Sec. 8. (a) The department, the review board, or the administrative law judge, or the duly authorized representative of any of them, at any such hearing shall have power to administer oaths to any such person or persons. When any person called as a witness by such subpoena, duly signed, and served upon the witness by any duly authorized person or by the sheriff of the county of which such person is a resident, or wherein is located the principal office of such employing unit or wherein such records are located or kept, shall fail to obey such subpoena to appear before the department, the review board, or the administrative law judge, or the authorized representative of any of them, or shall refuse to testify or to answer any questions, or to produce any book, record, paper, or other data when notified and demanded so to do, such failure or refusal shall be reported to the attorney general for the state who shall thereupon institute proceedings by the filing of a petition in the name of the state on the relation of the department, in the circuit court or superior or other court of competent jurisdiction of the county where such witness resides, or wherein such records are located or kept, to compel obedience of and by such witness.

(b) Such petition shall set forth the facts and circumstances of the demand for and refusal or failure to permit the examination or copying of such records or the failure or refusal of such witness to testify in answer to such subpoena or to produce the records so required by such subpoena. Such court, upon the filing and docketing of such petition shall thereupon promptly issue an order to the defendants named in said petition, to produce forthwith in such court or at a place in such county designated in such order, for the examination or copying by the department, the review board, an administrative law judge, or the duly authorized representative of any of them, the records, books, or documents so described and to testify concerning matters described in such petition. Unless such defendants to such petition shall appear in said court upon a day specified in such order, which said day shall be not more than ten (10) days after the date of issuance of such order, and offer, under oath, good and sufficient reasons why such examination or copying should not be permitted, or why such subpoena should not be obeyed, such court shall thereupon deliver to the department, the review board, the administrative law judge, or representative of any of them, for examination or copying, the records, books and documents so described in said petition and so produced in such court and shall order said defendants to appear in answer to the subpoena, and to testify concerning the subject matter of the inquiry. Any employing unit, or any officer, member, or agent of the employing unit, or any other persons having possession of the records thereof who shall willfully disobey such order of the court after the same shall have been served upon the employing unit, any officer, member, or agent of the employing unit, or any other person having possession of the records shall be guilty of indirect contempt of such court from which such order shall have issued and may be adjudged in contempt of said court and punished therefor as provided by law.

Formerly: Acts 1947, c.208, s.2008. As amended by P.L.135-1990, SEC.19; P.L.108-2006, SEC.41; P.L.171-2016, SEC.27.