Rule 20.03 Misdemeanors or Felonies - Writs - Process - Return

When police or court officers are given a legal document, like a warrant or summons, and told to deliver it to someone, they have a job to finish afterward. They must write down what they did to complete that delivery. This written report needs to include three key details: when they delivered it, where they delivered it, and how they delivered it.

The officer then has to sign this report and turn it in to the court clerk's office, where it becomes part of the official case file. This creates a paper trail proving the document was actually delivered, and it shows exactly how that delivery happened.

This matters because it protects everyone involved in a case. If someone claims they were never properly notified about a court action, this signed report serves as proof of what actually took place. It holds officers accountable for doing their job correctly and gives the court a reliable record to check if any questions come up later about whether proper procedures were followed.