Legal Question in Credit and Debt Law in California

It is legal to serve a summons any time anywhere the defendant can be found. Whether it is timely is a different question. Depending on what the hearing is, it may be to late to require you to appear. On the other hand, it's rarely a good idea to skip a court hearing you know about. Think of it like you have a green light as you come to an intersection, and a big truck is coming from the side with red, and clearly is not going to stop. You may have the right of way, but it's not a good idea to rely on it.