Section 5300.520  Conduct of Hearing

a)         All hearings hereunder, including hearings under the alternative hearing procedure, shall be conducted consistent with this Part by an Administrative Law Judge who shall be a licensed attorney appointed to be an Administrative Law Judge for the Commission pursuant to Section 8-102(D) of the Act.

b)         The Chief Administrative Law Judge shall assign to an Administrative Law Judge each Complaint or other matter on which hearing is required.  The Chief Administrative Law Judge may, in his/her discretion, combine several Complaints or requests for review for purposes of hearing and other proceedings, when it is found that sufficient common issues of fact or law are involved.  If the Parties timely elect to proceed by right or are granted leave to proceed under the alternative hearing procedure, the Chief Administrative Law Judge shall, if the selected Administrative Law Judge is other than the Administrative Law Judge to whom the Complaint was originally assigned, reassign the Complaint to the selected Administrative Law Judge for hearing and other proceedings.  If a Complaint which was proceeding under the alternative hearing procedure ceases to so proceed due to the unavailability of the selected Administrative Law Judge and the Parties' failure to timely select another, the Chief Administrative Law Judge will reassign the Complaint to an Administrative Law Judge for hearing and other proceedings not under the alternative hearing procedure.

c)         All hearings once commenced shall continue on successive work days until completed unless the Administrative Law Judge rules otherwise by announcement at the hearing or by appropriate notice to all parties.

d)         All hearings shall be open to the public except hearings upon requests for review.

(Source:  Amended at 20 Ill. Reg. 7820, effective June 1, 1996)