CIVIL PRACTICE & REMEDIES CODE
CHAPTER 22. WITNESSES
SUBCHAPTER A. WITNESSES
§ 22.001. WITNESS FEES. (a) Except as provided by
Section 22.002, a witness is entitled to 10 dollars for each day the
witness attends court. This fee includes the entitlement for
travel and the witness is not entitled to any reimbursement for
mileage traveled.
(b) The party who summons the witness shall pay that
witness's fee for one day, as provided by this section, at the time
the subpoena is served on the witness.
(c) The witness fee must be taxed in the bill of costs as
other costs.
Acts 1985, 69th Leg., ch. 959, § 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1985. Amended
by Acts 1993, 73rd Leg., ch. 103, § 1, eff. Jan. 1, 1994; Acts
1993, 73rd Leg., ch. 449, § 16, eff. Sept. 1, 1993.
§ 22.002. DISTANCE FOR SUBPOENAS. A witness who is
represented to reside 150 miles or less from a county in which a
suit is pending or who may be found within that distance at the time
of trial on the suit may be subpoenaed in the suit.
Added by Acts 1993, 73rd Leg., ch. 103, § 1, eff. Jan. 1, 1994.
§ 22.003. FEES FOR WITNESSES SUMMONED BY A STATE
AGENCY. (a) In this section:
(1) 'Commercial lodging establishment' means a motel,
hotel, inn, apartment, or similar entity that offers lodging to the
public in exchange for compensation.
(2) 'Commercial transportation company' means an
entity that offers transportation of people or goods to the public
in exchange for compensation.
(b) A witness summoned by a state agency is entitled to
receive from the agency:
(1) one dollar for each day the witness attends court;
(2) mileage at the rate provided by law for state
employees if the witness uses the witness's personally owned or
leased motor vehicle to attend court;
(3) reimbursement of the witness's transportation
expenses if the witness does not use the witness's personally owned
or leased motor vehicle to attend court; and
(4) reimbursement of the witness's meal and lodging
expenses while attending court if the court is at least 25 miles
from the witness's place of residence.
(c) A state agency may directly pay a commercial
transportation company for the transportation expenses and a
commercial lodging establishment for the lodging expenses of a
witness if this section otherwise requires the agency to reimburse
the witness for those expenses.
(d) A state agency may not pay a commercial transportation
company or a commercial lodging establishment or reimburse a
witness for transportation, meal, or lodging expenses under this
section at a rate that exceeds the maximum rates provided by law for
state employees.
(e) After receiving the witness's affidavit, the court
clerk shall issue a certificate showing the fees incurred under
this section.
(f) The witness fees must be taxed in the bill of costs as
other costs.
Added by Acts 1993, 73rd Leg., ch. 449, § 17, eff. Sept. 1, 1993.
Renumbered from V.T.C.A., Civil Practice & Remedies Code §
22.002 by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 76, § 17.01(2), eff. Sept. 1,
1995.
§ 22.004. FEE FOR PRODUCTION OR CERTIFICATION OF
DOCUMENTS. (a) A custodian of a record who receives a request for
production or certification of a record under a subpoena, a request
for production, or other instrument issued under the authority of a
tribunal that compels production or certification of a record is
entitled to $1 for production or certification of the record. If
more than one record is produced or certified, the custodian of the
records is entitled to only one fee under this section.
(b) A custodian of a record who produces or certifies a
record under Subsection (a), but who is not required to appear in
court, is not entitled to a witness fee under Section 22.001.
(c) The party who requests production or certification of a
record shall pay the fee required for the record, as provided by
this section, at the time the subpoena, request, or other
instrument is served.
(d) The fee required by this section must be taxed in the
bill of costs as other costs.
(e) The fee required by this section is in addition to any
other fee imposed by law for the production or certification of a
record.
Added by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 452, § 1, eff. June 9, 1995.
SUBCHAPTER B. PRIVILEGES
§ 22.011. PRIVILEGE FROM ARREST. (a) A witness is
privileged from arrest while attending, going to, and returning
from court.
(b) The privilege provided by this section extends for a
period computed by allowing one day of travel for each 150 miles of
the distance from the courthouse to the witness's residence.
(c) This section does not apply to an arrest for a felony,
treason, or breach of the peace.
Acts 1985, 69th Leg., ch. 959, § 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1985. Amended
by Acts 1993, 73rd Leg., ch. 103, § 1, eff. Jan. 1, 1994.