Court Opinion

ID: 9605872
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-22 02:42:54.156172+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:02:30.791781
License: Public Domain

*619Hill, Justice,
concurring specially.
My concern relates to Division 2 of the opinion.
Appellants attempted to serve subpoenas on prison officers by use of the prison mail. One, Officer Seay, stated under oath that he did not receive a subpoena and the citation for contempt was dismissed as to him. Another, Officer Spivey, acknowledged that he did receive a subpoena. I concur in the judgment as to Officer Seay and concur specially as to Officer Spivey.
The latter officer stated under oath that he was advised by the warden not to worry about the subpoena. The warden stated under oath that he checked the law and concluded that since the subpoena had not been mailed or personally delivered that the witness was not required to appear. He stated further that the officer had been assigned to "Emergency Overtime duty” and his services "might have been necessary”; i.e., the officer was "on call.”
In a case such as this, where a witness employed by the state and under subpoena is unavailable, a continuance would be in order.
In a case such as this, where a witness employed by the state actually receives a subpoena, no matter how received, a motion to quash will raise any question as to sufficiency of service.
The legislature likely did not have a case such as this in mind when it enacted Code Ann. § 38-801 (c). The operation of a prison probably does not permit an inmate to personally serve subpoenas. Requiring service by registered or certified mail under these circumstances is nonsensical. The prison officials should, in my view, make provisions for service of subpoenas within the institution. In the absence of such alternative method for serving subpoenas, I concur specially as to Division 2 of the opinion.
I am authorized to state that Justice Ingram joins in this concurrence.