Which of the following statements is true?

• A. The municipal courts have specific authority to issue subpoenas for out-of-county witnesses.
• B. A defendant can request in writing that a subpoena be served in person rather than by mail.
• C. The recording of court proceedings must be kept for 20 days if a recording device is used.
• D. If a witness is younger than 18, the court may subpoena his or her parents to produce the witness in court.

Answer: (D)

When a witness is under 18, the court has a practical and authorized way to secure the minor’s appearance: it may subpoena the parents to produce the minor in court. This recognizes that a child cannot always be compelled to attend on their own, and a parent’s involvement helps ensure the minor is brought to testify. The court can use this mechanism to obtain the minor’s testimony when needed for the case.

The other statements don’t align with typical municipal court practice. Subpoenas for witnesses outside the county aren’t generally within a municipal court’s broad authority; out-of-county subpoenas usually involve more complex procedures or different courts. Subpoenas are generally served by personal delivery rather than by mail, and a defendant’s written request to change the service method isn’t an automatic entitlement. Finally, recording retention isn’t a fixed 20-day rule; retention periods depend on local policy or state guidelines and are not uniformly 20 days long.