Report Title:

Subpoenas; Police Officers as Witnesses; Compensation

Description:

Requires subpoenaed police officers be compensated for overtime if the officer is off duty at the time of the appearance.

THE SENATE

S.B. NO.

675

TWENTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE, 2003

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 


 

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

RELATING TO SUBPOENAS.

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

SECTION 1. Section 621-7, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:

"§621-7 Fees; criminal cases. (a) Every witness legally required to attend a state court or grand jury in any criminal case, other than a public officer or employee, shall be entitled to $20 for each day's attendance and a reasonable mileage fee to be established pursuant to rules adopted by the judiciary for each mile actually and necessarily traveled on the ground each way, including travel to and from the nearest airport when required to travel from another island or from outside the State. In addition to witness' fees, every witness, who attends a state court from outside the State shall be entitled to the actual round-trip cost of plane travel, plus $110 per twenty-four-hour day, or if from any island other than that on which the court holds session, shall be entitled to the actual round-trip cost of plane travel, plus $55 per twenty-four-hour day, which amounts shall cover all personal expenses, such as board and lodging. These per diem payments shall be computed on the basis of quarter day periods of time.

(b) Any police officer or other public officer or employee (except the county attorney, prosecuting attorney, or deputy county attorney or deputy prosecuting attorney), who attends a state court as a witness from a district other than that in which the court is holding session, shall be allowed the police officer's, public officer's, or employee's travel cost and mileage fees as provided in this section. A public officer or employee, if not salaried, shall receive witness fees.

(c) If a police officer is served a subpoena and compelled to be available for any length of time to attend and testify for the State, the officer shall be entitled to overtime compensation whenever the officer performs this function during off-duty periods. The compensation is to be provided for the undue hardship of remaining available and disruptions of the officer's personal life. The State shall reimburse the county for fifty per cent of overtime compensation of police officers being served subpoenas to appear while they are off-duty. Fixed trial dates shall be assigned whenever possible to prevent undue hardships of subpoenas."

SECTION 2. New statutory material is underscored.

SECTION 3. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

INTRODUCED BY:

_____________________________