Nevada Revised Statutes

Nev. Rev. Stat. § 171.198 (2026)

Reporting testimony of witnesses

✓ current as of July 2026
Find cases: SyfertCases citing this section NRSleg.state.nv.us (official) Justiaon Justia CornellLII Search CasesGoogle Scholar
NRS 171.198  Reporting testimony of witnesses.

      1.  Except as otherwise provided in subsection 2, a magistrate shall employ a certified court reporter to take down all the testimony and the proceedings on the hearing or examination and, within such time as the court may designate, have such testimony and proceedings transcribed into typewritten transcript.

      2.  A magistrate who presides over a preliminary hearing in a justice court, in any case other than in a case in which the death penalty is sought, may employ a certified court reporter to take down all the testimony and the proceedings on the hearing or appoint a person to use sound recording equipment to record all the testimony and the proceedings on the hearing. If the magistrate appoints a person to use sound recording equipment to record the testimony and proceedings on the hearing, the testimony and proceedings must be recorded and transcribed in the same manner as set forth in NRS 4.390 to 4.420, inclusive. Any transcript of the testimony and proceedings produced from a recording conducted pursuant to this subsection is subject to the provisions of this section in the same manner as a transcript produced by a certified court reporter.

      3.  When the testimony of each witness is all taken and transcribed by the reporter, the reporter shall certify to the transcript in the same manner as for a transcript of testimony in the district court, which certificate authenticates the transcript for all purposes of this title.

      4.  Before the date set for trial, either party may move the court before which the case is pending to add to, delete from or otherwise correct the transcript to conform with the testimony as given and to settle the transcript so altered.

      5.  The compensation for the services of a reporter employed as provided in this section are the same as provided in NRS 3.370, to be paid out of the county treasury as other claims against the county are allowed and paid.

      6.  Testimony reduced to writing and authenticated according to the provisions of this section must be filed by the examining magistrate with the clerk of the district court of the magistrate’s county, and if the prisoner is subsequently examined upon a writ of habeas corpus, such testimony must be considered as given before such judge or court. A copy of the transcript must be furnished to the defendant and to the district attorney.

      7.  The testimony so taken may be used:

      (a) By the defendant; or

      (b) By the State if the defendant was represented by counsel or affirmatively waived his or her right to counsel,

Ê upon the trial of the cause, and in all proceedings therein, when the witness is sick, out of the State, dead, or persistent in refusing to testify despite an order of the judge to do so, or when the witness’s personal attendance cannot be had in court.

      (Added to NRS by 1967, 1406; A 1973, 1322; 1987, 911; 1989, 1272; 1993, 75, 1411, 2024; 1995, 570; 2009, 633)

     

Notes of Decisions
Cited in 15 cases, 1970–2020 · leading case: Funches v. State, 944 P.2d 775 (Nev. 1997).
Funches v. State, 944 P.2d 775 (Nev. 1997). · cites it 50× “SPRINGER, Justice, dissenting: I agree with Justice Shearing that this court should not expand the circumstances in which preliminary hearing testimony may be admitted under NRS 171.198. The legislature has enumerated the circumstances under which such testimony is admissible,…”
Thomas v. State, 967 P.2d 1111 (Nev. 1998). · cites it 5× “Thomas argues on appeal that the court erred by admitting Hall’s preliminary hearing testimony because the judge did not “order” Hall to testify as required by NRS 171.198(6)(b), which provides: The [preliminary hearing] testimony so taken, may be used .”
Hernandez v. State, 188 P.3d 1126 (Nev. 2008). · cites it 3× “Testimony given during a preliminary hearing on a criminal matter may be used at trial on that matter under NRS 171.198 and NRS 51.325 “if three preconditions exist: first, that the defendant was represented by counsel at the preliminary hearing; second, that counsel…”
Grant v. State, 24 P.3d 761 (Nev. 2001). · cites it 2× “DISCUSSION Grant contends that admission of Officer Brown’s testimony into evidence under NRS 171.198(6) and NRS 174.125 was error.”
Aesoph v. State, 721 P.2d 379 (Nev. 1986). · cites it 3× “NRS 171.198(7) governs the admissibility of preliminary hear *320 ing testimony at trial.”
Anderson v. State, 865 P.2d 331 (Nev. 1993). · cites it 3× “NRS 171.198(6) describes when testimony recorded at a hearing may be used at a subsequent proceeding or during trial: 6.”
Lemberes v. State, 634 P.2d 1219 (Nev. 1981). · cites it 3× “055(l)(b), rather than abiding by the specific requirement of NRS 171.198(7) governing admission of preliminary hearing testimony as substantive evidence in a criminal trial.”
LaPena v. State, 604 P.2d 811 (Nev. 1980). · cites it 2× “We note that the admissibility of preliminary hearing testimony in later proceedings is governed by NRS 171.198(7), which provides, in pertinent part, that such testimony may be used as substantive evidence in a criminal trial only “when the witness is sick, out of the state,…”
Barker v. State, 594 P.2d 719 (Nev. 1979). “The court concluded that (a) the defendant had been present and represented by counsel, (b) the witness had been cross-examined by defendant’s counsel, and (c) the witness was actually unavailable, despite the state’s pre-trial efforts to locate her.”
Hogan v. State, 732 P.2d 422 (Nev. 1987). “The requirements of NRS 171.198(7) and Drummond v. State, 86 Nev.”
Power v. State, 724 P.2d 211 (Nev. 1986). “” [Citation omitted.] . . . [I]f there is a possibility, albeit remote, that affirmative measures might produce the declarant, the obligation of good faith may demand their effectuation.”
Logan v. Warden, 471 P.2d 249 (Nev. 1970). · cites it 2× “See NRS 171.198(1), requiring magistrates to employ a reporter to take down all testimony and proceedings at a preliminary hearing; NRS 171.”
— Nev. Rev. Stat. § 171.198(1) — 1 case
Logan v. Warden, 471 P.2d 249 (Nev. 1970). “See NRS 171.198(1), requiring magistrates to employ a reporter to take down all testimony and proceedings at a preliminary hearing; NRS 171.”
— Nev. Rev. Stat. § 171.198(6) — 4 cases
Funches v. State, 944 P.2d 775 (Nev. 1997). “SPRINGER, Justice, dissenting: I agree with Justice Shearing that this court should not expand the circumstances in which preliminary hearing testimony may be admitted under NRS 171.198. The legislature has enumerated the circumstances under which such testimony is admissible,…”
Grant v. State, 24 P.3d 761 (Nev. 2001). “DISCUSSION Grant contends that admission of Officer Brown’s testimony into evidence under NRS 171.198(6) and NRS 174.125 was error.”
Anderson v. State, 865 P.2d 331 (Nev. 1993). “NRS 171.198(6) describes when testimony recorded at a hearing may be used at a subsequent proceeding or during trial: 6.”
Logan v. Warden, 471 P.2d 249 (Nev. 1970). “See NRS 171.198(1), requiring magistrates to employ a reporter to take down all testimony and proceedings at a preliminary hearing; NRS 171.”
— Nev. Rev. Stat. § 171.198(6)(b) — 3 cases
Funches v. State, 944 P.2d 775 (Nev. 1997). “SPRINGER, Justice, dissenting: I agree with Justice Shearing that this court should not expand the circumstances in which preliminary hearing testimony may be admitted under NRS 171.198. The legislature has enumerated the circumstances under which such testimony is admissible,…”
Thomas v. State, 967 P.2d 1111 (Nev. 1998). “Thomas argues on appeal that the court erred by admitting Hall’s preliminary hearing testimony because the judge did not “order” Hall to testify as required by NRS 171.198(6)(b), which provides: The [preliminary hearing] testimony so taken, may be used .”
Hernandez v. State, 188 P.3d 1126 (Nev. 2008). “Testimony given during a preliminary hearing on a criminal matter may be used at trial on that matter under NRS 171.198 and NRS 51.325 “if three preconditions exist: first, that the defendant was represented by counsel at the preliminary hearing; second, that counsel…”
— Nev. Rev. Stat. § 171.198(7) — 7 cases
Aesoph v. State, 721 P.2d 379 (Nev. 1986). “NRS 171.198(7) governs the admissibility of preliminary hear *320 ing testimony at trial.”
Funches v. State, 944 P.2d 775 (Nev. 1997). “SPRINGER, Justice, dissenting: I agree with Justice Shearing that this court should not expand the circumstances in which preliminary hearing testimony may be admitted under NRS 171.198. The legislature has enumerated the circumstances under which such testimony is admissible,…”
Lemberes v. State, 634 P.2d 1219 (Nev. 1981). “055(l)(b), rather than abiding by the specific requirement of NRS 171.198(7) governing admission of preliminary hearing testimony as substantive evidence in a criminal trial.”
LaPena v. State, 604 P.2d 811 (Nev. 1980). “We note that the admissibility of preliminary hearing testimony in later proceedings is governed by NRS 171.198(7), which provides, in pertinent part, that such testimony may be used as substantive evidence in a criminal trial only “when the witness is sick, out of the state,…”
Hogan v. State, 732 P.2d 422 (Nev. 1987). “The requirements of NRS 171.198(7) and Drummond v. State, 86 Nev.”
— Nev. Rev. Stat. § 171.198(7)(b) — 2 cases
Barker v. State, 594 P.2d 719 (Nev. 1979). “The court concluded that (a) the defendant had been present and represented by counsel, (b) the witness had been cross-examined by defendant’s counsel, and (c) the witness was actually unavailable, despite the state’s pre-trial efforts to locate her.”
Alway (Elgin) v. State (Nev. 2014).
Annotations are extracted automatically from the opinions in the Syfert caselaw corpus and ranked by authority, recency, and treatment. Dots show Syfertize treatment of the citing case itself.