§ 691. Service of civil or criminal process (a) Sheriffs and constables may serve either civil or criminal process, anywhere within the State and returnable to any court. (b) Sheriffs and constables shall not be subject to civil or criminal liability for unlawful trespass in serving either civil or criminal process, including citations, summons, subpoenas, […]
§ 692. Deputy sheriffs Deputy sheriffs shall have the same powers and be subject to the same liabilities in the service of process as sheriffs, whether the process is directed to the sheriff or the deputy. If a sheriff is confined in prison upon legal process, his or her deputies may serve precepts in their […]
§ 693. Constables In the service of process, constables shall have the same powers and be subject to the same liabilities and penalties as sheriffs.
§ 694. Disqualifications (a) An officer shall not serve a writ drawn on a note originally payable to himself or herself and sued in the name of an indorsee, nor where he or she, or a private corporation of which he or she is a member, is a party or interested. (b) Such officer shall […]
§ 695. Receipt for process A person may demand a receipt of an officer to whom he or she delivers a writ or precept, in which the sum or thing in demand, the date of such writ or precept and of its delivery, shall be stated. On the refusal of such officer to execute such […]
§ 696. Sheriffs’ duties to receive, execute, and return writs Sheriffs shall receive all writs and precepts issuing from lawful authority at any time and place within their respective precincts, unless they can show reasonable cause to the contrary, and shall execute and return the same agreeably to the direction thereof.
§ 697. Sheriffs’ liabilities A sheriff who willfully refuses or neglects to serve or return such writ or precept, or who makes a false or undue return, shall be fined not more than $100.00 with costs and shall pay to the party aggrieved damages sustained thereby.
§ 698. Special deputations (a) The sheriff may depute a proper person to serve a writ at the risk of the plaintiff in such writ by indorsing thereon a special deputation, and, when he or she deems it necessary, may depute some person to serve a warrant in a criminal cause or any other precept […]
§ 699. Removal or resignation of sheriff A sheriff removed from or resigning his or her office or at the expiration of his or her term of office may execute writs or precepts in his or her hands at the time. Service so made shall be as valid as if made by the sheriff.
§ 700. Completion of service of process or foreclosure of mortgage or lien When an officer who by law may serve process dies, becomes ill, disqualified, or incapacitated, having in his or her hands any process for service, or any chattel mortgage or conditional sale lien for foreclosure, any other officer who may by law […]
§ 701. Summons (a) Any law enforcement officer authorized to serve criminal process or a State’s Attorney may summon a person who commits an offense to appear before Superior Court by a summons in such form as prescribed by the Court Administrator, stating the time when, and the place where, the person shall appear, signed […]
