[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 7, Volume 8]
[Revised as of January 1, 2003]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 7CFR900.60]

[Page 18-20]
 
                          TITLE 7--AGRICULTURE
 
  CHAPTER IX--AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE (Marketing Agreements and 
      Orders; Fruits, Vegetables, Nuts), DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
 
PART 900--GENERAL REGULATIONS--Table of Contents
 
Subpart--Rules of Practice Governing Proceedings on Petitions To Modify 
                 or To Be Exempted From Marketing Orders
 
Sec. 900.60  Oral hearings before judge.

    (a) Time and place. The judge shall set a time and place for hearing 
and shall file with the hearing clerk a notice stating the time and 
place of hearing. If any change in the time or place of hearing becomes 
necessary, it shall be made by the judge, who, in such event, shall file 
with the hearing clerk a notice of the change. Such notice shall be 
served upon the parties, unless it is made during the course of an oral 
hearing and made a part of the transcript.
    (b) Appearances--(1) Representation. In any proceeding under the 
act, the parties may appear in person or by counsel or other 
representative. The Department, if represented by counsel, shall be 
represented by an attorney assigned by the General Counsel of the 
Department, and such attorney shall present or supervise the 
presentation of the position of the Department.
    (2) Debarment of counsel or representative. Whenever, while a 
proceeding is pending before him, the judge finds that a person acting 
as counsel or representative for any party to the proceeding is guilty 
of unethical or unprofessional conduct, the judge may order that such 
person be precluded from further acting as counsel or representative in 
such proceeding. An appeal to the Secretary may be taken from any such 
order, but the proceeding shall not be delayed or suspended pending 
disposition of the appeal: Provided, That the judge may suspend the 
proceeding for a reasonable time for the purpose of enabling the client 
to obtain other counsel or representative. In case the judge has issued 
an order precluding a person from further acting as counsel or 
representative in the proceeding, the judge, within a reasonable time 
thereafter, shall submit to the Secretary a report of the facts and 
circumstances surrounding the issuance of the order and shall recommend 
what action the Secretary should take respecting the appearance of such 
person as counsel or representative in other proceedings before the 
Secretary. Thereafter, the Secretary may, after notice and an 
opportunity for hearing, issue such order respecting the appearance of 
such person as counsel or representative in proceedings before the 
Secretary as the Secretary finds to be appropriate.
    (3) Failure to appear. If the petitioner, after being duly notified, 
fails to appear at the hearing, he shall be deemed to have authorized 
the dismissal of the proceeding, without further procedure, and with or 
without prejudice as the judge may determine. In the event that the 
petitioner appears at the hearing and no representative of the 
Department appears, the judge shall proceed ex parte to hear the 
evidence of the petitioner. Provided, That failure on the part of such 
representative of the Department to appear at a hearing shall not be 
deemed to be waiver of the Department's right to file suggested findings 
of fact, conclusions and order; to

[[Page 19]]

be served with a copy of the judge's initial decision and to appeal to 
the Secretary with respect thereto.
    (c) Order of proceeding. Except as may be determined otherwise by 
the judge, the petitioner shall proceed first at the hearing.
    (d) Evidence--(1) In general. The hearing shall be publicly 
conducted, and the testimony given at the hearing shall be reported 
verbatim.
    (i) The testimony of witnesses at a hearing shall be upon oath or 
affirmation and subject to cross-examination.
    (ii) Any witness may, in the discretion of the judge, be examined 
separately and apart from all other witnesses except those who may be 
parties to the proceeding.
    (iii) The judge shall exclude, insofar as practicable, evidence 
which is immaterial, irrelevant, or unduly repetitious, or which is not 
of the sort upon which responsible persons are accustomed to rely.
    (2) Objections. If a party objects to the admission or rejection of 
any evidence or to the limitation of the scope of any examination or 
cross-examination, or any other ruling of the judge, he shall state 
briefly the grounds of such objection, whereupon an automatic exception 
will follow which may be pursued in an appeal pursuant to Sec. 900.65 by 
the party adversely affected by the judge's ruling.
    (3) Depositions. The deposition of any witness shall be admitted, in 
the manner hereinafter provided in and subject to the provisions of 
Sec. 900.61.
    (4) Affidavits. Except as is otherwise provided in this subpart, 
affidavits may be admitted only if the evidence is otherwise admissible 
and the parties agree (which may be determined by their failure to make 
timely objections) that affidavits may be used.
    (5) Proof and authentication of official records or documents. An 
official record or document, when admissible for any purpose, shall be 
admissible in evidence without the production of the person who made or 
prepared the same. Such record or document shall, in the discretion of 
the judge, be evidenced by an official publication thereof or by a copy 
attested by the person having legal custody thereof and accompanied by a 
certificate that such person has the custody.
    (6) Exhibits. All written statements, charts, tabulations, or 
similar data offered in evidence at the hearing shall, after 
identification by the proponent and upon a satisfactory showing of the 
admissibility of the contents thereof, be numbered as exhibits and 
received in evidence and made a part of the record. Except where the 
judge finds that the furnishing of copies is impracticable, a copy of 
each exhibit, in addition to the original, shall be filed with the judge 
for the use of each other party to the proceeding. The judge shall 
advise the parties as to the exact number of copies which will be 
required to be filed and shall make and have noted on the record the 
proper distribution of the copies. If the testimony of a witness refers 
to a statute, or to a report, document, or transcript, the judge, after 
inquiry relating to the identification of such statute, report, 
document, or transcript, shall determine whether the same shall be 
produced at the hearing and physically be made a part of the evidence as 
an exhibit, or whether it shall be incorporated into the evidence by 
reference. If relevant and material matter offered in evidence is 
embraced in a report, document, or transcript containing immaterial or 
irrelevant matter, such immaterial or irrelevant matter shall be 
excluded and shall be segregated insofar as practicable, subject to the 
direction of the judge.
    (7) Official notice. Official notice will be taken of such matters 
as are judicially noticed by the courts of the United States and of any 
other matter of technical, scientific, or commercial fact of established 
character: Provided, That the parties shall be given adequate notice, at 
the hearing or by reference in the judge's report or the tentative order 
or otherwise, of matters so noticed, and (except where official notice 
is taken, for the first time in the proceeding, in the final order) 
shall be given adequate opportunity to show that such facts are 
erroneously noticed.
    (8) Offer of proof. Whenever evidence is excluded from the record, 
the party offering such evidence may make an offer of proof, which shall 
be included

[[Page 20]]

in the transcript. The offer of proof shall consist of a brief statement 
describing the evidence to be offered. If the evidence consists of a 
brief oral statement or of an exhibit, it shall be inserted into the 
transcript in toto. In such event, it shall be considered a part of the 
transcript if the Secretary decides that the judge's ruling in excluding 
the evidence was erroneous. The judge shall not allow the insertion of 
such evidence in toto if the taking of such evidence will consume a 
considerable length of time at the hearing. In the latter event, if on 
appeal the Secretary decides that the judge erred in excluding the 
evidence, and that such error was substantial, the hearing shall be 
reopened to permit the taking of such evidence.
    (e) Transcript. Transcripts of hearings shall be made available to 
any person at actual cost of duplication.

[25 FR 5907, June 28, 1960, as amended at 38 FR 29798, Oct. 29, 1973; 67 
FR 10829, Mar. 11, 2002]