Maryland Office of Administrative Hearings - Organization and Authority

Organization and Authority

The OAH is headed by a Chief Administrative Law Judge, who is appointed by the governor with the advice and consent of the state senate. The Chief Administrative Law Judge then appoints individual administrative law judges. The Chief Administrative Law Judge and the administrative law judges that he or she appoints both have the authority to hear cases. Administrative law judges have the authority to compel the appearance of witnesses at a hearing. The right of appeal is generally limited to a review of the record of the proceedings before the administrative law judge; that is, if a party appeals the final decision of an administrative law judge to a Maryland circuit court, the court will decide the case based on the evidence that was brought before the administrative law judge, or may order the administrative law judge to conduct further proceedings, but will not conduct a new trial. (Therefore, it is essential that all parties to an administrative hearing be fully prepared.)

The OAH is governed by state law, including title 9 subtitle 16 and title 10 subtitle 2 of the State Government article of the Annotated Code of Maryland.