term:

Citation

citation n

1

: a writ giving notice to a person to appear in court: as
a : a process served upon an interested party in a probate proceeding
b : a notice to a person that he or she is charged with a petty offense (as a traffic violation)
;also
: the document embodying the notice NOTE: Citations are issued in minor criminal cases as an alternative to arrest. Often a person may consent in writing to the penalty specified on the citation and forgo an appearance in court.
2 : the citing of a previously decided case or recognized legal authority as support for an argument
;also
: the caption used for referring to such a case or authority esp. as published in a reporter
ci·ta·tion·al [-shə-nəl]
adj

Source: Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law ©1996. Merriam-Webster, Incorporated. Published under license with Merriam-Webster, Incorporated.