Section 640.10. Securing attendance of witnesses from within and without the state in criminal proceedings


Latest version.
  • 1. As used  in  this  section  the  following  words  shall  have  the
      following meanings unless the context requires otherwise.
        "Witness"  shall  include  a  person whose testimony is desired in any
      proceeding or investigation by a grand jury or  in  a  criminal  action,
      prosecution or proceeding.
        "State"  shall  include  any  territory  of  the United States and the
      District of Columbia.
        "Subpoena" shall include a summons in any state  where  a  summons  is
      used in lieu of a subpoena.
        2. Subpoenaing witness in this state to testify in another state. If a
      judge  of  a  court  of  record  in any state which by its laws has made
      provision for commanding persons within that state to attend and testify
      in this state certifies under the seal of such court  that  there  is  a
      criminal  prosecution  pending  in  such  court,  or  that  a grand jury
      investigation has commenced or is about to commence, that a person being
      within this state is a material witness in such  prosecution,  or  grand
      jury  investigation,  and  that  his  presence  will  be  required for a
      specified number of days, upon presentation of  such  certificate  to  a
      justice  of  the  supreme court or a county judge in the county in which
      such person is, such justice or judge shall fix a time and place  for  a
      hearing,  and  shall  make an order directing the witness to appear at a
      time and place certain for the hearing.
        If at such hearing the justice or judge determines that the witness is
      material and necessary, that it will not cause  undue  hardship  to  the
      witness  to  be  compelled to attend and testify in the prosecution or a
      grand jury investigation in the other state, and that the  laws  of  the
      state  in  which the prosecution is pending, or grand jury investigation
      has commenced or is about to commence, will give to him protection  from
      arrest  and  the service of civil and criminal process, he shall issue a
      subpoena, with a copy of the certificate attached, directing the witness
      to attend and testify in the court where the prosecution is pending,  or
      where  a  grand jury investigation has commenced or is about to commence
      at a time and place specified in the subpoena. In any such  hearing  the
      certificate  shall  be  prima  facie  evidence  of  all the facts stated
      therein.
        If  said  certificate  recommends  that  the  witness  be  taken  into
      immediate custody and delivered to an officer of the requesting state to
      assure his attendance in the requesting state such justice or judge may,
      in  lieu  of  notification  of  the hearing, direct that such witness be
      forthwith brought before him for said hearing; and the justice or  judge
      at  the  hearing being satisfied of the desirability of such custody and
      delivery, for which determination the certificate shall be  prima  facie
      proof  of such desirability may, in lieu of issuing subpoena, order that
      said witness be forthwith taken into custody and delivered to an officer
      of the requesting state.
        If the witness, who is subpoenaed as above provided, after being  paid
      or  tendered  by  some properly authorized person the sum of ten cents a
      mile for each mile and five dollars for each day that he is required  to
      travel  and  attend  as a witness fails without good cause to attend and
      testify as directed in the subpoena, he shall be punished in the  manner
      provided  for  the  punishment  of  any  witness who disobeys a subpoena
      issued from a court of record in this state.
        3. Witness from another state subpoenaed to testify in this state.  If
      a  person  in  any  state,  which  by  its  laws  has made provision for
      commanding persons within its borders to attend and testify in  criminal
      prosecutions,  or  grand  jury  investigations  commenced  or  about  to
    
      commence, in this state, is a material witness in a prosecution  pending
      in  a  court  of  record in this state, or in a grand jury investigation
      which has commenced or is about to commence, a judge of such  court  may
      issue  a certificate under the seal of the court stating these facts and
      specifying the number  of  days  the  witness  will  be  required.  This
      certificate  shall  be  presented to a judge of a court of record in the
      county in which the witness is found.
        If  said  certificate  recommends  that  the  witness  be  taken  into
      immediate  custody  and  delivered to an officer of this state to assure
      his attendance in this state, such judge may direct that such witness be
      forthwith brought before him; and  the  judge  being  satisfied  of  the
      desirability  of such custody and delivery, for which determination said
      certificate shall be prima facie proof, may order that said  witness  be
      forthwith  taken into custody and delivered to an officer of this state,
      which order shall be sufficient authority to such officer to  take  such
      witness into custody and hold him unless and until he may be released by
      bail, recognizance, or order of the judge issuing the certificate.
        If  the  witness  is  summoned  to attend and testify in this state he
      shall be tendered the sum of ten cents a mile for  each  mile  and  five
      dollars  for  each  day  that  he  is required to travel and attend as a
      witness. Such fees shall be a proper charge upon  the  county  in  which
      such  criminal  prosecution  or  grand  jury investigation is pending. A
      witness who has appeared  in  accordance  with  the  provisions  of  the
      subpoena  shall  not  be  required  to remain within this state a longer
      period of time than the period  mentioned  in  the  certificate,  unless
      otherwise ordered by the court. If such witness fails without good cause
      to attend and testify as directed in this subpoena, he shall be punished
      in  the manner provided for the punishment of any witness who disobeys a
      subpoena issued from a court of record in this state.
        4. Exemption from arrest and service of process.  If  a  person  comes
      into  this  state in obedience to a subpoena directing him to attend and
      testify in this state he shall not while in this state pursuant to  such
      subpoena  or order be subject to arrest or the service of process, civil
      or criminal, in connection with matters which arose before his  entrance
      into this state under the subpoena.
        If  a person passes through this state while going to another state in
      obedience to a subpoena or order to attend and testify in that state  or
      while  returning  therefrom,  he shall not while so passing through this
      state be subject to arrest or the service of process, civil or criminal,
      in connection with matters which arose before  his  entrance  into  this
      state under the subpoena or order.
        5.  Uniformity of interpretation. This section shall be so interpreted
      and construed as to effectuate its general purpose to make  uniform  the
      law of the states which enact it.
        6.  Short  title.  This section may be cited as "Uniform act to secure
      the attendance of witnesses from without the state in criminal cases."
        7. Constitutionality. If any part of this section is  for  any  reason
      declared  void,  such  invalidity  shall  not affect the validity of the
      remaining portions thereof.