§ 16501 Court Citation Service Rules

• •The court clerk must issue a citation (court notice).
• •The sheriff has to deliver that citation to the person.
• •The citation must be served at least five days before the court time.
• •Service can be done in person or, if the person can’t be found, by leaving a copy at their last residence.

John gets a court order to appear next month. The clerk creates a citation and gives it to the sheriff. The sheriff finds John and hands the paper to him personally, more than five days before the hearing.

Because the law says the sheriff must give John the paper at least five days early, and he can do it by handing it to John in person, the rule is followed.