Beverly Hills Municipal Code Art. 2 Service of Process

Service of civil process upon the city as a public entity shall be made upon the city clerk. (1988 Code)

The council finds that the actual or attempted service of civil, criminal, or administrative processes upon a city officer or employee participating in an official meeting constitutes a disturbance, disruption, and an undue interference with such official meetings and the efficient and proper conduct of public business.

A. It shall be unlawful for any person to serve a civil, criminal, or administrative process upon a council member, commission member, board member, or other officer or employee of the city who is at the time participating in any official meeting of the council, or a commission, board, or other official meeting relating to business of the city.

B. For the purposes of this section, the following definitions shall apply:

OFFICIAL MEETING: Any regularly called meeting; including, but not limited to, all regular, adjourned, or special meetings as defined in chapter 9 of part 1 of division 2 of title 5 of the Government Code of the state.

PARTICIPATING: Relates to any individual attending any official meeting in his or her capacity as an officer or as an employee and shall include any time during the period commencing one-half (1/2) hour before the scheduled time the official meeting is to commence, and extending to one-half (1/2) hour after its adjournment.

PROCESS: Any document relating to a civil, criminal, or administrative proceeding, including, but not limited to, subpoenas, summons, complaints, petitions, writs, injunctions, and court orders.

SERVE: Any act which relates to the service of a process or an effort to serve a process. (1962 Code § 2-15.01)

Any person serving a subpoena in a civil case on any employee of the city, when the appearance required by the subpoena is to obtain testimony or records relative to the employee's employment with the city shall first pay to the city the witness fees required by law. Where service of the subpoena is on an employee who is not a peace officer, payment shall be made to the cashier in the office of the director of finance administration. (1962 Code § 2-15.02)