Rule 9.231. Appointment of Neutral

(A) The Supreme Court shall appoint a neutral to conduct the hearing within a reasonable period of the date of the petition and shall establish a date for completion of the hearing procedure.

(B) The neutral shall set a time and a place for the hearing and shall notify the respondent and the examiner at least 28 days in advance. The neutral shall rule on all motions and other procedural matters incident to the complaint, answer, and hearing. Recommendations on dispositive motions shall not be announced until the conclusion of the hearing, except that the neutral may refer to the commission on an interlocutory basis a recommendation regarding a dispositive motion.

(C) The neutral may conduct one or more pretrial conferences, and may order a prehearing conference to obtain admissions or otherwise narrow the issues presented by the pleadings.

(D) Unless the parties agree to waive them, closing arguments at the hearing before the neutral shall be oral and take place upon conclusion of the presentation of evidence. The neutral may not adjourn or postpone closing arguments for the preparation of a transcript or the submission of proposed findings of fact.

(E) MCR 2.003(B) shall govern all matters concerning the disqualification of a neutral.