§ 28-4. Witness fees for off-duty police officers.

(a)

Whenever a law enforcement officer is required to be present, in his official capacity, as a witness in any case in mayor's court in and for the city during any time he is not required to report to work or perform the duties of his office, the governing authority of the city shall pay him for each day per case, but no more than $75.00 in any one day, regardless of the number of cases for which he is required to be present or whether he actually testified in the case. The fee shall be provided to the law enforcement officer within 60 days from the date of appearance. This fee shall not be paid, however, to any law enforcement officer who is compensated by his employer for his appearance as a witness pursuant to the provisions of the federal Fair Labor Standards Act, as amended. The amount of the witness fee shall be in accordance with state law.

(b)

Witness fees provided by this subsection shall be paid from costs of court which shall be assessed and collected in individual cases in which there is a plea of guilty or a conviction, in accordance with a schedule of costs adopted by the judge or judges of the city court. The costs so collected shall be placed in a special fund maintained and administered by the governing authority and from which the governing authority shall pay the witness fees provided for herein.

(c)

The judges of the city court may adjust the schedule of costs from time or time as the needs of the fund may require.

(d)

For the purposes of this section only, the term "law enforcement officer" as used herein shall include a person who withdraws blood for the purposes of determining the alcoholic content therein under the provisions of R.S. 32:664. However, no such person shall be eligible for a witness fee pursuant to this section if he is paid by his employer for this time in court.

(Code 1976, § 18:27; Ord. No. 922, § 1(4), 6-8-1987; Ord. No. 974, 6-12-1991)