Code of Federal Regulations Title 17. Commodity and Securities Exchanges § 17.38.707 Hearings

(1) The hearing must be fair, must be conducted before members of the disciplinary panel, and must be promptly convened after reasonable notice to the respondent. The formal rules of evidence need not apply;  nevertheless, the procedures for the hearing may not be so informal as to deny a fair hearing. No member of the disciplinary panel for the matter may have a financial, personal, or other direct interest in the matter under consideration.

(2) In advance of the hearing, the respondent must be entitled to examine all books, documents, or other evidence in the possession or under the control of the designated contract market. The designated contract market may withhold documents that are privileged or constitute attorney work product, documents that were prepared by an employee of the designated contract market but will not be offered in evidence in the disciplinary proceedings, documents that may disclose a technique or guideline used in examinations, investigations, or enforcements proceedings, and documents that disclose the identity of a confidential source.

(3) The designated contract market's enforcement and compliance staffs must be parties to the hearing, and the enforcement staff must present their case on those charges and sanctions that are the subject of the hearing.

(4) The respondent must be entitled to appear personally at the hearing, must be entitled to cross-examine any persons appearing as witnesses at the hearing, and must be entitled to call witnesses and to present such evidence as may be relevant to the charges.

(5) The designated contract market must require persons within its jurisdiction who are called as witnesses to participate in the hearing and to produce evidence. It must make reasonable efforts to secure the presence of all other persons called as witnesses whose testimony would be relevant.

(6) If the respondent has requested a hearing, a copy of the hearing must be made and must become a part of the record of the proceeding. The record must be one that is capable of being accurately transcribed;  however, it need not be transcribed unless the transcript is requested by Commission staff or the respondent, the decision is appealed pursuant to the rules of the designated contract market, or is reviewed by the Commission pursuant to section 8c of the Act or part 9 of this chapter. In all other instances a summary record of a hearing is permitted.