Summons
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A summons is a legal document issued by a court or by an administrative agency of government for various purposes.
Summons for Martin Luther to appear at the 1521 Diet of Worms, signed by Charles V. The text on the left was on the reverse side.
A parking ticket issued in Washington, D.C.
Writ
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In common law, a writ is a formal written order issued by a body with administrative or judicial jurisdiction; in modern usage, this body is generally a court. Warrants, prerogative writs, subpoenas,
Summons
…persons summoned must either appear in court, or respond in writing to the court or the opposing party or parties. The summons is the descendant of the writ of the common law. It replaces the former procedure in common-law countries by which the plaintiff actually had to ask the sheriff to arrest the defendant…
A writ of attachment
A sealed writ of Edward the Confessor, a king of England who died in 1066 – the same year as the Norman Conquest
Return of the Writ shown above, endorsed by the Sheriff of Philadelphia, stating that he is still in possession of the attached property for want of a buyer