Before a clerk may serve a citation on a surety by certified mail or by publication, the prosecutor must request the clerk to serve the citation by these methods.

• A. True
• B. False
• C. The judge must approve the methods
• D. The defendant must consent

Answer: (A)

The main idea is that the clerk can carry out service on a surety using certified mail or publication, but only after the prosecutor asks the clerk to do it. The prosecutor’s request triggers the clerk’s authority to effect service by those methods, which helps ensure proper notice and timely action. Certified mail provides a verifiable record of delivery, and publication serves as notice when the surety’s location or address isn’t readily available. A judge’s direct approval isn’t required for these methods once requested, and the defendant’s consent isn’t needed since the notice is aimed at the surety, not the defendant. So this statement is true: the prosecutor must request the clerk to serve the citation by certified mail or by publication.