Sec.13b-17-145a. Prehearing conferences

(a) The commissioner may on motion or on his own initiative and prior to a hearing, schedule and hold a prehearing conference among the parties and intervenors and the representatives thereof to:

(1) Clarify and simplify factual and legal issues in dispute;

(2) Rule on stipulations of facts and evidence;

(3) Pre-mark exhibits to be offered or admitted into evidence;

(4) Dispose of pending motions and disputes;

(5) Take such other actions as may aid in the orderly and expeditious disposition of the proceeding.

(b) Each party and intervenor and representative thereof shall appear at the prehearing conference. Upon failure to appear without good cause, and at his discretion, the hearing officer may proceed with the conference and may make decisions concerning all matters for which the conference was scheduled. Such decisions shall bind all parties and intervenors.

(c) At least one representative of each party and intervenor participating in the prehearing conference shall have authority to enter into stipulations and to make admissions regarding all matters that the participants should reasonably anticipate may be discussed at said conference.

(d) After the prehearing conference, the presiding officer may issue a prehearing conference order. The prehearing conference order shall, unless modified by the hearing officer on the record, control the subsequent course of the proceeding.

(Adopted effective October 6, 1997)