The justice court judge before whom any cause is pending shall direct the clerk of the justice court to issue all subpoenas for witnesses which either of the parties may require, and such subpoenas shall be returnable on a day certain, giving reasonable time for attendance. If any witness, duly subpoenaed, shall fail to appear in pursuance of the subpoena, he shall forfeit the sum of ten dollars ($10,00), for the use of the party in whose behalf he was subpoenaed, for which the justice court judge may enter judgment nisi, which shall be made final in case the witness, on being duly subpoenaed to appear and show cause, shall fail to appear and show cause for such default. The justice court may issue an attachment for such witness, as a circuit court may do in like case.Codes, Hutchinson's 1848, ch. 50, art. 2 (13); 1857, ch. 58, art. 16; 1871, § 1313; 1880, § 2202; 1892, § 2406; 1906, § 2735; Hemingway's 1917, § 2234; 1930, § 2083; 1942, § 1817; Laws, 1981, ch. 471, § 29; Laws, 1982, ch. 423, § 28, made eff. 1/1/1984, or, with respect to a given county, from and after such earlier date as the county appoints a justice court clerk pursuant to § 9-11-27(3).
Mississippi Legal Code