[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 37, Volume 1]
[Revised as of July 1, 2002]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 37CFR10.132]

[Page 364]
 
              TITLE 37--PATENTS, TRADEMARKS, AND COPYRIGHTS
 
                         DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
 
PART 10--REPRESENTATION OF OTHERS BEFORE THE PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE--Table of Contents
 
Sec. 10.132  Initiating a disciplinary proceeding; reference to an administrative law judge.

    (a) If after conducting an investigation under Sec. 10.131(a) the 
Director is of the opinion that a practitioner has violated a 
Disciplinary Rule, the Director shall, after complying where necessary 
with the provisions of 5 U.S.C. 558(c), call a meeting of the Committee 
on Discipline. The Committee on Discipline shall then determine as 
specified in Sec. 10.4(b) whether a disciplinary proceeding shall be 
instituted under paragraph (b) of this section.
    (b) If the Committee on Discipline determines that probable cause 
exists to believe that a practitioner has violated a Disciplinary Rule, 
the Director shall institute a disciplinary proceeding by filing a 
complaint under Sec. 10.134. The complaint shall be filed in the Office 
of the Director. A disciplinary proceeding may result in:
    (1) A reprimand, or
    (2) Suspension or exclusion of a practitioner from practice before 
the Office.
    (c) Upon the filing of a complaint under Sec. 10.134, the 
Commissioner will refer the disciplinary proceeding to an administrative 
law judge.