Subpoena; issuance; duty of clerk

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13-4071. Subpoena; issuance; duty of clerk

A. The process by which attendance of a witness before a court or magistrate is required is a subpoena.

B. The subpoena may be signed and issued:

1. By a magistrate before whom a complaint is laid for witnesses, either on behalf of the state or the defendant.

2. By the county attorney, attorney general, municipal prosecutor or city prosecutor for witnesses to appear before the grand jury, or for witnesses on a complaint, indictment or information to appear before the court in which the complaint, indictment or information is to be heard or tried or by the county attorney, attorney general, municipal prosecutor or city prosecutor for witnesses requested by a grand jury.

3. By the clerk of the court in which an indictment or information is to be tried, or by the clerk as authorized in subsection C.

C. The clerk of the court or the clerk's designee, on request of the county attorney or attorney general, shall issue a subpoena for witnesses to appear before the grand jury, without prior authorization by a grand jury, if all of the following occur:

1. A duly impaneled grand jury is sworn and is in existence at the time of the issuance of the subpoena.

2. The county attorney or attorney general designates the subpoena with the standard identifying grand jury number.

3. The county attorney or attorney general reports to the foreman of the grand jury, or in the foreman's absence the acting foreman, the fact of the issuance of the subpoena within ten days following its issuance or, if the grand jury is in recess, at the first succeeding session of the grand jury after the expiration of the ten day period.

4. The county attorney or attorney general reports to the presiding judge of the superior court the fact of the issuance of the subpoena within ten days following its issuance.

D. The clerk, at any time, on application of the defendant, and without charge, shall issue as many blank subpoenas, subscribed by the clerk as clerk, for witnesses as the defendant requires. Blank subpoenas shall not be used to procure discovery in a criminal case, including to access the records of a victim. Records relating to recovered memories or disassociated memories may be subject to subpoena only if the state seeks to introduce evidence of the victim's recovered or disassociated memory, the records are not otherwise privileged and the court approves the subpoena after a hearing. The victim shall be given notice of and the right to be heard at any proceeding involving a subpoena for records of the victim from a third party.


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