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| Colorado Court Records- Listed below is contact information and/or links to websites containing resources to help in a search for Colorado court records. | |||
| Colorado Court Records | |||
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Colorado’s legal system is a diverse array of courts ranging from Denver’s unique system (as both county and city) to county and district courts, through the Colorado Court of Appeals, to the state Supreme Court. The state has 22 judicial districts and 285 judges and justices, not including 17 Denver County Court judges – they’re appointed by the mayor of Denver. Colorado Supreme Court The Colorado Supreme Court is the state’s court of last resort, and its decisions are binding on all other Colorado state courts. The panel is composed of seven justices serving 10-year terms. A chief justice, presently Mary Mullarkey, is selected from the membership of the body and continues to serve at the pleasure of the majority of justices. The chief justice also is the executive leader of the Colorado Judicial System and ex-officio chairperson of the Supreme Court Nominating Commission; appoints the chief judge of the Court of Appeals and of all 22 judicial districts in the state; and, is vested with the authority to assign judges (active or retired) to perform judicial duties. The court has direct appellate jurisdiction over cases in which a statute has been held to be unconstitutional, cases involving the Public Utilities Commission, writs of habeas corpus, cases involving the adjudication of water rights, summary proceedings initiated under state elections laws, and prosecutorial appeals concerning search and seizure questions in pending criminal cases. All such appeals are filed directly with the Supreme Court. The court also has exclusive jurisdiction to set the rules governing the practice and procedure in civil and criminal actions in Colorado. Colorado attorneys are licensed and disciplined by the Supreme Court, through an attorney regulation system that is funded by attorney registration fees. The court also oversees the State Court Administrator, Board of Continuing Legal Education, Board of Law Examiners, Commission on Judicial Discipline and the Unauthorized Practice of Law Committee. The court maintains online access to a number of documents and services, including: case announcements; original proceedings initiated; the oral argument schedule and audio recordings of oral arguments; chief justice directives; a searchable opinion database; and many other links and features. Colorado's Court of Appeals The Colorado Court of Appeals consists of 19 judges who are retained by the public to serve eight-year terms. The venue is the state’s intermediate appellate court. Judges sit in three-member “divisions” to hear and decide cases. The chief judge, presently Janice B. Davidson, is appointed by the chief justice of the Supreme Court and assigns appeals court judges to a divisional rotation. The court’s mission is to “provide the citizens of Colorado with clear, impartial and timely resolutions of appealed orders and judgments as provided by law.” The court was created by statute and its jurisdictions are limited accordingly. The court has initial jurisdiction, with some exceptions, over appeals from the Colorado District Court, Denver Probate Court and Denver Juvenile Court. It also has specific appellate jurisdiction over decisions arising from a number of state administrative boards and agencies, including the Industrial Claim Appeals Office. Reviews of decisions made by the Court of Appeals proceed to the Supreme Court. Online resources include: case announcement archives; an oral argument schedule and links to audio recordings; links to forms and policies; and an opinion search. Colorado's District Court Colorado is divided into 22 judicial districts that are aligned by county boundaries. Some districts will be for only one county, while others serve as many as seven counties. District Court is the venue for felony criminal matters, civil claims in any amount, juvenile matters (including adoption, dependency and neglect matters, juvenile delinquency and paternity actions), probate court, mental health, divorce proceedings, and water cases. Denver is the only district in Colorado with separate probate and juvenile courts outside the traditional District Court. A bank of recent trial court rulings of interest are maintained online. Colorado County Courts Each of Colorado’s 64 counties is served by a County Court that handles civil cases valued at no more than $15,000, misdemeanor cases, felony advisements, bond-setting, preliminary hearings on criminal matters, and traffic violations. County judges also issue search warrants and restraining orders resulting from a domestic violence arrest. Denver County Court is not part of the state county court system. Denver County Courts Courts in Denver differ from those in the rest of the state, partly because Denver is both a city and a county. Denver County Court functions as both a municipal and county court and is funded entirely by Denver taxes, rather than by state tax. It thus is not part of the state court system. Denver County Court judges handle civil cases valued at less than $15,000, misdemeanor and traffic violations, felony complaints (which might be advanced to District Court), restraining orders and small claims. The county also maintains about 10 magistrates to aid the court’s operations. Conversely, Denver District Court is part of the state court system. Here the Denver judges may field civil cases in any amount, domestic relations matters, criminal, juvenile, probate and mental health cases. Denver magistrates perform judicial duties as assigned by the chief judge; those services might include handling criminal, civil, juvenile, domestic relations, probate, traffic and other judicial proceedings. Denver has the state’s only court system with separate Probate Court (for estates and wills) and Juvenile Court. These special courts are also considered part of the state system. Colorado Water Court The Water Right Determination and Administration Act of 1969 created seven water divisions based upon the drainage patterns of the various rivers in Colorado. Each water division is staffed with: a division engineer appointed by the state engineer; a water judge appointed by the Supreme Court; a “water referee,” appointed by the water judge; and a water clerk, assigned to the division by the appropriate District Court. The seven Water Court districts are: Division One in Greeley, serving the South Platte River Basin; Division Two in Pueblo, for the Arkansas River Basin; Division Three in Alamosa, for the Rio Grande; Division Four in Delta, Gunnison and Montrose, for the Gunnison River Basin; Division Five in Glenwood Springs, for the Colorado River Basin; Division Six in Steamboat Springs, for the White River Basin; and Division Seven in Durango, covering the San Juan River Basin. There are also five judges who serve Designated Ground Water Basins for the North High Plains and Camp Creek (13th Judicial District), Kiowa-Bijou and Lost Creek (17th District), Upper Black Squirrel Creek and Upper Big Sandy (4th District), Southern High Plains (15th) and Upper Crow Creek (19th District). Supreme Court Justice Greg Hobbs is the liaison to the water judges as appointed by Chief Justice Mary Mullarkey. Colorado has developed the “Citizen’s Guide to Colorado Water Law,” authored by Hobbs and the first in a series of educational booklets designed to provide readers with information on a variety of subjects related to the state’s precious water resources. It is available, as are numerous other documents and resources related to the state’s water, from the Colorado Foundation for Water Education. |
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| CO Court Web Sites | |||
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4th Judicial District, Colorado Springs United States District Court - District of Colorado United States Bankruptcy Court - District of Colorado United States Court of Appeals - 10th Circuit Colorado Supreme Court - General information on the Supreme Court Colorado Court of Appeals - General information on the appeals process and the court. Colorado 1st Judicial District Court - Serving Jefferson and Gilpin Counties Colorado 2nd Judicial District Court - Denver County Colorado 3rd Judicial District Court - Huerfano and Las Animas Counties Colorado 4th Judicial District Court - El Paso and Teller Counties Colorado 5th Judicial District Court - Clear Creek, Eagle, Lake and Summit Counties |
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