(a) In conducting an investigation, the office shall have access at all reasonable times to premises, records, documents, individuals, and other evidence or possible sources of evidence and may examine, record, and copy the materials and take and record the testimony or statements of persons as are reasonably necessary for the furtherance of the investigation, provided the office first complies with the constitutional provisions relating to unreasonable searches and seizures. The office may issue subpoenas to compel its access to or the production of the materials or the appearance of the persons and may issue interrogatories to a respondent, to the same extent and subject to the same limitations as would apply if the subpoenas or interrogatories were issued or served in aid of a civil action in court. The office may administer oaths. Any examination, recording, copying of materials, and the taking and recording of testimony or statements of persons as reasonably are necessary for the furtherance of the investigation must be solely related to the complaint for which the subpoena was issued.
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Terms Used In Alabama Code 24-8-11

  • circuit: means judicial circuit. See Alabama Code 1-1-1
  • Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
  • Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
  • Interrogatories: Written questions asked by one party of an opposing party, who must answer them in writing under oath; a discovery device in a lawsuit.
  • person: includes a corporation as well as a natural person. See Alabama Code 1-1-1
  • state: when applied to the different parts of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the several territories of the United States. See Alabama Code 1-1-1
  • Subpoena: A command to a witness to appear and give testimony.
  • Testimony: Evidence presented orally by witnesses during trials or before grand juries.
(b) Upon written application to the office, a respondent is entitled to the issuance of a reasonable number of subpoenas by and in the name of the office to the same extent and subject to the same limitations as subpoenas issued by the office itself. A subpoena issued at the request of a respondent shall show on its face the name and address of the respondent and shall state that it was issued at his request.
(c) Within five days after service of a subpoena upon any person, the person may petition the office to revoke or modify the subpoena. The office shall grant the petition if it finds that the subpoena requires appearance or attendance at an unreasonable time or place, that it requires production of evidence which does not relate to any matter under investigation, that it does not describe with sufficient particularity the evidence to be produced, or that compliance would be unduly onerous or for other good reason.
(d) In case of refusal to obey a subpoena, the office or the person at whose request the subpoena was issued may petition for its enforcement in the circuit court for the county in which the person to whom the subpoena was addressed resides, was served, or transacts business.
(e) Witnesses summoned by a subpoena under this chapter are entitled to the same witness and mileage fees as witnesses in proceedings in court. Fees payable to a witness summoned by a subpoena issued at the request of a party must be paid by that party or, where a party is unable to pay the fees, by the office.
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