What is the purpose of a subpoena?

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Subpoenas are legal commands used to bring witnesses into court or to obtain evidence. Their purpose is to notify the person that they must appear to testify or must produce documents or other items at a designated time and place. This ensures the court can gather needed information even from non-parties. There are two common forms: one requires a person to testify, and the other requires the production of documents or things. The subpoena is served by a process server, and disobeying it can lead to contempt of court. It is not used to impose fines, seal records, or transfer a case to another court.