[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: 37CFR10.144]

[Page 368]
 
              TITLE 37--PATENTS, TRADEMARKS, AND COPYRIGHTS
 
                         DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
 
PART 10--REPRESENTATION OF OTHERS BEFORE THE PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE--Table of Contents
 
Sec. 10.144  Hearings.

    (a) The administrative law judge shall preside at hearings in 
disciplinary proceedings. Hearings will be stenographically recorded and 
transcribed and the testimony of witnesses will be received under oath 
or affirmation. The administrative law judge shall conduct hearings in 
accordance with 5 U.S.C. 556. A copy of the transcript of the hearing 
shall become part of the record. A copy of the transcript shall be 
provided to the Director and the respondent at the expense of the 
Office.
    (b) If the respondent to a disciplinary proceeding fails to appear 
at the hearing after a notice of hearing has been given by the 
administrative law judge, the administrative law judge may deem the 
respondent to have waived the right to a hearing and may proceed with 
the hearing in the absence of the respondent.
    (c) A hearing under this section will not be open to the public 
except that the Director may grant a request by a respondent to open his 
or her hearing to the public and make the record of the disciplinary 
proceeding available for public inspection, provided, Agreement is 
reached in advance to exclude from public disclosure information which 
is privileged or confidential under applicable laws or regulations. If a 
disciplinary proceeding results in disciplinary action against a 
practitioner, and subject to Sec. 10.159(c), the record of the entire 
disciplinary proceeding, including any settlement agreement, will be 
available for public inspection.