Oregon court: Disobey subpoena, risk contempt charges
Friday, October 23, 2009 11:35 AM PDT
PORTLAND (AP) — A police officer who disobeys a subpoena can be hauled into court for a contempt hearing without a judge first ordering compliance, the Oregon Supreme Court has ruled.
The ruling leaves it to a trial judge to determine whether to hold a hearing and whether to hold the officer in contempt, the court said.
The case involved a Gresham police officer who was served a subpoena requiring him to bring training manuals for standardized field sobriety tests when he came to court to testify against a man charged with driving under the influence of intoxicants.
The officer failed to bring the manuals. The defendant, Charles Bo McGee, filed a motion arguing the officer should appear in court for a contempt hearing. Judge Youlee You denied the motion.
A wrote on Oct 27, 2009 1:20 PM:
Why is a cop any different? "