SUMMONS

a mandate requiring the appearance of the defendant under penalty of having judgment entered against him or her for failure to appear. The object of the summons is to notify the defendant that he has been sued. EXAMPLE: Nico sues a landscaper for installing a defective sprinkler systems. His attorney prepares a summons notifying the landscaper of the court action. The clerk of the court stamps the summons, and it is then isued.

See process; service. Compare subpoena. Source: Barron's Dictionary of Legal Terms, Steven H. Gifis, 5th Edition; © 2016