(a) The Board of Pardons as constituted by article VII of the Constitution of this State shall have power to issue subpoenas requiring the attendance of such witnesses and the production of such records, books, papers and documents necessary for investigation of the case of any person before it. Subpoenas may be signed and oaths administered by any member of the Board. Subpoenas so issued may be served by Department employees or by any person authorized to serve subpoenas by the Rules of Civil Procedure of the Superior Court and shall be served and returned as provided by said Rules.
(b) The fees of witnesses shall be the same as allowed in the Superior Court and shall be paid by the State Treasurer from any moneys in the Treasury of the State not otherwise appropriated, upon a warrant signed by a member of the Board and its secretary.
(c) Any person who testifies falsely or fails to appear when subpoenaed, or refuses to produce such material pursuant to the subpoena, shall be subject to the same orders and penalties to which a person before the Superior Court is subject.
(d) Upon the application of any convicted felon for a pardon, the Board shall notify the Superior Court and the Attorney General of such application. The Attorney General in cooperation with the Superior Court shall send notice of such application to each person who was a victim or witness of the offense for which the felon was convicted, that the felon has applied for a pardon. Such notice shall contain the time, date and place where the matter shall be heard by the Board. Where a victim or witness is known to be deceased, a good faith effort shall be made to send notice to a member of the immediate family of such person. Where the victim or witness is known to be under 18 years of age or is incompetent, a good faith effort shall be made to send the notice to the parent, guardian or custodian of such person. Notification for the purpose of this section shall be by certified mail (return receipt requested) to the last known address of such victim or witness. Each such victim or witness shall be permitted to testify at the pardons hearing. A victim or witness may, in lieu of appearing before the Board, submit a written statement to the Board at any time prior to the hearing. For purposes of this subsection, the word “witness” shall mean a person who testified for the prosecution at the trial in which the felon was convicted of the crime from which the felon seeks to be pardoned; provided, however, that the word “witness” shall not include any law enforcement officer, any person who testified merely as an expert witness, nor any person who was merely a custodian of the evidence, with no knowledge of the circumstances of the offense.
(e) The Superior Court, upon application of the Board, may in its discretion compel the attendance of witnesses, the production of such material and the giving of testimony before the Board, by an attachment for contempt or otherwise in the same manner as production of evidence may be compelled before the Superior Court.
(f) Upon the request of the Board of Pardons, the Department, to the extent authorized by the Commissioner, shall make investigations and recommendations and report thereon with respect to any application before the Board of Pardons.