The process of commanding a witness to appear and testify before a judicial or other official body.
A writ directing appearance of a person in court.
A legal document requiring that a person appear at court at a specified time to testify as a witness. If the person is required to supply certain documents (such as income records in a child support case) to the court or to a specified party, the document is sometimes called subpoena duces tecum (“bring with you”). A person who fails to honor a subpoena may be considered in contempt of court.
A court order that requires a person to come to court or appear at a specific time and place to give testimony. Failure to appear can result in punishment by the court.