Sec. 52-56. Service of process outside of officer's precinct. Service of process on Secretary of the State or Commissioner of Motor Vehicles. Service of process re family support matters.
Sec. 52-56. Service of process outside of officer's precinct. Service of process
on Secretary of the State or Commissioner of Motor Vehicles. Service of process
re family support matters. (a) If any officer has commenced the service of any civil
process within his precinct, he may attach the property of, or serve the process upon,
any defendant named in the process outside of his precinct. An officer shall not be
deemed to have commenced service in any civil action by process of foreign attachment
or garnishment by service on the garnishee therein, unless the garnishee has concealed
in his possession, at the time of the service, the property of the defendant or is indebted
to him.
(b) If there are two or more defendants, any of whom reside outside of the precinct
of the officer commencing service or, in any action in case of attachment of property
or in case of foreign attachment or garnishment, if any defendant or garnishee resides
outside of the precinct of the officer commencing service, any officer may serve the
process upon such of the defendants or garnishees as reside within his precinct, and may
then (1) complete the service himself upon any defendant or garnishee residing outside
his precinct, or (2) deliver the process to an officer of another precinct for service upon
any defendant or garnishee residing in the other precinct and each officer serving the
same shall endorse his actions thereon. The officer completing the service shall include
in his endorsement a copy of the endorsement upon the writ of the officer commencing
service and shall return the process to court.
(c) In any action where process is permitted to be served upon the Secretary of the
State or the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles pursuant to sections 52-57, 52-59b, 52-62 and 52-63, service of such process may be made by any officer of any precinct having
such process in his hands for service.
(d) The execution or service of any capias issued pursuant to section 52-143 or 54-2a or any warrant or capias mittimus issued by a court or family support magistrate in
a family support matter may be made in any precinct in the state by any state marshal
of any precinct or any special policeman appointed under section 29-1g, having such
capias, warrant or capias mittimus, or a copy thereof made by any photographic, micrographic, electronic imaging or other process, which clearly and accurately copies such
original document, in his hands for service.
(1949 Rev., S. 7788; P.A. 82-160, S. 14; P.A. 85-232, S. 1; P.A. 86-286, S. 1; P.A. 87-196, S. 1; 87-589, S. 86, 87;
P.A. 05-135, S. 1; P.A. 06-149, S. 24.)
History: P.A. 82-160 rephrased section and inserted Subsec. indicators; P.A. 85-232 added Subsec. (c), permitting
service of process by any officer of any precinct in any action where process may be served upon secretary of the state
and the commissioner of motor vehicles pursuant to Secs. 52-57, 52-59b, 52-62 and 52-63; P.A. 86-286 added Subsec. (d)
permitting officer to serve civil process outside precinct in action initiated within precinct of such officer; P.A. 87-196
amended Subsec. (b) by permitting officer to complete service himself upon defendant or garnishee residing outside precinct
if there are two or more defendants and one resides within his precinct, and deleting requirement that writ be directed to
officers of both precincts, and deleted Subsec. (d) permitting service outside precinct if action initiated within precinct;
P.A. 87-589 changed effective date of P.A. 87-196, S. 1. from October 1, 1987, to May 18, 1987; P.A. 05-135 made a
technical change in Subsec. (b) and added Subsec. (d) re execution or service of capias, warrant or capias mittimus in any
precinct by state marshal of any precinct, effective June 24, 2005; P.A. 06-149 amended Subsec. (d) to include special
policemen appointed under Sec. 29-1g and permit use of a copy of a capias, warrant or capias mittimus.
A constable, having attached goods in the town in which he lives, may leave a copy with the defendant in another town.
20 C. 377. Cited. 196 C. 233.
Completion of service outside precinct forbidden if apprehension was wrongful within it. 4 CS 456. Statute does not
require sheriff to effect commencement of the action by service within in his own precinct before being authorized to serve
papers outside his own county, but only to commence service in good faith in his home county. 45 CS 336.