Criminal Defense Lawyers

Facing a Subpoena in Madison? Trusted Legal Advisors to Advocate for You

Dealing with Subpoenas in Madison: A Straightforward Guide

What’s a Subpoena, Anyway?

Have you ever gotten a letter from a court or lawyer demanding you show up somewhere with documents or to testify? That, my friend, is a subpoena. But, take a deep breath. Getting one doesn’t automatically mean you’re in trouble.A subpoena is simply a court order requiring you to do something related to a legal case. There are different types, but the two main ones are:

1. A subpoena that requires you to testify (either at a deposition or trial)
2. A subpoena that requires you to bring documents or other evidence

The word “subpoena” literally means “under penalty” in Latin. So yeah, ignoring one can potentially land you in hot water with a judge. But, we‘ll cover how to properly respond in a bit.For now, just know that getting a subpoena doesn’t necessarily mean you did anything wrong. You could just be an important witness or have key documents related to someone else’s case.

Why Me? How Did I Get Subpoenaed?

Good question! There are a few common scenarios where you might find yourself on the receiving end of a subpoena:

You witnessed an incident. Say there was a car accident, assault, or other event with potential legal implications. If you saw what went down, the lawyers may want your eyewitness testimony.

You have relevant records or evidence. Maybe you have security camera footage, emails, texts, photos, or other documents that could help prove or disprove something in a case. The subpoena requires you to turn that stuff over.

You have special expertise. For certain technical cases involving things like medicine, engineering, etc., the lawyers may need an expert witness to testify about industry standards. If you’re a pro in that field, they could subpoena you.

You did business with someone involved in the case. If you employed, contracted with, or otherwise had dealings with a person or company now caught up in legal drama, the lawyers may want you to verify certain facts about that relationship.The key thing to remember is that you’re likely just an innocent bystander who happened to see, know, or have something that‘s now relevant to the case. No need to panic!

Okay, So I Got a Subpoena…Now What?

The first step is to carefully review the subpoena to understand exactly what it’s asking of you. Is it requiring you to:

• Testify at a deposition?
• Testify at an actual trial or hearing?
• Produce certain documents or records?
• Allow an inspection of your premises?

The subpoena should spell all of that out, including specifics on when and where you need to show up or turn things over. Read it thoroughly, because the consequences of not complying can be harsh (more on that in a bit).Next, you‘ll likely want to have a lawyer review the subpoena, especially if it’s asking for sensitive personal, financial, or medical records. An attorney can advise if some or all of the request is unreasonably burdensome or a violation of your privacy rights.From there, you have a few options on how to respond:

Comply fully. If the subpoena seems properly issued and isn‘t asking for anything too outrageous, your simplest option may be to just do what it says. Show up with the requested documents or give your testimony on the scheduled date.

Try to modify the subpoena. Through your lawyer, you can ask the requesting party to limit or alter the subpoena if you have reasonable objections to the scope of what’s being asked. Maybe they’ll agree to remove the most intrusive or irrelevant requests.

File a motion to quash or modify. If the requesting party won’t budge, you can ask the court to throw out (quash) or modify the subpoena. This is appropriate if it’s unreasonably burdensome, calls for privileged info, or was improperly issued.

Ignore it (not recommended). Technically, you could just not respond at all. But be warned – that opens you up to being held in contempt of court, fined, or even briefly jailed in some cases. Not the wisest move!The bottom line is that while complying with a subpoena can be inconvenient, there are ways to challenge or modify it through proper legal channels if needed. Just don’t simply ignore it and hope it goes away.