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	sentence The punishment ordered by a court for a defendant convicted of a crime. sentencing guidelines A set of rules and principles established by the United States Sentencing Commission that trial judges use to determine the sentence for a convicted defendant. service of process The delivery of writs or summonses to the appropriate party. settlement Parties to a lawsuit resolve their dispute without having a trial. Settlements often involve the payment of compensation by one party in at least partial satisfaction of the other party's claims, but usually do not include the admission of fault. sequester To separate. Sometimes juries are sequestered from outside influences during their deliberations. statute A law passed by a legislature. statute of limitations A law that sets the deadline by which parties must file suit to enforce their rights. For example, if a state has a five year statute of limitations for breaches of contract, and John breached a contract with Susan on January 1, 1995, Susan must file her lawsuit by January 1, 2000. If the deadline passes, the "statute of limitations has run" and the party may be prohibited from bringing a lawsuit; i.e. the claim is "time-barred." Sometimes a party's attempt to assert his or her rights will "toll" the statute of limitations, giving the party additional time to file suit. subpoena A command, issued under authority of a court or other authorized government entity, to a witness to appear and give testimony. subpoena duces tecum A command to a witness to appear and produce documents. summary judgment A decision made on the basis of statements and evidence presented for the record without a trial. It is used when it is not necessary to resolve any factual disputes in the case. Summary judgment is granted when — on the undisputed facts in the record — one party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law.