(a) If a judge of a court of record in any State which by its laws has made provision for commanding persons within that State to attend and testify in the District of Columbia certifies under the seal of the court (1) that there is a criminal prosecution pending in that court, or that a grand jury investigation has commenced or is about to commence, (2) that a person within the District of Columbia is a material witness in the prosecution or grand jury investigation, and (3) that his presence will be required for a specified number of days, upon presentation of that certificate to any judge of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, except as provided in subsection (c), such judge shall fix a time and place for a hearing, and shall make an order directing the witness to appear at a time and place certain for the hearing.

(c) If the certificate presented under subsection (a) recommends that the witness be taken into immediate custody and delivered to an officer of the requesting State to assure his attendance, in the requesting State, the judge may in lieu of notification of hearing, direct that the witness be forthwith brought before him for a hearing. If the judge at the hearing is satisfied of the desirability of the custody and delivery of the witness, he may, in lieu of issuing subpoena or summons, order the witness to be forthwith taken into custody and delivered to an officer of the requesting State. The certificate shall be prima facie proof of the desirability of the custody and delivery of the witness.

(a) If a person in any State, which by its laws has made provision for commanding persons within its borders to attend and testify in criminal prosecutions or grand jury investigations in the District of Columbia, is a material witness in such a prosecution or a grand jury investigation in the District of Columbia which has commenced or is about to commence, a judge may issue a certificate under seal stating these facts and specifying the number of days the witness will be required. The certificate may include a recommendation that the witness be taken into immediate custody and delivered to an officer of the United States or the District of Columbia to assure his attendance in the District of Columbia. This certificate shall be presented to a judge of a court of record in the county in which the witness is found.

(a) Any person who comes into the District of Columbia in obedience to a summons directing him to attend and testify in the District of Columbia shall not, while in the District of Columbia, pursuant to the summons, be subject to arrest or the service of process, civil or criminal, in connection with any matter which arose before his entrance into the District of Columbia under the summons.