subpoena

Definition

A legal writ issued by a court or government agency ordering a person or entity to provide specific documents or evidence.

Etymology

The word comes from the Latin phrase 'sub poena,' meaning 'under penalty.' It refers to the historical practice where failing to comply with the court's command resulted in a specified punishment.

In the news

In this article, a federal judge denied a grand jury subpoena issued by the Justice Department, which had sought the personal information of thousands of Fulton County election workers.

Fight over Georgia voting system escalates ahead of November elections

Georgia Public Broadcasting

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