Hearing Procedures The hearing shall be held at the earliest convenient date, taking into consideration the established schedule of the Board or hearing officer and the availability of the CSEA representative, counsel and witnesses. The parties shall be notified of the time and place of the hearing after ensuring availability of all necessary parties. The employee shall be entitled to appear personally, produce evidence, and have CSEA representation. The employee shall be entitled to a public hearing if he/she demands it when the Board is hearing the appeal. 18.12.1 The complainant may also be represented by counsel. The procedure entitled "Administrative Adjudication" commencing with Government Code 11500 shall not apply to any such hearing before the Board or a hearing officer. Neither the Board nor a hearing officer shall be bound by rules of evidence used in California courts. Informality in any such hearing shall not invalidate any order or decision made or approved by the hearing officer or the Board. 18.12.2 All hearings shall be heard by a hearing officer (who shall be an attorney licensed in the State of California) except in those cases where the Board determines to hear the appeal itself. In any case in which the Board hears the appeal, the Board may use the services of its counsel or a hearing officer in ruling upon procedural questions, objections to evidence, and issues of law. However, the Board must employ separate counsel from the one presenting the case for the complainant. 18.12.3 If the appeal is heard by the Board, the Board shall affirm, modify or revoke the recommended personnel action. 18.12.4 If the appeal is heard by a hearing officer, he/she shall prepare a proposed decision in a form that may be adopted by the Board as the decision in the case. A copy of the proposed decision shall be received and filed by the Board and furnished to each party within ten days after the proposed decision is filed by the Board. After furnishing the proposed decision to each party, the Board may: 18.1.4.1 Adopt the proposed decision in its entirety. 18.1.4.2 Reduce the personnel action set forth in the proposed decision and adopt the balance of the proposed decision. 18.1.4.3 Reject a proposed reduction in personnel action, approve the disciplinary action sought by the complainant or any lesser penalty, and adopt the balance of the proposed decision. 18.1.4.4 Reject the proposed decision in its entirety. 18.12.5 If the Board rejects the proposed decision in its entirety, each party shall be notified of such action and the Board may decide the case upon the record including the transcript, with or without the taking of additional evidence, or may refer the case to the same or another hearing officer to take additional evidence. If the case is so assigned to a hearing officer, he/she shall prepare a proposed decision, as provided in item Section 18.12.4 above, upon the additional evidence and the transcript and other papers which are part of the record of the prior hearing. A copy of this proposed decision shall be furnished to each party within 10 days after the proposed decision is filed by the Board. 18.12.6 In arriving at a decision or a proposed decision on the propriety of the proposed disciplinary action, the Board or the hearing officer may consider the records of any prior disciplinary action proceedings against the employee in which a disciplinary action was ultimately sustained and any records that were contained in the employee's personnel files and introduced into evidence at the hearing.