If a judge of a court of record in any state
which by its laws has made provision for commanding persons
within that state to attend and testify in this state certified
under the seal of such court that there is a criminal prosecution
pending in such court, or that a grand jury investigation has
commenced or is about to commence, that a person being within
this state is a material witness in such prosecution, or grand
jury investigation, and that his or her presence will be required
for a specified number of days, upon presentation of such
certificate to any judge of a court of record in the county in
which such person is, such judge shall fix a time and place for a
hearing, and shall make an order directing the witness to appear
at a time and place certain for the hearing.
If at a hearing the judge determines that the witness is
material and necessary, that it will not cause undue hardship to
the witness to be compelled to attend and testify in the
prosecution or a grand jury investigation in the other state, and
that the laws of the state in which the prosecution is pending,
or grand jury investigation has commenced or is about to
commence, will give to him or her protection from arrest and the
service of civil and criminal process, he or she shall issue a
summons, with a copy of the certificate attached, directing the
witness to attend and testify in the court where the prosecution
is pending, or where a grand jury investigation has commenced or
is about to commence and of any other state through which the
witness may be required to travel by ordinary course of travel,
at a time and place specified in the certificate. In any such
hearing the certificate shall be prima facie evidence of all the
facts stated therein.
If said certificate recommends that the witness be taken
into immediate custody and delivered to an officer of the
requesting state to assure his or her attendance in the
requesting state, such judge may, in lieu of notification of the
hearing, direct that such witness be forthwith brought before him
or her for said hearing; and the judge at the hearing being
satisfied of the desirability of such custody and delivery, for
which determination the certificate shall be prima facie proof of
such desirability may, in lieu of issuing subpoena or summons,
order that said witness be forthwith taken into custody and
delivered to an officer of the requesting state.
If the witness, who is summoned as above provided, after
being paid or tendered by some properly authorized person the sum
of ten cents a mile for each mile by the ordinary traveled route
to and from the court where the prosecution is pending and five
dollars for each day, that he or she is required to travel and
attend as a witness, fails without good cause to attend and
testify as directed in the summons, he or she shall be punished
in the manner provided for the punishment of any witness who
disobeys a summons issued from a court of record in this state.
[2010 c 8 § 1050; 1943 c 218 § 2; Rem. Supp. 1943 § 2150-2. Formerly RCW 10.55.020, 10.55.030, 10.55.040, and 10.55.050.]