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subpoena definition - legal

n

Latin

Under penalty. A writ issued by a court commanding a person to appear, with penalties that attach for failure to comply.

v

The act of sending a subpoena to a witness or other person to secure his attendance and testimony at trial or other proceeding (such as deposition); generally, subpoenas are obtained and sent out by the lawyers, rather than directly by the court.
subpoena ad testificandum
The most common type of subpoena, ordering a witness to testify.
subpoena duces tecum
Issued at the request of one of the parties to a lawsuit, ordering a witness to appear and bring relevant documents to the hearing.

Webster's New World Law Dictionary Copyright © 2006 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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