Legal Definitions - Summons

A summons is a legal document that notifies a person that they are being sued or required to appear in court. It is prepared by the plaintiff and issued by a court.

In civil cases, a summons is used to provide notice to a party of civil proceedings and the opportunity to appear and be heard. For example, if someone sues another person for breach of contract, the plaintiff will prepare a summons and have it served on the defendant. The summons will inform the defendant that they have a certain number of days to respond to the lawsuit or appear in court.

Example: John sues Jane for breach of contract. John prepares a summons and has it served on Jane. The summons informs Jane that she has 30 days to respond to the lawsuit or appear in court.

In criminal cases, a summons can be served on a defendant facing minor criminal charges as an alternative to an arrest warrant. The summons invites the defendant to come to court at a certain time and answer to a certain charge so that they may not be subjected to the inconvenience and embarrassment of an arrest.

Example: Tom is charged with a minor traffic violation. Instead of issuing an arrest warrant, the court issues a summons for Tom to appear in court on a certain date and time to answer to the charge.

Overall, a summons is a legal document that notifies a person of legal proceedings and the opportunity to appear and be heard in court.