Section 5300.530  Powers and Duties of Administrative Law Judge

a)         Subject to the provisions of the Act and of this Part, the Administrative Law Judge shall have full authority to govern the procedure of the hearing and to admit or exclude testimony or other evidence.

b)         The Administrative Law Judge shall rule on all proper motions and objections by any party from the time the Judge is assigned the matter by the Chief Administrative Law Judge or selected by the Parties electing to proceed under the alternative hearing procedure until the Judge's recommended decision and/or Final Order is filed with the Commission or issued to the Parties.

c)         The Administrative Law Judge may exclude from the proceedings any person who engages in improper conduct at the hearing.  At the request of any party, the Administrative Law Judge shall exclude all witnesses from the hearing room, except that one representative of each party in addition to counsel shall be allowed to remain throughout.

d)         The Administrative Law Judge may grant continuances for good cause shown.  Requests for continuance shall be made in writing to the Administrative Law Judge sufficiently in advance of a scheduled hearing to permit reasonable notice to all parties.

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