Opinion ID: 1462263
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Respondent's Challenge to the Hearing Committee Chair's Power to Conduct Pre-Hearing Proceedings.

Text: Last, we address respondent's argument that the hearing committee chairman acted beyond his authority when he conducted two pretrial conferences and disposed of certain matters in an attempt to simplify and expedite the hearing before the Committee. Respondent recognizes that our rules do indeed authorize a committee chair to act in this regard. Chapter 8, Section 3, Subsection (j) of the Board's Rules. However, respondent claims that a contradictory rule of the Court of Appeals requires that a hearing committee can act only by all three of its members. Rule XI, Section 5(b), District of Columbia Court of Appeals. However, we believe that the rule respondent cites refers only to the final reports and recommendations that hearing committees make to this Board. [3] Therefore, we do not feel there is any contradiction between that rule and the Board's rule that allows a hearing committee chair, acting alone, to dispose of certain procedural matters before the hearing begins. We wish to take this opportunity to encourage the chairs of the various hearing committees to utilize the pre-trial procedures provided in our rules. We also point out that, contrary to respondent's arguments, the hearing committee chair is under no obligation to consult with other members of the committee in making such pre-hearing determinations. The chair in this case chose to consult with the other attorney member of the committee before making his rulings. He was certainly within the spirit and letter of our rules when he chose to consult with his fellow committee member. However, we wish to make it absolutely clear, that he was under no obligation to do so and was free to act alone. Of course, a hypothetical respondent who felt that a pre-hearing ruling of a chairman had deprived him of valuable rights would be free to raise the issue again before the hearing committee. In that event, we trust that the hearing committee would make a recommendation to this Board as to how the matter should be disposed of. Full review occurs at the Board level. Once again, it is important not to allow our procedures to become bogged down in multiple determinations and redeterminations of issues that are properly committed to the chair of the hearing committee. The twin goals of our proceedings always must be swiftness and fairness.