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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>81230</law_id><section_number>62.1-44.27</section_number><catch_line>Rules of evidence in hearings</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="1" identifier="62.1">Waters of the State, Ports and Harbors</unit><unit label="chapter" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="3.1">State Water Control Law</unit><unit label="article" level="3" order_by="1" identifier="5">Enforcement and Appeal Procedure</unit></structure><text>
						<section><p>In all <span class="dictionary">hearings</span> under this chapter:</p></section>
						<section id="1"><p><span class="prefix-number">1.</span> All relevant and <span class="dictionary">material</span> <span class="dictionary">evidence</span> shall be received, except that (a) the <span class="dictionary">rules</span> relating to privileged communications and privileged topics shall be observed; (b) <span class="dictionary">hearsay</span> <span class="dictionary">evidence</span> shall be received only if the declarant is not readily available as a <span class="dictionary">witness</span>; and (c) secondary <span class="dictionary">evidence</span> of the contents of a document shall be received only if the original is not readily available. In deciding whether a <span class="dictionary">witness</span> or document is readily available, the <span class="dictionary">Board</span> or <span class="dictionary">hearing</span> officer shall balance the importance of the <span class="dictionary">evidence</span> against the difficulty of obtaining it, and the more important the <span class="dictionary">evidence</span> is the more effort should be made to produce the eyewitness or the original document. <a id="paragraph-291161" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/62.1-44.27/#1"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="2"><p><span class="prefix-number">2.</span> All reports of inspectors and subordinates of the <span class="dictionary">Board</span> and other records and documents in the <span class="dictionary">possession</span> of the <span class="dictionary">Board</span> bearing on the case shall be introduced by the <span class="dictionary">Board</span> at the <span class="dictionary">hearing</span>. <a id="paragraph-291162" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/62.1-44.27/#2"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="3"><p><span class="prefix-number">3.</span> Subject to the provisions of subdivision (1) of this section every <span class="dictionary">party</span> shall have the right to cross-examine adverse witnesses and any inspector or subordinate of the <span class="dictionary">Board</span> whose report is in <span class="dictionary">evidence</span> and to submit <span class="dictionary">rebuttal</span> <span class="dictionary">evidence</span>. <a id="paragraph-291163" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/62.1-44.27/#3"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="4"><p><span class="prefix-number">4.</span> The decision of the <span class="dictionary">Board</span> shall be based only on <span class="dictionary">evidence</span> received at the <span class="dictionary">hearing</span> and matters of which a <span class="dictionary">court</span> of record could take judicial notice. <a id="paragraph-291164" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/62.1-44.27/#4"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section></text><history>1970, c. 638.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
