§ 15:257 — Placing material witness under bond; exception for victims

§257. Placing material witness under bond; exception for victims
Except as provided in R.S. 15:257.1, whenever it shall appear, upon motion of the
district attorney or upon motion of a defendant supported by his affidavit, that the testimony
of any witness is essential to the prosecution or the defense, as the case may be, and it is
shown that it may become impracticable to secure the presence of the person by subpoena,
a judge, as defined in Code of Criminal Procedure Article 931, shall issue a warrant for the
arrest of the witness. The witness shall be arrested and held in the parish jail, or such other
suitable place as shall be designated by the court, until he gives an appearance bond as
provided for defendants when admitted to bail, or until his testimony shall have been given
in the cause or dispensed with.

Legislative History

Acts 1966, No. 311, §2, eff. Jan. 1, 1967. Amended by Acts 1968, No. 149, §1; Acts 2010, No. 485, §1; Acts 2019, No. 410, §1, eff. June 11, 2019.