(a) The Director of Consumer Protection may initiate administrative charges against any person who appears to have violated or about to violate any provision of Chapter 25 of Title 6, any provision of Chapter 35 of Title 6, Chapters 51 through 67 of Title 25, Chapter 70 of Title 25, or any other law or regulation that the Division of Consumer Protection is authorized to enforce. Such charges shall provide notice as to the nature of the violation and state the remedies that are sought. (b) The Attorney General shall appoint a Deputy Attorney General to act as the administrative hearing officer to adjudicate charges brought by the Director of Consumer Protection against any person. Such hearing officer shall be a Deputy Attorney General who is not assigned to the Fraud and Consumer Protection Division. (c) Upon finding a violation, the hearing officer may order any of the administrative remedies authorized in § 2524 of this title below. Upon finding a violation or a threat of a violation, the hearing officer may issue or affirm the issuance of a cease and desist order authorized by § 2524(a) of this title below. (d) Any party, including the Director, who is aggrieved by the hearing officer's final administrative order may appeal the order to Superior Court within 30 days after the date the final order is issued. The administrative record shall be filed with the Court in accordance with Superior Court Civil Rule 72. The final administrative order shall be affirmed by the Court if the findings in the order are supported by substantial evidence. (e) Any moneys that are received by the State after an administrative hearing and order, other than for consumer victims, shall be credited to the General Fund. Any moneys received pursuant to a written agreement in settlement of administrative charges, at any stage of the proceeding, shall be credited to the Consumer Protection Fund. (f) Personal jurisdiction by acts of nonresident respondents. — As to any administrative proceeding authorized by this section, personal jurisdiction may be exercised over any nonresident respondent who, in person or through an agent, commits any of the acts identified in § 3104(c) of Title 10 that would constitute legal presence in the State. (g) Service of process to obtain personal jurisdiction. — Any of the following methods of service of process shall be sufficient to obtain personal jurisdiction over a respondent in an administrative proceeding authorized by this section: (1) Personal hand delivery. (2) Any method of service of process effective under Rule 4(f) of the Superior Court Rules of Civil Procedure. (3) Any method of service of process that would be effective to obtain personal jurisdiction in the Superior Court under § 3104 of Title 10. (h) Administrative hearing evidence. — Upon the request of any party to an administrative proceeding authorized by this section, the administrative hearing officer is empowered to issue subpoenas to nonparties to allow for witnesses or other evidence to be presented at an administrative hearing. If the nonparty fails to comply with the subpoena, the party which requested the subpoena may seek an order from the Superior Court compelling the nonparty to comply with the subpoena. An order issued by the Superior Court pursuant to this subsection may be punished by the Superior Court as a contempt of Court. With respect to nonparties who are not subject to subpoena, the administrative hearing officer is empowered to issue commissions to allow for testimony or other evidence to be obtained for presentation at an administrative hearing. The administrative hearing officer shall, prior to issuing a subpoena or commission, ensure that the subpoena or commission does not impose undue burden or expense on the person subject to the subpoena or commission.
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