Subpoena

6 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Subpoena \Sub*poe"na\, n. [NL., fr. L. sub under + poena
     punishment. See {Pain}.] (Law)
     A writ commanding the attendance in court, as a witness, of
     the person on whom it is served, under a penalty; the process
     by which a defendant in equity is commanded to appear and
     answer the plaintiff's bill. [Written also {subpena}.]


     [1913 Webster]
  
     {Subpoena ad testificandum}. [NL.] A writ used to procure the
        attendance of a witness for the purpose of testifying.
  
     {Subpoena duces tecum}. [NL.] A writ which requires a witness
        to attend and bring certain documents.
        [1913 Webster]

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Subpoena \Sub*poe"na\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Subpoenaed}; p. pr.
     & vb. n. {Subpoenaing}.] (Law)
     To serve with a writ of subpoena; to command attendance in
     court by a legal writ, under a penalty in case of
     disobedience.
     [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  subpoena
       n : a writ issued by court authority to compel the attendance of
           a witness at a judicial proceeding; disobedience may be
           punishable as a contempt of court [syn: {subpoena ad
           testificandum}]
       v : serve or summon with a subpoena; "The witness and her
           records were subpoenaed"

From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:

  44 Moby Thesaurus words for "subpoena":
     bid come, call, call away, call back, call for, call forth,
     call in, call out, call together, call up, certiorari, citation,
     cite, conjure, conjure up, convene, convoke, demand, evoke,
     garnishment, habeas corpus, indent, invoke, monition, muster,
     muster up, order up, page, preconize, recall, requisition,
     send after, send for, serve, summon, summon forth, summon up,
     summons, venire, venire de novo, venire facias, warrant, writ,
     writ of summons
  
  

From Bouvier's Law Dictionary, Revised 6th Ed (1856) [bouvier]:

  SUBPOENA, chancery practice. A mandatory writ or process, directed to and 
  requiring one or more persons to appear at a time to come, and answer the 
  matters charged against him or them; the writ of subpoena was originally a 
  process in the courts of common law, to enforce the attendance of a witness 
  to give evidence; but this writ was used in the court of chancery for the 
  game purpose as a citation in the courts of civil and canon law, to compel 
  the appearance of a defendant, and to oblige him to answer upon oath the 
  allegations of the plaintiff. 
       2. This writ was invented by John Waltham, bishop of Salisbury, and 
  chancellor to Rich. II. under the authority of the statutes of Westminster 
  2, and 13 Edw. I. c. 34, which enabled him to devise new writs. 1 Harr. 
  Prac. 154; Cruise, Dig. t. 11, c. 1, sect. 12-17. Vide Vin. Ab. h.t.; 1 
  Swanst. Rep. 209. 
  
  

From Bouvier's Law Dictionary, Revised 6th Ed (1856) [bouvier]:

  SUBPOENA, practice, evidence. A process to cause a witness to appear and 
  give testimony, commanding him to lay aside all pretences and excuses, and 
  appear before a court or magistrate therein named, at a time therein 
  mentioned, to testify for the party named, under a penalty therein 
  mentioned. This is usually called a subpoena ad testificandum. 
       2. On proof of service of a subpoena upon the witness, and that he, is 
  material, an attachment way be issued against him for a contempt, if he 
  neglect to attend as commanded.