Stephanie Jackson, age 13, of Marion, Ohio, for her question:

WHAT IS LEGAL WRIT?

A writ is generally used in its legal meaning to describe the written orders of a court of law. Many kinds of orders have specific names.

If a court orders the sheriff to seize property which has been wrongly taken, it furnishes him with a writ of replevin.

A writ of habeas corpus is designed to protect persons taken into .custody unlawfully.

A writ of error is an order to a court to send records of a proceeding to a superior or appellate court, so that the judgment may be examined for errors of law.

Early English speaking people called everything in writing a writ.

Today some people call the Bible the Holy Writ.

Generally speaking, a writ is a formal order under seal, issued in the name of a sovereign, government, court or other authority, enjoining the officer or other person to whom it is issued to do or refrain from some specific act.