905 IAC 1-37-10 Conduct of hearings

Sec. 10. (a) The hearing judge shall regulate the course of the proceedings in conformity with any prehearing order and in a manner without recourse to the technical, common law rules of evidence applicable to civil actions in the course. (b) To the extent necessary for full disclosure of all relevant facts and issues, the hearing judge shall afford to all parties the opportunity to respond, present evidence and argument, conduct cross-examination, and submit rebuttal evidence, except as restricted by a limitation under subsection (d) or by the prehearing order. (c) The hearing judge may, after a prehearing order is issued, impose conditions upon a party necessary to avoid unreasonably burdensome or repetitious presentations by the party, such as the following: (1) Limiting the party's participation to designated issues in which the party has a particular interest. (2) Limiting the party's use of discovery, cross-examination, and other procedures so as to promote the orderly, prompt, and just conduct of the proceeding. (3) Requiring two (2) or more parties to combine their presentations of evidence and argument, cross-examination, discovery, and other participation in the proceedings. (d) The hearing judge may administer oaths and affirmations and rule on any offer of proof or other motion. (e) The hearing judge shall have the hearing recorded at the commission's expense. The commission is not required, at its expense, to prepare a transcript. Any party, at the party's expense, may cause a reporter approved by the commission to prepare a transcript from the agency's record, or cause additional recordings to be made during the hearing if the making of the additional recordings does not cause distraction or disruption. The hearing judge may charge a person who requests that the commission provide a transcript, the reasonable costs of preparing the transcript and may require that the person make a reasonable deposit before the transcript is prepared.