Which document requires a person to appear in court to testify?

Which document requires a person to appear in court to testify?

• A. Subpoena
• B. Summons
• C. Writ
• D. Complaint

Answer: (A)

A subpoena is the document that commands a person to appear in court to testify. In New York practice, a subpoena ad testificandum specifically requires someone's presence to give testimony at a deposition or in court, and it may also require the production of documents with a subpoena duces tecum. This is different from a summons, which directs a party to appear to answer a civil action but isn’t primarily about testifying; a writ is a broad court order for various purposes; and a complaint is the initiating pleading that starts a case, not a command to testify.

A subpoena is the document that commands a person to appear in court to testify. In New York practice, a subpoena ad testificandum specifically requires someone's presence to give testimony at a deposition or in court, and it may also require the production of documents with a subpoena duces tecum. This is different from a summons, which directs a party to appear to answer a civil action but isn’t primarily about testifying; a writ is a broad court order for various purposes; and a complaint is the initiating pleading that starts a case, not a command to testify.