(a) In any case involving an offense for which the punishment may be imprisonment for more than one year, the Superior Court or a judge thereof may, upon the application of the accused, order that the deposition of a witness shall be taken before a commissioner or magistrate, to be designated by the court or judge, if it appears that his testimony will be required at trial and that, by reason of bodily infirmity or residence out of this state, he will be unable to testify at trial.

(b) Reasonable notice of the time when and place where the examination will be had and of the interrogatories to be propounded shall be given to the state's attorney or assistant state's attorney for the judicial district in which the prosecution is pending; and such attorney may, within such time as the court or judge limits, file with the clerk of the court additional interrogatories to be propounded to the witness to be examined.

(c) Depositions so taken, opened by and filed with the clerk within such time as the court or judge directs, may be used at trial.

(1949 Rev., S. 8802; 1963, P.A. 642, S. 71; P.A. 73-116, S. 27; 73-667, S. 1, 2; P.A. 74-48; P.A. 75-567, S. 34, 80; P.A. 76-436, S. 476, 681; P.A. 78-280, S. 1, 127; P.A. 80-313, S. 34.)

History: 1963 act updated statute, deleting provisions for court of common pleas and prosecuting attorney; P.A. 73-116 added reference to judicial districts; P.A. 73-667 changed effective date of P.A. 73-667 from October 1, 1973, to December 31, 1973; P.A. 74-48 amended section to include depositions in circuit court cases involving Class D felonies, adding reference to prosecuting attorneys and circuits; P.A. 75-567 deleted changes enacted by P.A. 74-48, except for reference to prosecuting attorneys, reflecting reorganization of judicial system in P.A. 74-183; P.A. 76-436 applied provisions to cases where punishment may be imprisonment for more than one year and substituted assistant state's attorneys for prosecuting attorneys, effective July 1, 1978; P.A. 78-280 deleted reference to counties; P.A. 80-313 divided section into Subsecs. and restated provisions.

State cannot take deposition. 90 C. 381. Comment of state's attorney on accused's use of depositions held improper to extent of requiring new trial. 96 C. 165. Proper course of accused to protect his rights under statute. Id., 166, 168. Cited. 229 C. 716.

Cited. 19 CA 594; 29 CA 642; 36 CA 250; 42 CA 186; judgment reversed, see 241 C. 823.