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sum·mons 1 /'sə-mənz/ n pl sum·mons·es /-mən-zəz/: a written notification that one is required to appear in court: asa: a document in a civil suit that is issued by an authorized judicial officer (as a clerk of court) and delivered to a plaintiff or the plaintiff's attorney for service on the defendant and that notifies the defendant that he or she must appear and defend (as by filing an answer) within a specified time or a default judgment will be rendered for the plaintiffb: a document that summons a defendant to appear before a court to answer a minor criminal charge and that is issued in lieu of a warrant for arrest by an authorized judicial officer (as a magistrate) upon request of a prosecuting attorneyc: a notification to appear for jury servicesummons 2 vt sum·monsed /-mənzd/, sum·mons·ing, /-mən-ziŋ/: summon; esp: to bring into court by a summonshereby summonsed to serve as a trial juror
Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary of Law. Merriam-Webster. 1996.
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I
noun
authoritative citation to appear before a court, authoritative command, bid, calling to court, citation, command to appear, commandment, direction, invocation, legal process, mandate, notification to appear, official call, official court order, official notice, official order, order to appear, request to appear, writ, written notification to appear in court
II
index
charge (accusation), charge (command), direction (order), invitation, monition (legal summons), subpoena, venire, warrant (judicial writ)
Burton's Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006
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Court proceedings requiring a person against whom a claim is made to appear before the Court to answer the claims. In effect, akin to a writ or other document issued by the court and served on the defendant at the start of civil proceedings.
Easyform Glossary of Law Terms. — UK law terms.
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n.An order issued by a court informing a defendant that a lawsuit has been brought against him or her and summoning him or her to appear in court on a particular day to answer the complaint.
The Essential Law Dictionary. — Sphinx Publishing, An imprint of Sourcebooks, Inc. Amy Hackney Blackwell. 2008.
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A form prepared by the plaintiff and issued by a court that informs the defendant that he or she has been sued. The summons requires that the defendant file a response with the court — or in many small claims courts, simply appear in person on an appointed day — within a given time period or risk losing the case under the terms of a default judgment.Category: Accidents & InjuriesCategory: Small Claims Court & Lawsuits
Nolo’s Plain-English Law Dictionary. Gerald N. Hill, Kathleen Thompson Hill. 2009.
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See application notice.Related links
Practical Law Dictionary. Glossary of UK, US and international legal terms. www.practicallaw.com. 2010.
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n. A written notice for a person to appear before a court under penalty of having a judgment entered against that person for failing to appear; a written notice to a person to appear for jury duty; a written notice to appear in court to testify as a witness in a case. Synonymous with subpoena.
Webster's New World Law Dictionary. Susan Ellis Wild. 2000.
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The paper that tells a defendant that he or she is being sued and asserts the power of the court to hear and determine the case. A form of legal process that commands the defendant to appear before the court on a specific day and to answer the complaint made by the plaintiff.
Dictionary from West's Encyclopedia of American Law. 2005.
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I
The paper that tells a defendant that he or she is being sued and asserts the power of the court to hear and determine the case. A form of legal process that commands the defendant to appear before the court on a specific day and to answer the complaint made by the plaintiff.II Instrument used to commence a civil action or special proceeding; the means of acquiring jurisdiction over a party.
Short Dictionary of (mostly American) Legal Terms and Abbreviations.
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n.a document issued by the court at the time a lawsuit is filed, stating the name of both plaintiff and defendant, the title and file number of the case, the court and its address, the name and address of the plaintiff's attorney, and instructions as to the need to file a response to the complaint within a certain time (such as 30 days after service), usually with a form on the back on which information of service of summons and complaint is to be filled out and signed by the process server. A copy of the summons must be served on each defendant at the same time as the complaint to start the time running for the defendant to answer. Certain writs and orders to show cause are served instead of a summons since they contain the same information along with special orders of the court. After service to the defendants, the original summons, along with the "return of service" proving the summons and complaint were served, is filed with the court to show that each defendant was served. A summons differs from a subpena, which is an order to a witness to appear.
Law dictionary. EdwART. 2013.