The Milton City Council has approved a fixed-rate, civil court appearance fee for a police officer subpoenaed to testify during his or her off-duty hours.

The witness fee would apply to subpoenas issued in civil proceedings by a non-judiciary entity or person, according to a resolution approved recently by the council.

The money would be paid by the issuer of the subpoena and go directly to the officer, who would be paid a fixed rate of $50 per hour “or portion thereof” with a two-hour minimum. The fee would not apply if the officer receives overtime pay for the time spent in court.