§ 22-3416 Prisoner as witness.

If someone is in prison and needed as a witness in a criminal case, they can't just be pulled out to testify whenever a lawyer or party wants. A judge has to specifically order it. The court decides if the prisoner needs to attend and sets the conditions for how that will happen.

This rule protects the prison system from being disrupted by random requests to bring inmates to court. It also gives the judge control over the process, including things like security arrangements and scheduling. If you're involved in a case where a prisoner's testimony matters, you'll need to ask the court for an order rather than trying to arrange it directly with the prison.