Which term refers to a court order requiring appearance or to show cause in a proceeding?

• A. Citation
• B. Subpoena
• C. Order to Show Cause
• D. Writ

Answer: (C)

The key idea is a court order that asks someone to come to court and explain why a particular action should or should not be taken. That specific demand—showing cause—defines this term. An order to show cause is issued to obtain expedited consideration and requires the named person to appear and present reasons or arguments against the proposed relief. Other terms exist for appearance or compliance in different contexts (a subpoena compels testimony or document production, a citation summons appearance in some matters, and a writ is a broader category of court orders), but only an order to show cause explicitly calls for showing cause in the proceeding.