Which of the following statements is true?

Which of the following statements is true?

• A. The municipal courts have specific authority to issue subpoenas for out-of-county witnesses.
• B. A defendant can request in writing that a subpoena be served in person rather than by mail.
• C. The recording of court proceedings must be kept for 20 days if a recording device is used.
• D. Court reporters may use a combination of transcribing equipment, video or audio recording equipment, and written notes to record court proceedings.

Answer: (D)

Recording court proceedings can be done using multiple methods, and a court reporter isn’t limited to just one technique. The best answer reflects the practical approach that official reporters may combine stenographic transcription with electronic means—video or audio recording—and written notes to capture everything that happens in court. This flexibility helps ensure a complete, accurate record, provides options for producing transcripts, and safeguards the truth of what occurred even if one method encounters a problem. The other statements don’t fit typical practice: municipal courts don’t have blanket authority to subpoena out-of-county witnesses, and service methods for subpoenas aren’t simply dictated by a defendant’s written request to serve in person; recording retention rules are not as short as twenty days, but require a longer, court-adopted period.

Recording court proceedings can be done using multiple methods, and a court reporter isn’t limited to just one technique. The best answer reflects the practical approach that official reporters may combine stenographic transcription with electronic means—video or audio recording—and written notes to capture everything that happens in court. This flexibility helps ensure a complete, accurate record, provides options for producing transcripts, and safeguards the truth of what occurred even if one method encounters a problem. The other statements don’t fit typical practice: municipal courts don’t have blanket authority to subpoena out-of-county witnesses, and service methods for subpoenas aren’t simply dictated by a defendant’s written request to serve in person; recording retention rules are not as short as twenty days, but require a longer, court-adopted period.