§919. Administrative hearings

A. When the commissioner holds a hearing pursuant to this Chapter, he shall issue a written summons or notice to the applicant or permittee directing him to show cause why his application should not be refused or why he should not be assessed a penalty or why his permit should not be suspended or revoked. The notice or summons shall state the time, place, and hour of the hearing, which shall be not less than ten nor more than thirty calendar days from the day of the notice. The notice or summons shall enumerate the cause or causes alleged for refusing the application or for assessing the penalty or suspending or revoking the permit. If a petition has been filed opposing the issuance of the permit or asking for its suspension or revocation, a copy of the petition shall accompany the notice or summons. All notices or summonses shall be either delivered to the applicant or permittee in person or sent by certified mail to the applicant or permittee and directed to him at the mailing address as given in his last application for the permit. When so addressed and mailed, notices or summonses shall be presumed to have been received by the applicant or permittee.

B. Hearings by the commissioner shall, in his discretion, be held either in the state capitol or in the parish in which the licensed premises in question is located.

C. Hearings may be held by the commissioner or by any person designated and authorized by the commissioner. If the hearing is to be held by a person designated by the commissioner, that person shall take an oath for the faithful performance of his duties. The oath may be administered by anyone qualified by law to administer oaths in this state. The commissioner, or the persons designated to hold a hearing, may administer oaths, issue subpoenas for the attendance of witnesses and the production of books, papers, accounts, and documents, and examine witnesses and receive testimony at the hearing. Whenever a hearing is conducted by a person designated by the commissioner to hold the hearing, the testimony received shall be reduced to writing and a transcript thereof, together with all documentary evidence, if any, and all written arguments or briefs submitted shall be made and certified by the hearing examiner to the commissioner for his consideration and decision.

D. If a person fails to comply with a subpoena issued by the commissioner or by any duly authorized person holding the hearing or if a witness refuses to testify in any matter regarding which he may be lawfully interrogated, the person conducting the hearing shall adjudge him guilty of contempt and may fine him not more than one hundred dollars or imprison him for not more than thirty days, or both. The criminal sheriff of the parish in which the hearing is held shall execute the judgment of contempt.

E. If a permittee or applicant who has been notified of a hearing does not appear, the hearing may proceed without him and the commissioner may consider and dispose of the case, but in all cases the commissioner, upon application or ex proprio motu, may grant continuances from time to time. If the continuance be granted to fix a future date by written consent or in the presence of the permittee or applicant, or his counsel, no further notice of the hearing date need be given. In all other cases the same notice of hearing as in original hearing shall be given.

F. In hearings of the commissioner which finally result in withholding the issuance of a permit or in suspending or revoking a permit, the commissioner shall assess the costs of the hearing to the applicant or permittee. The costs are recoverable by the commissioner in any appellate proceeding instituted by the applicant or permittee or in any other judicial proceeding where the commissioner is successful.

Acts 1997, No. 1370, §2, eff. Oct. 1, 1997; Acts 2012, No. 143, §1; Acts 2014, No. 69, §1, eff. May 16, 2014.