Opinion ID: 1058331
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 8

Heading: Substitution of Board Members at August 2008 Hearing

Text: Green argues that the Board erred by failing to document the inability of three Board members who sat at the June 2008 hearing to be present at the August 2008 continuation of that hearing. Green contends that the Board was therefore in violation of Part 6, § IV, ¶ 13-18(Q), which provides: Whenever a hearing has been adjourned for any reason and one or more of the members initially constituting the quorum for the hearing are unable to be present, the hearing of the matter may be completed by furnishing a transcript of the subsequent proceedings conducted in one or more member's absence to such absent member, or substituting another Board member for any absent member and furnishing a transcript of the prior proceedings in the matter to such substituted member(s). Green asserts that substantial compliance with what is now Part 6, § IV, ¶ 13-18(Q) was lacking because three of the five Board members on August 22, 2008 had to rely on a transcript of the June 2008 hearing to make their determination, and no valid reason was given for the absence of the original members. The Bar argues that it fulfilled the requirements of Part 6, § IV, ¶ 13-18(Q) by providing the substituted Board members with a transcript of the June 2008 hearing. According to the Bar, the Board was not required to note or document the reason for the inability of members to be present. We agree with the Bar. At the August 2008 hearing, the chairman stated, we do have new members on the panel and ask[ed] each member of the panel to identify himself or herself for the record. The new members had been provided a transcript of the June 2008 hearing, as well as a copy of the entire record. Nothing more was required of the Board in order to substitute Board members for the absent members, in compliance with Part 6, § IV, ¶ 13-18(Q).