Courts must appoint a special commissioner on application by the Attorney General or district attorney in certain pending proceedings, and the commissioner has listed testimony-enforcement powers.
§5085. Special commissioners; appointment; powers; oath; compensation A. Any court, or presiding judge thereof, in which any proceeding as provided in R.S. 13:5081 through 13:5090 is pending at any time, upon application therefor, made by the Attorney General, or district attorney, shall appoint some well qualified disinterested person as special commissioner, to take testimony, or in any such case, at any point either within or outside the state, as designated in such application, or where requested by either party to the cause of action, upon the issues joined in the cause. B. The special commissioner may issue notices necessary for the enforcement of R.S. 13:5081 through 13:5090, and may issue subpoenas for witnesses, compelling the attendance of such witnesses, the production of books, papers or documents, may issue attachments, may punish for contempt to the same extent as provided by law for the court, may administer oaths to witnesses, may have all witnesses examined orally, which testimony shall be reduced to writing and may be taken down by a competent stenographer and transcribed, and shall be signed and sworn to by the witness. C. The person appointed as special commissioner in any case shall qualify by taking oath prescribed for notaries public, and shall, with all convenient speed, certify and return the testimony taken by him to the court appointing him, and the commissioner shall note all objections to testimony, and shall not exclude any testimony, and all questions as to the materiality or admissibility of same shall be reserved for the court trying the case, and such testimony so taken may be read in evidence upon the trial of the suit in which it was taken, subject to all legal objections which might be made. D. The compensation of such commissioner shall be his actual expenses in traveling and such fees as are allowed a notary public in taking depositions, to be taxed up as costs and connected in the same manner as now provided by law for district clerks in civil cases.