D.C. Mun. Regs. tit. 23, r. 23-1612
Whenever any objection is filed to any of the licensing actions set out in § 1602.1, whether by protest or by submission of Protest Petitions, the Board shall hold an adjudicatory proceeding, known as a "protest hearing," for the purpose of receiving evidence and testimony regarding the appropriateness of the licensing action.
The parties to a protest hearing shall be the applicant or licensee and the protestants. For the purpose of this section, "protestant" shall mean any eligible person, group, ANC, government agency or organization with standing under D.C. Official Code § 25-601 that has submitted a written protest.
At the protest hearing, an applicant or licensee may give a brief opening statement summarizing the evidence and testimony he or she intends to produce regarding the appropriateness of the application or license at issue. Thereafter, the protestant may give a brief opening statement summarizing the evidence he or she intends to present to rebut or overcome the evidence and argument presented by the applicant or licensee.
At the conclusion of the opening statements, the Board shall call its own witnesses, if any, who shall testify to the results of their investigation into the appropriateness of the establishment.
At the conclusion of testimony by the Board's witnesses, if any, the applicant shall call its witnesses to give testimony and present evidence regarding the appropriateness of the establishment, as set forth in § 400 of this title.
At the conclusion of testimony by the applicant's witnesses, the protestant shall call witnesses to give testimony and present evidence.
All witnesses shall testify under oath and shall be subject to questioning by the Board and to cross-examination by the opposing party.
In any case where there is more than one (1) protestant, the Board, in its discretion, may request that the protestants designate one (1) person to conduct the protestant's case, to give opening and closing statements, and to examine and cross-examine witnesses.
The Board may, on a motion from either party or on its own motion, limit the number of persons who may testify on behalf of the Applicant, Licensee, or protestant if the Board determines the testimony would be redundant.
D.C. Mun. Regs. tit. 23, r. 23-1612