define: Subpoenas

A subpoena is a court document directing someone to appear at a court trial or other court hearing, attend a deposition or produce documents for some legal proceeding. A subpoena can only be issued by the court administrator or an attorney and must be personally served on a person for it to be effective (unless you or your attorney agreed to something other than personal service).

If you receive a subpoena that you dispute, you will need to bring a motion to quash or modify the subpoena. If you do not bring such a motion, and you have received a properly served subpoena that directs you to appear at a court hearing or deposition or otherwise directs you to produce documents for a legal matter, you must comply. If you fail to comply, it may be deemed contempt of court.