Section 730.210  Hearing Officer

a)         In any Administrative Hearing, the Treasurer shall appoint and/or retain an impartial person as a Hearing Officer to conduct the hearing. The Hearing Officer shall be an impartial attorney licensed to practice law in Illinois and of high integrity and good personal repute.  An attorney subject to disciplinary action in the past five years, or under current investigation by the Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission (ARDC), may not be a Hearing Officer.

b)         The Treasurer is not prohibited from selecting an employee of the Treasurer to act as the Hearing Officer provided that the employee meets the qualifications stated in subsection (a) and has not had any direct involvement with the case.  Mere familiarity with the facts shall not disqualify an otherwise qualified person from action as the Hearing Officer.

c)         The Hearing Officer shall conduct the hearing and, with respect to the Administrative Hearing, shall have, but is not limited to, the following powers:

1)         To administer, or to authorize a court reporter to administer, oaths;

2)         To examine witnesses;

3)         To authorize the issuance of subpoenas;

4)         To rule upon the admissibility of evidence;

5)         To grant specific extensions of time;

6)         To read into the hearing record any stipulations of fact and other matters agreed upon at the pre-hearing conference and to enter into the record any pre-hearing orders; and

7)         To render decisions and issue orders and clarifications.