Chapter 480-47 BRIEFS AND POST-HEARING PROCEDURE
Rule 480-47-.01 Briefs
Briefs may be filed by a party or any interested person either before or during the course of the hearing, or within such time thereafter as the Board or its designee shall designate. Failure to file a brief shall in no way prejudice the rights of any party.
Rule 480-47-.02 Filing of Documents Subsequent to Hearing
(1) Upon request, the Board or its designee may, for good cause shown, allow the parties to file evidentiary documents of any kind, or exhibits, at a time subsequent to the completion of the hearing, such time to be determined by the Board or its designee. If a request for such subsequent filing is granted, the requesting party shall, on or before the date set for filing, send copies of all documents or exhibits which are the subject of the request to all other parties.
(2) Prior to the admission into evidence of any documents or exhibits filed subsequent to the hearing, the opposing party shall have ten (10) days from the date of service of copies of such proposed documents or exhibits to file any objections to the admission of such evidence.
Rule 480-47-.03 Motion to Reopen Hearing
A party may, at any time prior to the rendering of a final decision by the Board, move that the hearing be reopened for the purpose of receiving new evidence. Such motions shall be filed in accordance with the provisions of Rule 480-40-.01 and shall be granted only for good cause shown. The Board shall notify all parties of its action upon the motion. Notwithstanding the above, the Board may at any time prior to the rendering of a decision, reopen the hearing on its own motion.
Rule 480-47-.04 Review of Initial Decision
(1) Either the responding party or the Board may seek review of the initial decision of the administrative law judge (ALJ) pursuant to O.C.G.A. §§ 50-13-17(a), 50-13-41(d). If the responding party files a timely motion for review of the initial decision of the ALJ, the responding party may include therein a statement of the reasons for seeking review and alleged errors made by the ALJ in the initial decision. If the Board files a timely order for review of the initial decision on its own motion, it may include in its order the issues to be considered by the Board at the review hearing.
(2) Upon the filing of a timely motion by the responding party seeking review of the initial decision of the ALJ, or upon the filing of a timely order by the Board for review of an initial decision on its own motion, notice of the date and time for the review shall be served on the responding party or counsel for the responding party and counsel for the Board.
(3) The Board may appoint a hearing officer for review, who shall preside over the review proceedings and control the conduct of the review hearing. In acting as the presiding officer, the hearing officer for review shall rule on all procedural and evidentiary questions that arise during the course of the review. At the direction of the Board, the hearing officer for review shall draft the final decision for the Board.
(4) On review, the Board shall have all the powers it would have in making the initial decision, and in its discretion, shall have the power to take additional testimony or remand the case to the ALJ for such purpose, as provided in the Administrative Procedure Act, O.C.G.A. § 50-13-17 and in accordance with this Rule. Motions, including motions to present additional evidence, shall be filed in accordance with 480-40-.01 and 480-47-.03 and shall be ruled upon within the time period set by the Board but not to exceed thirty (30) days.
(a) Motions to present additional evidence or to remand the case to the ALJ for such purpose shall be granted only if the additional evidence is material, and there was good cause for failing to present such evidence before the ALJ. All motions, including motions for the presentation of additional evidence, shall be ruled on by the Board, prior to oral arguments during the review hearing.
(5) Oral argument up to 30 minutes per side is permitted in the review hearing. Additional time for argument must be requested in writing and docketed at least fourteen (14) days before the date set for the review hearing.
(6) Once the review hearing is concluded, the Board shall deliberate as to the final decision. Neither the hearing officer for review nor the parties nor their counsel shall be present during or participate in the deliberations or voting on the final decision. Provided, however, that during the course of the deliberations the Board may seek or obtain legal advice of its counsel or make an inquiry on the record concerning either procedure or the merits of the case in the presence of all parties.
(a) At the conclusion of the deliberations, the vote and decision of the Board shall be announced in open session, unless the sanction imposed by the decision is made confidential by statute, in which case it shall be announced in camera to the responding party and counsel for the parties. The Board may take the matter under advisement and continue the deliberations until a date certain if deemed necessary due to the Board's agenda or the complexity of the issues.
Rule 480-47-.05 Rehearing
A responding party may file a motion for rehearing of a final decision of the Board within ten (10) days after the date of actual service of such final decision on the responding party or responding party's counsel. Such motion shall be in accordance with Rule 480-40-.01 and, in addition, shall include a statement of all matters alleged to have been erroneously decided and, if applicable, a statement as to any newly discovered matters or circumstances that have arisen subsequent to the final decision. The filing of said motion shall not operate as a stay of the final decision of the Board unless so ordered by the Board.
Rule 480-47-.06 Appeals of Final Decisions
All appeals shall be filed in accordance with the Georgia Administrative Procedure Act and must be filed in the Superior Court of Fulton County or superior court of the county of the residence of the petitioner.