§ 136.557 Issuance of subpoena by magistrate for witnesses at preliminary examination

If you're involved in a criminal case that's just starting out, a magistrate (a type of judge) has the power to call in witnesses before the case moves forward. This happens at an early stage, when someone has filed a formal complaint or information against a defendant.

The magistrate can sign off on subpoenas, which are official orders requiring a person to show up and testify. This works both ways: the state (the prosecution) can request witnesses to support its case, and the defendant can request witnesses to support their side too.

The only limit here is that these witnesses must be located within the state. So this rule gives both sides a fair chance to gather testimony early on, before the case goes further in the court process.