Legal Definitions - produce

The term "produce" can function as both a noun and a verb in legal and general contexts.

• As a noun:Produce typically refers to goods that are grown or harvested, especially agricultural items like fruits, vegetables, and grains. More broadly, it can also mean the outcome or result of work, effort, or investment.
• As a verb: In its most common legal sense, to produce means to present, provide, or make available specific items—such as documents, electronic data, or witnesses—in response to a formal legal demand. This often occurs during the "discovery" phase of a lawsuit, where parties exchange information, or when a court issues a "subpoena," which is a legal order to provide evidence or testify. The term can also generally mean to create something, bring it into existence, generate a result, or extract natural resources.

Examples of "Produce" (as a verb in a legal context):

• Example 1: Producing Documents in Discovery

  During a complex business lawsuit concerning a disputed contract, the plaintiff's legal team sends a "request for production of documents" to the defendant company. This request asks the company to provide all relevant emails, financial records, and internal communications related to the contract negotiations and performance.

  Explanation: Here, "produce" refers to the defendant company's legal obligation to gather and present the requested documents to the plaintiff's lawyers as part of the information-gathering process before trial.

• Example 2: Producing a Witness for Testimony

  In a personal injury case resulting from a car accident, the attorney for the injured party believes that a specific mechanic who inspected the defendant's vehicle after the crash has crucial information. The attorney obtains a subpoena ordering this mechanic to appear in court on a specific date to give testimony.

  Explanation: The act of the mechanic appearing in court and providing testimony in response to the subpoena is an instance of "producing" a witness for legal proceedings.

• Example 3: Producing Electronic Data

  A technology company is facing a lawsuit for alleged intellectual property theft. The opposing side suspects that critical evidence, such as source code versions and project management files, is stored on the company's internal servers and cloud storage. A court order is issued, compelling the technology company to "produce" these specific electronic files and data logs.

  Explanation: In this scenario, "produce" means the technology company must retrieve and provide the requested digital evidence from their systems to the opposing legal team, often in a specific electronic format.