2023 Delaware Code › Title 9 - Counties › Chapter 13. COUNTY DEPARTMENTS › Subchapter V. Department of Administration › § 1397. Subpoena power.

§ 1397. Subpoena power.
(a) Whenever the County Attorney has reasonable cause to believe that any person or enterprise may have knowledge of, has been engaged in or is engaging in any conduct in violation of County laws, ordinances, regulations or any state law prohibiting violations of County laws, ordinances or regulations, the County Attorney may, in the County Attorney's discretion, conduct an investigation of such conduct. The County Attorney is authorized before the commencement of any civil or criminal proceeding related to the violation of county laws, ordinances, regulations or any state law prohibiting violations of the County laws, ordinances or regulations to subpoena witnesses. The County Attorney may issue in writing and cause to be served on any person an investigative demand to compel the attendance of witnesses, examine witnesses under oath, require the production of evidence or documentary materials and require answers to written interrogatories to be furnished under oath.
(b) The production of documentary material in response to an investigative demand served under this section shall be made pursuant to a sworn certificate, in such form as the demand designates, by the person, if a natural person, to whom the demand is directed or, if not a natural person, by an individual having knowledge of the facts and circumstances relating to the production of materials, which certificate shall affirm that all of the documentary material required by the investigative demand and in the possession, custody or control of the person to whom the demand is directed has been produced and made available to the custodian.
(c) The County Attorney may, in the County Attorney's discretion, require the production under this section of documentary materials prior to the taking of any testimony of the person subpoenaed. The required documentary materials shall be made available for inspection or copying during normal business hours at the principal place of business of the person served, or at such other time and place as may be agreed upon between the person served and the County Attorney.
(d) The examination of all persons pursuant to this section shall be conducted by the County Attorney or by a person designated in writing to be the County Attorney's representative, before an officer chosen by the County Attorney who is authorized to administer oaths in this State. The statements made shall be taken down stenographically, or by a sound-recording device, and shall be transcribed.
(e) No person shall, with intent to avoid, evade, prevent or obstruct compliance in whole or in part by any person with any duly served investigative demand of the County Attorney under this section, knowingly remove to any place, conceal, withhold, destroy, mutilate, alter or by any other means falsify any documentary material or materials that are the subject of the demand. A violation of this subsection is a class E felony. Any suspected violations of this section shall be referred to the Office of the Attorney General.
(f) In the event a witness subpoenaed under this section fails or refuses to appear, or to produce documentary materials as provided herein, or to give testimony relevant or material to an investigation, the County Attorney may petition the Superior Court in the County where the witness resides for an order requiring the witness to attend and testify, or to produce the documentary materials. Any failure or refusal by the witness to obey an order of the Court may be punishable by the Court as contempt.
71 Del. Laws, c. 401, §  59;