d) Facts noticed, commission records. The commissioners may take notice of judicially cognizable facts, including prior decisions and orders of the commissioners. Any exhibit admitted as evidence by the commissioners of the presiding officer in a prior hearing of a contested case may be offered as evidence in a subsequent contested case and admitted as an exhibit therein; but the commissioners shall not deem such exhibit to be judicially cognizable in whole or in part and shall not consider any facts set forth therein unless such exhibit is duly admitted as evidence in the contested case then being heard. (e) Facts noticed, procedure. The commissioners may take notice of generally recognized technical or scientific facts within the commission's specialized knowledge. Parties shall be afforded an opportunity to contest the material so noticed by being notified before or during the hearing, by an appropriate reference in preliminary reports or otherwise of the material noticed. This provision shall also apply to material noticed in any staff memoranda or data that may be submitted to the commissioners for their consideration in the determination of the contested case. The commissioners shall nevertheless employ the commission's experience, technical competence, and specialized knowledge in evaluating the evidence presented at the hearing for the purpose of making their finding of facts and arriving at a decision in any contested case.