Sci. fa.

Scire facias means make known. The writ told the sheriff to make a court record known to a party, often a judgment, and the party had to show why it should not be used against him.

In court minutes, sci. fa. marks a step taken on an earlier record, such as a judgment, so look back for that first record. The writ was later abolished in federal district courts, though some states kept it, for example to revive an old judgment.