R850-8-1300. Procedures for Formal Adjudicative Proceedings

1. An original and ten copies of all papers permitted or required to be filed shall be filed with the Trust Lands Administration and one copy shall be sent by mail to each party.

2. In addition to the final agency action, and the petition for the appeal of the final agency action, additional motions may be submitted for the board's decision on either written or oral argument and the filing of affidavits in support or contravention may be permitted. Any written motion may be accompanied by a supporting memorandum of fact and law.

3. The board may permit or require pleadings in addition to the final agency action and the appeal of the final agency action.

4. Upon motion of a party, and for good cause shown, the board may authorize discovery against another party, including the Trust Lands Administration, in the manner provided by the Utah Rules of Civil Procedure.

5. Subpoenas and other orders to secure the attendance of witnesses or the production of evidence shall be issued by the board when requested by any party, or may be issued upon its own motion.

6. Hearing procedure.

(a) The board shall regulate the course of the hearing to obtain full disclosure of relevant facts and to afford all the parties reasonable opportunity to present their positions.

(b) On its own motion or upon objection by a party, the board:

i) may exclude evidence that is irrelevant, immaterial, or unduly repetitious;

ii) shall exclude evidence privileged in the courts of Utah;

iii) may receive documentary evidence in the form of a copy or excerpt if the copy or excerpt contains all pertinent portions of the original document;

iv) may take official notice of any facts that could be judicially noticed under the Utah Rules of Evidence, of the record of other proceedings before the board, and of technical or scientific facts within the board's specialized knowledge.

(c) The board may not exclude evidence solely because it is hearsay.

(d) The board shall afford to all parties the opportunity to present evidence, argue, respond, conduct cross-examination, and submit rebuttal evidence.

(e) The board may give persons not a party to the adjudicative proceeding the opportunity to present oral or written statements at the hearing.

(f) All testimony presented at the hearing, if offered as evidence to be considered in reaching a decision on the merits, shall be given under oath.

(g) The hearing shall be recorded at the board's expense.

(h) Any party, at his own expense, may have a person approved by the board prepare a transcript of the hearing, subject to any restrictions that the board is permitted by statute to impose to protect confidential information disclosed at the hearing.

(i) All hearings shall be open to all parties.

(j) This section does not preclude the presiding officer from taking appropriate measures necessary to preserve the integrity of the hearing.

7. Intervention shall be in accordance with R850-8-1400.

8. Orders.

(a) Within a reasonable time after the hearing, or after the filing of any post-hearing papers permitted by the board, the board shall sign and issue an order that includes:

i) a statement of the board's findings of fact based exclusively on the evidence of record in the adjudicative proceedings, or on facts officially noted;

ii) a statement of the board's conclusions of law;

iii) a statement of the reasons for the board's decision;

iv) a statement of any relief ordered by the board;

v) a notice of any right to judicial review of the order available to aggrieved parties;

vi) the time limits applicable to any review (or reconsideration).

(b) The board may use its experience, technical competence, and specialized knowledge to evaluate the evidence.

(c) No finding of fact that was contested may be based solely on hearsay evidence unless that evidence is admissible under Utah Rules of Evidence.

(d) This section does not preclude the board from issuing interim orders to:

i) notify the parties of further hearings;

ii) notify the parties of provisional rulings on a portion of the issues presented; or

iii) otherwise provide for the fair and efficient conduct of the adjudicative proceeding.