Columbia Witnesses ordinance (§ 15-12)

(a) Summons; oral notification. It shall be the duty of the municipal judge to summon all persons whose testimony may be deemed essential as witnesses at the trial, and to enforce their attendance by attachment, if necessary. The fees of witnesses shall be the same as those fixed for witnesses in trials before associate circuit judges and shall be taxed as other costs in the case. When a trial shall be continued by a municipal judge it shall not be necessary to summon any witnesses who may be present at the continuance; but the municipal judge shall orally notify such witnesses as either party may require to attend before the judge on the day set for trial to testify in the case, and enter the names of such witnesses on the docket, which oral notice shall be valid as a summons.

(b) Police officer or other officer as witness. In prosecutions before the municipal judge for misdemeanors arising under ordinances of the city, any police officer or other executive officer shall be a competent witness in the case but no such police officer or executive officer shall be entitled to any witness fee in such case.

(c) Arresting officers to attend as witnesses without summons. Officers shall attend, upon notice, as witnesses against persons whom they have caused to be arrested, without being summoned to do so; and, upon failure to appear at the time of the trial, may be attached and punished for contempt as witnesses summoned.