660.50 - Examination of witnesses conditionally; determination of application.

§  660.50  Examination  of  witnesses  conditionally;  determination  of               application.    1. Before ruling upon the application, the court may, in  addition  to  examining  the  papers  and  hearing  oral argument, make any inquiry it  deems appropriate for the purpose of making findings of  fact  essential  to  the determination. For such purpose, it may examine witnesses, under  oath  or  otherwise,  subpoena  or  call  witnesses  and  authorize  the  attorneys for the parties to do so.    2.  If  the court is satisfied that grounds for the application exist,  it  must  order  an  examination  of  the  witness  conditionally  at  a  designated  time  and  place.  Such examination must be conducted by the  same court; except that, if it is to be held in another county,  it  may  be conducted by a designated superior court of such other county.    3.  The  court must order that the examination be recorded in the same  manner as would be required were the witness testifying  at  trial,  and  the  court may, in addition, order that the examination also be recorded  by videotape or other photographic method approved  by  and  subject  to  standards  and  administrative  policies promulgated pursuant to section  twenty-eight of article six of the constitution.    4. Upon ordering the examination, the  court  must  direct  the  party  securing  the order of examination to serve a copy of the order upon the  respondent party and, if a defendant be such, upon  his  attorney  also,  and  must either issue a subpoena for the witness' attendance thereat or  authorize the applicant party's attorney to do so.