§ 34-27-37. Disciplinary action - Procedure in action.

(a) An action against an accused shall begin by serving the accused either
personally or by certified mail with a copy of the formal complaint against
him. The accused shall be given at least 15 days' notice of the time, date and
place of hearing. If the commission refuses to license an applicant, notice of
the refusal shall be given to the applicant, and he may, within 15 days after
delivery of the notice, file a request for a hearing. The applicant or accused
shall have an opportunity to be heard in person or by counsel, to offer
testimony in his behalf and to examine witnesses. Hearings shall be held in
Montgomery County unless the commission decides to hold the hearing in the
county in which the applicant or accused resides, maintains his or her principal
place of business, or any other county in which the commission has scheduled
a meeting. At hearings, all witnesses shall be sworn by a member of the
commission, the executive director, the assistant executive director, or a hearing
officer. The commission shall render a written order within 30 days from the final
date of hearing. If the matter alleged in the complaint is the subject of an action
pending in any court, the commission may withhold rendering or implementing its
order pending disposition of the court action.
(b) The commission may issue subpoenas for the attendance of witnesses
and the production of records and documents, either at the instance of the
commission or the accused. The process issued by the commission shall
extend to all parts of the state, and such process shall be served by a person
designated by the commission or by mailing the process by certified mail. A
subpoenaed witness who appears in a proceeding before the commission shall
receive fees, mileage and expense allowances as authorized by the commission.
All fees, mileage and expense payments shall be taxed against the party or
parties subpoenaing the witness.
(c) If in a proceeding before the commission, a subpoenaed witness fails or
refuses to attend or refuses to testify or fails or refuses to produce subpoenaed
documents or records, his attendance and testimony or the production of the
documents and records shall be enforced by any circuit court of this state, in
the same manner as the attendance and testimony of witnesses is enforced in
civil cases.
(d) An accused, applicant or other party to a case heard by the commission
who is aggrieved by a final decision, may file an application for rehearing
specifying grounds for relief within 30 days of receiving notice of the decision.
An application for rehearing does not modify the effective date of the
decision and is appropriate only if the final decision is:
(1) In violation of constitutional or statutory provisions;
(2) In excess of the statutory authority of the commission;
(3) In violation of a commission rule;
(4) Made upon unlawful procedure;
(5) Affected by other error of law;
(6) Clearly erroneous in view of the reliable, probative, and substantial
evidence on the whole record; or
(7) Unreasonable, arbitrary or capricious or characterized by an abuse of
discretion or a clearly unwarranted exercise of discretion.
Within 30 days from the filing of the application for rehearing the commission
shall set a hearing date on the application, or shall enter an order
without a hearing, or shall grant or deny the application. If the applicant is
granted a rehearing, the commission will schedule a rehearing as soon as
practicable. If the commission does not enter an order within 30 days from
the filing of the application for rehearing, the application shall be deemed to
be denied.

(Acts 1951, No. 422, p. 745, § 13; Acts 1963, No. 290, p. 734, § 1;
Acts 1971, No. 2485, p. 3966, § 13; Acts 1971, 3rd Ex. Sess., No. 310, p. 4599,
§ 1; Acts 1975, No. 563, p. 1276, § 1; Acts 1978, No. 654, p. 932, § 1; Acts
1983, No. 83-516, p. 781, § 1; Acts 1985, No. 85-750, p. 1204, § 1; Acts 1988,
No. 88-214, p. 315, § 3. Act 2005-314 Section 1. p. 14.)

Cross references

See RULE 790-X-3.07; RULE 790-X-3.10; RULE 790-X-3.11.