Page images
PDF
EPUB

§ 702.3 Notice of hearing.

At least 30 days prior to the commencement of any hearing, the Commission shall cause to be published in the FEDERAL REGISTER notice of the date on which such hearing is to commence, the place at which it is to be held, and the subject of the hearing.

§ 702.4 Subpenas.

(a) Subpenas for the attendance and testimony of witnesses or the production of written or other matter may be issued by the Commission over the signature of the Chairman and may be served by any person designated by him.

(b) A witness compelled to appear before the Commission or required to produce written or other matter shall be served with a copy of the rules in this part at the time of service of the subpena.

(c) The Commission shall not issue any subpena for the attendance and testimony of witnesses or for the production of written or other matter which would require the presence of the party subpenaed at a place outside the State wherein the witness is found or resides or is domiciled or transacts business, or has appointed an agent for receipt of service of process except that, in any event, the Commission may issue subpenas for the attendance and testimony of witnesses and the production of written or other matter at a place within 50 miles of the place where the witness is found or resides or is domiciled or transacts business or has appointed an agent for receipt of service of process.

(d) The Chairman shall receive and the Commission shall dispose of requests to subpena additional witnesses except as otherwise provided in §702.6(e).

(e) Requests for subpena shall be in writing, supported by a showing of the general relevance and materiality of the evidence sought. Witness fees and mileage, computed pursuant to § 702.15, shall be paid by the person at whose instance a witness is subpenaed.

(f) Subpenas shall be issued at a reasonably sufficient time in advance of their scheduled return, in order to give the person subpenaed an opportunity to prepare for his appearance and to employ counsel, should he so desire.

(g) No subpenaed document or information contained therein shall be made public unless it is introduced into and

received as part of the official record of the hearing.

§ 702.5 Conduct of proceedings.

(a) The Chairman shall announce in an opening statement the subject of the proceeding.

(b) Following the opening statement, the Commission shall first convene in executive session if one is required pursuant to the provisions of § 702.6.

(c) The Chairman shall, subject to the approval of the Commission

(1) Set the order of presentation of evidence and appearance of witnesses; (2) Rule on objections and motions; (3) Administer oaths and affirmations;

(4) Make all rulings with respect to the introduction into or exclusion from the record of documentary or other evidence;

(5) Regulate the course and decorum of the proceeding and the conduct of the parties and their counsel to insure that the proceedings are conducted in a fair and impartial manner.

(d) Proceedings shall be conducted with reasonable dispatch and due regard shall be had for the convenience and necessity of witnesses.

(e) The questioning of witnesses shall be conducted only by Members of the Commission, by authorized Commission staff personnel, or by counsel to the extent provided in § 702.7.

(f) In addition to persons served with a copy of the rules in this part pursuant to §§ 702.4 and 702.6, a copy of the rules in this part will be made available to all witnesses.

[blocks in formation]

(1) Such person shall be served with notice in writing of the date, time, and place made available for the appearance of witnesses at executive session, at least 10 days prior to such date, or where service is by mail at least 14 days prior to such date. This notice shall be accompanied by a copy of the rules in this part and by a brief summary of the information which the Commission has determined may tend to defame, degrade, or incriminate such person.

(2) The notice, summary, and rules in this part shall be served personally by depositing the same in the United States mail as certified mail, or by leaving a copy thereof at the last known residence or business address of such person.

(3) The date of service, for purposes of this section, shall be the day when the material is deposited in the United States mail or is delivered in person, as the case may be. When service is made by certified mail, the return post office receipt shall be proof of service; in all other cases, the acknowledgment of the party served, or the verified return of the one making service shall be proof of the same.

(c) If a person receiving notice under this section notifies the Commission within 5 days of service of such notice, or where service is by mail within 8 days of service of such notice that the time schedule therein constitutes a hardship, the Commission may, in its discretion, set a new time for his appearance at executive session.

(d) In the event such person fails to appear at executive session at the time and place made available under paragraph (b) or (c) of this section, he shall not be entitled to another opportunity to appear at executive session, except as provided in § 702.11.

(e) If such person intends to submit sworn statements of himself or others, or if he intends to request that witnesses appear in his behalf at executive session, he shall, no later than 48 hours prior to the time set under paragraph (b) or (c) of this section, submit to the Commission all such statements and a list of all such witnesses. The Commission will inform such person whether the number of witnesses requested is reasonable within the meaning of paragraph (b) of this section. In addition, the Commission will receive and dispose of requests from such person to subpena other witnesses. Re

quests for subpenas shall be made sufficiently in advance of the scheduled executive session as to afford persons subpenaed reasonable notice of their obligation to appear at that session. Subpenas returnable at executive session shall be governed by the provisions of § 702.4.

(f) Persons for whom an executive session has been scheduled, and persons compelled to appear at such session, may be represented by counsel at such session to the extent provided by § 702.7.

(g) Attendance at executive session shall be limited to Members of the Commission, authorized Commission staff personnel, witnesses and their counsel at the time scheduled for their appearance, and such other persons whose presence is requested or consented to by the Commission.

(h) In the event the Commission determines to release or to use evidence or testimony which it has determined may tend to defame, degrade, or incriminate any person, in such a manner as to reveal publicly the identity of such person, such evidence or testimony, prior to such public release or use, will be presented at a public session, and the Commission will afford such person an opportunity to appear as a voluntary witness or to file a sworn statement in his behalf and to submit brief and pertinent sworn statements of others.

[blocks in formation]

(a) Any person compelled to appear in person before the Commission and any witness appearing at a public session of the Commission will be accorded the right to be accompanied and advised by counsel, who will have the right to subject his client to reasonable examination, and to make objections on the record and to argue briefly the basis for such objections.

(b) For the purpose of this section, "counsel" shall mean an attorney at law admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of the United States, or the highest court of any State or Territory of the United States.

(c) The failure of any person to obtain counsel shall not excuse him from attendance in response to a subpena, nor shall any person be excused in the event his counsel is excluded from the proceeding pursuant to § 702.5 (g). In the latter case, however, the witness shall be afforded a reasonable time to obtain other

counsel, said time to be determined by the Commission.

§ 702.8 Evidence at Commission proceedings.

(a) The rules of evidence prevailing in courts of law or equity shall not control proceedings of the Commission.

(b) Where a witness testifying at a public session of a hearing or a session for return of subpenaed documents offers the sworn statements of other persons, such statements, in the discretion of the Commission, may be included in the record, provided they are received by the Commission 24 hours in advance of his appearance.

(c) The prepared statement of a witness testifying at a public session of a hearing, in the discretion of the Commission, may be placed into the record or may be read into the record, provided that such statement is received by the Commission 24 hours in advance of his appearance.

(d) In the discretion of the Commission, evidence may be included in the record after the close of public session of a hearing, provided the Commission determines that such evidence does not tend to defame, degrade, or incriminate any person.

(e) The Commission will determine the pertinency of testimony and evidence adduced at its proceedings, and may refuse to include in the record of a proceeding or may strike from the record any evidence it considers to be cumulative, immaterial, or not pertinent. § 702.9

sion.

Cross-examination at public ses

If the Commission determines that oral testimony of a witness at a public session tends to defame, degrade, or incriminate any person, such person or his counsel shall be permitted to submit questions to the Commission in writing, which, in the discretion of the Commission, may be put to such witness by the Chairman or by authorized Commission staff personnel.

§ 702.10 Voluntary witnesses at public session of a hearing.

A person who has not been subpenaed and who has not been afforded an opportunity to appear pursuant to § 702.6 may be permitted, in the discretion of the Commission, to make an oral or written statement at a public session of a hearing. Such person may be questioned to

the same extent and in the same manner as other witnesses before the Commission. § 702.11 Special executive session.

If, during the course of a public session, evidence is submitted which was not previously presented at executive session and which the Commission determines may tend to defame, degrade, or incriminate any person, the provisions of § 702.6 shall apply, and such extensions, recesses or continuances of the public session as it deems necessary shall be ordered by the Commission, except that the time and notice requirements of § 702.6 may be modified by the Commission provided reasonable notice of a scheduled executive session is afforded such person, and except that the Commission may, in its discretion, strike such evidence from the record, in which case the provisions of § 702.6 shall not apply.

§ 702.12 Contempt of the Commission. Proceedings and process of the Commission are governed by section 105 (g) of the Act, which provides:

In case of contumacy or refusal to obey a subpena, any district court of the United States or the United States court of any territory or possession, or the District Court of the United States for the District of Columbia, within the jurisdiction of which the inquiry is carried on or within the jurisdiction of which said person guilty of contumacy or refusal to obey is found or resides or is domiciled or transacts business, or has appointed an agent for receipt of service of process, upon application by the Attorney General of the United States shall have jurisdiction to issue to such person an order requiring such person to appear before the Commission or a subcommittee thereof, there to produce pertinent, relevant and nonprivileged evidence if so ordered, or there to give testimony touching the matter under investigation; and any failure to obey such order of the court may be punished by said court as a contempt thereof. § 702.13

Intimidation of witnesses.

Witnesses at Commission proceedings are protected by the provisions of 18 U.S.C. 1505, which provide:

Whoever corruptly, or by threats or force, or by any threatening letter or communication, endeavors to influence, intimidate, or impede any witness in any proceeding pending before any department or agency of the United States, or in connection with any inquiry or investigation being had by either House, or any Committee of either House, or any joint committee of the Congress; or

Whoever injures any party or witness in his person or property on account of his

attending or having attended such proceeding, inquiry, or investigation, or on account of his testifying or having testified to any matter pending therein; or

Whoever, with intent to avoid, evade, prevent, or obstruct compliance in whole or in part with any civil investigative demand duly and properly made under the Antitrust Civil Process Act willfully removes from any place, conceals, destroys, mutilates, alters, or by other means falsifies any documentary material which is the subject of such demand; or

Whoever corruptly, or by threats of force, or by any threatening letter or communication influences, obstructs, or impedes or endeavors to influence, obstruct, or impede the due and proper administration of the law under which such proceeding is being had before such department or agency of the United States, or the due and proper exercise of the power of inquiry under which such inquiry or investigation is being had by either House, or any committee of either House or any joint committee of the Congress

Shall be fined not more than $5,000 or imprisoned not more than five years, or both. § 702.14 Transcript of Commission proceedings.

(a) An accurate transcript shall be made of the testimony of all witnesses at all proceedings of the Commission. Transcripts shall be recorded solely by the official reporter, or by any other person or means designated by the Commission.

(b) Every person who submits data or evidence shall be entitled to retain or, on payment of lawfully prescribed costs, procure a copy or transcript thereof, except that a witness in a hearing held in executive session may for good cause be limited to inspection of the official transcript of his testimony. Transcript copies of public sessions may be obtained by the public upon the payment of the cost thereof.

(c) Any person who has presented testimony at a proceeding may ask within 60 days after the close of the proceeding to correct errors in the transcript of his testimony. Such requests shall be granted only to make the transcript conform to his testimony as presented at the proceeding.

[blocks in formation]

for going from and returning to his place of residence; witnesses who attend at points so far removed from their respective residences as to prohibit return thereto from day to day shall be entitled to an additional allowance of $10 per day for expenses of subsistence, including the time necessarily occupied in going to and returning from the place of attendance; and mileage payments shall be tendered to the witness upon service of a subpena issued on behalf of the Commission or any subcommittee thereof.

§ 702.16 Attendance of news media at public sessions.

Reasonable access for coverage of public sessions shall be provided to the various means of communication, including newspapers, magazines, radio, newsreels, and television, subject to the physical limitations of the room in which the session is held and consideration of the physical comfort of Commission Members, staff, and witnesses. However, no witness shall be televised, filmed, or photographed during the session nor shall his testimony be broadcast or recorded for broadcasting, if he objects. § 702.17 Communications with respect to Commission proceedings.

During any proceeding held outside Washington, D.C., communications to the Commission with respect to such proceeding must be made to the Chairman or authorized Commission staff personnel in attendance. All requests for subpenas returnable at a hearing, requests for appearance of witnesses at a hearing, and statements or other documents for inclusion in the record of a proceeding, required to be submitted in advance, must be submitted to the Chairman, or such authorized person as he may appoint, at an office located in the community where such hearing or proceeding is scheduled to be held. The location of such office will be set forth in all subpenas issued under the rules in this part and in all notices prepared pursuant to § 702.6.

[blocks in formation]
[blocks in formation]

703.8 Reimbursement of members.

AUTHORITY: The provisions of this Part 703 issued under secs. 101-106, 71 Stat. 634636, as amended; 42 U.S.C. 1975-1975e.

SOURCE: The provisions of this Part 703 appear at 32 F.R. 4065, Mar. 15, 1967, unless otherwise noted.

§ 703.1 Name and establishment.

Pursuant to section 105(c) of the Act, there are established by the Commission the State Advisory Committees to the Commission (each of which is called in this part the State Committee). § 703.2

Functions.

By invitation of the Commission, the State Committee is authorized to exercise the following functions within the limits defined in § 703.3.

(a) Advise the Commission in writing of any knowledge or information it has of any alleged deprivation of the right to vote and to have the vote counted, by reason of color, race, religion, or national origin, or that citizens are being accorded or denied the right to vote in Federal elections as a result of patterns or practices of fraud or discrimination.

(b) Advise the Commission concerning legal developments constituting a denial of equal protection of the laws under the Constitution, and as to the effect of the laws and policies of the Federal Government with respect to equal protection of the laws.

(c) Advise the Commission upon matters of mutual concern in the preparation of reports of the Commission to the President and the Congress.

(d) Receive reports, suggestions, and recommendations from individuals, public and private organizations, and public officials upon matters pertinent to inquiries conducted by the State Committee.

(e) Initiate and forward advice and recommendations to the Commission upon matters which the State Committee has studied.

(f) Assist the Commission in matters in which the Commission shall request the assistance of the State Committee.

(g) Attend, as observers, any open hearing or conference which the Commission may hold within the State. § 703.3 Scope of subject matter.

The scope of subject matter to be dealt with by the State Committee shall be

those subjects of inquiry or study with which the Commission itself is authorized to deal, pursuant to section 104(a) of the Act. The State Committee shall confine its studies to the State. It may, however, undertake to study subjects other than those chosen by the Commission for study, within the limits of the Act.

§ 703.4 Membership.

Subject to special exceptions made from time to time by the Commission to fit special circumstances, the State Committee shall consist of at least five members appointed by the Commission. Members of the State Committee shall serve for a fixed term to be set by the Commission upon the appointment of each member subject to the duration of advisory committees prescribed by section 8 of Executive Order 11007, February 26, 1962 (3 CFR), provided that members of the State Committee may be removed by the Commission for good

[blocks in formation]

(a) The officers of the State Committee shall be a chairman and vice chairman and such other officers as the State Committee deems advisable.

(b) The chairman shall be appointed by the Commission.

(c) The vice chairman and other officers shall be elected by the State Committee by a majority vote of the full membership of the State Committee.

(d) The chairman, or in his absence, the vice chairman, shall:

(1) Call meetings of the State Committee.

(2) Preside over all meetings of the State Committee.

(3) Appoint all subcommittees of the State Committee, with the approval of a majority of the State Committee.

(4) Perform such other functions as the State Committee may authorize or the Commission may request, within the limits of the Act.

§ 703.6 Subcommittees.

The State Committee may:

(a) Approve the establishment of subcommittees, composed of members of the State Committee to study and report upon matters under consideration, and it may authorize such subcommittees to take specific action upon matters within the competence of the State Committee.

(b) Designate, with the prior approval of the Commission, or at the request of

« PreviousContinue »