- A. The presiding officer may not communicate, directly or indirectly, with any party or person who has an interest or is otherwise involved in the hearing, including employees of the Department, without giving notice to all parties and an opportunity, if appropriate, to participate. The same prohibition shall apply to the Secretary, except that the Secretary may not be prohibited from communicating with counsel concerning a case pending before the Secretary.
B. A party or a party's representative may not communicate directly with a presiding officer or Secretary concerning a pending case except by:
- (1) Written communication submitted to the hearing officer and served on the other parties or their representatives; or
- (2) Oral communication with the hearing officer in the presence of all other parties or their representatives.
Authority: State Government Article, §10-201 et seq., Annotated Code of Maryland
Effective date: December 26, 1980 (7:26 Md. R. 2424)
Regulations .01—.11 repealed and new Regulations .01—.12 adopted
effective October 31, 1988 (15:22 Md. R. 2558)
Chapter recodified from COMAR 14.11.03 to COMAR 32.01.01, October 2000