Commission meeting

If there are no disputed facts, the Commission (probable-cause panel members are excused) decides the case and imposes the penalty in an informal hearing held during a regular FREC meeting. If you disputed the facts of the complaint, the FREC cannot hear your case because they are not judges. Instead, your case is sent to the Division of Administrative Hearings (DOAH).1. The Administrative Law Judge (ALJ)Who presides: You will stand before an Administrative Law Judge. This person is a real judge, not a real estate broker.The Process: This looks like a TV courtroom drama. There is discovery (evidence gathering), subpoenas, sworn witnesses, and cross-examination.Findings of Fact: The ALJ listens to everything and decides what actually happened (the "Findings of Fact").The Recommended Order: The ALJ does NOT decide your punishment. At the end of the trial, the ALJ writes a report called the Recommended Order. This report says, "Here is what I think happened, and here is what I recommend the penalty should be." This report is sent back to the FREC.