ORS 136.603: Payment of witness who is from outside state or is indigent.

(1)(a) Whenever any person attends any court, grand jury or committing magistrate as a witness on behalf of the prosecution or of any person accused of a crime upon request of the district attorney or city attorney or pursuant to subpoena, or by virtue of a recognizance for that purpose, and it appears that the witness has come from outside the state or that the witness is indigent, the court may, by an order entered in its records, direct payment to the witness of such sum of money as the court considers reasonable for the expenses of the witness. The order of the court, so entered, is sufficient authority for the payment. (b) Except as otherwise specifically provided by law, if a witness who is to be paid expenses pursuant to this subsection: (A) Attends a grand jury, a circuit court or judge thereof, a judge of a county court or a justice of the peace, on behalf of the prosecution, payment shall be made by the county. (B) Attends a municipal court or judge thereof on behalf of the prosecution, payment shall be made by the city. (C) Attends a circuit court or judge thereof on behalf of a financially eligible defendant, payment shall be made by the executive director of the Oregon Public Defense Commission. (D) Attends a judge of the county court or a justice of the peace on behalf of a financially eligible defendant, payment shall be made by the county. (E) Attends a municipal court or judge thereof on behalf of a financially eligible defendant, payment shall be made by the city. (F) Attends any court on behalf of a defendant who is not financially eligible, payment shall be made by the defendant, and the court shall so order. (2) In the case of a prisoner of a jurisdiction outside of this state who is required to attend as a witness in this state, whether for the prosecution or the defense, the sheriff shall be responsible for transporting the witness to the proper court of this state, and the sheriff shall assume any costs incurred in connection with the witness while the witness is in the custody of the sheriff. However, the sheriff and not the witness shall be entitled to the witness fees, mileage and expenses to which the witness would otherwise be entitled under this section and ORS 136.627 or other applicable law. [Formerly 139.140; 1977 c.746 §8; 1981 s.s. c.3 §64; 1983 c.401 §2; 1987 c.606 §5; 1989 c.171 §19; 2001 c.962 §27; 2023 c.281 §26]