Which of the following statements is true?

• A. The municipal courts have specific authority to issue subpoenas for out-of-county witnesses.
• B. A subpoena duces tecum is a subpoena that orders the witness to bring other witnesses with him or her.
• C. If a peace officer serves a subpoena by mail, the subpoena can be mailed regular mail.
• D. If a court reporter uses a recording device, the recording must be kept for 20 days, beginning after the last day of proceeding, trial, denial of motion for new trial, or until any appeal is final, whichever occurs last.

Answer: (D)

Retention of court recordings by a court reporter to preserve the record for possible appeals is the concept being tested. When a municipal court uses a recording device, the recording must be kept for 20 days starting after the last day of the proceeding, or after the denial of a motion for a new trial, or until any appeal is final, whichever occurs last. This ensures the recording remains available for transcription requests and for any post-trial review or appeal. Subpoenas for out-of-county witnesses aren’t typically issued by a municipal court, a subpoena duces tecum requires production of documents rather than summoning other witnesses, and service of a subpoena by mail isn’t the proper method in this context. So the rule about keeping the recording for 20 days (or until the appeal is final, whichever is later) is the correct one.