405.830—Conduct of the carrier hearing.
(a) General.
Hearings shall be open to the parties and to such other persons as the hearing officer deems necessary and proper for the orderly and efficient conduct of the hearing. The hearing officer shall inquire fully into the matters at issue and shall receive in evidence the testimony of witnesses and any documents which are relevant and material to such matters. The parties shall be provided an opportunity to enter any objection to the inclusion of any document. The order in which evidence and allegations shall be presented and the procedure at the hearing, except as this subpart otherwise expressly provides, shall be at the discretion of the hearing officer and of such nature as to afford the parties a proper hearing.
(b) Evidence.
Evidence may be received at the hearing even though inadmissible under rules of evidence applicable to court procedures.
(c) Witnesses.
The hearing officer may examine the witnesses and shall allow the parties or their representatives to do so. If the hearing officer conducts the examination of a witness, he may allow the parties to suggest matters upon which they desire the witness to be questioned, and the hearing officer shall question the witness with respect to such matters if they are relevant and material to any issue pending for decision before him.
(d) Oral argument and written allegations.
The parties, upon their request shall be allowed a reasonable time for the presentation of oral argument or for the filing of briefs or other written statements or allegations of facts or law.
(e) Consolidated issues.
When one or more new issues are raised at any time after a request for hearing has been made, but before the mailing of notice of the decision, the hearing officer may, at his discretion, consider the issues along with the other issues pending before him on the same request for hearing.
[32 FR 18028, Dec. 16, 1967. Redesignated at 42 FR 52826, Sept. 30, 1977, as amended at 59 FR 12183, Mar. 16, 1994]