As an essential government function, the criminal justice system is required to maintain core operations during this pandemic. Certain temporary protocols and procedures are in place to reduce the risk of spreading the COVID19 virus in our communities. These include modifications to how bonds are addressed when someone is arrested for certain low level offenses and how court appearances and hearings are conducted (insert pdfs), as well as how legal papers are served (http://www.co.routt.co.us/384/Civil-Process-Division). Updated information about COVID19 operations in the 14th Judicial District’s court system can be found at the court websites and links to Chief Judge orders below.
If you have an outstanding bench warrant or arrest warrant, you should contact your attorney immediately. If you do not have an attorney, you should contact the clerk of courts in the county where your case is pending, at the telephone number indicated below.
In order to combat the spread of COVID19, the physical space of the District Attorney’s Offices Grand, Routt and Moffat counties are presently closed to civilian access. Services are currently provided by telephone and email.
14th Judicial District Judicial Order re bonds and warrant 4.15.2020
Order 20-04 Amended – COVID-19 Order 050720
Court Appearances in Criminal Cases
Most garden-variety hearings are taking place by remote access, with participants calling into designated number and appearing by telephone. If you have an attorney, contact your attorney for instructions regarding any upcoming court dates. If you do not have an attorney, contact the clerk of court for the county in which your case is pending.
– Grand County Courts 970-725-3357; https://www.courts.state.co.us/Courts/County/Index.cfm?County_ID=45
– Routt County Courts 970-879-5020; https://www.courts.state.co.us/Courts/County/Index.cfm?County_ID=47
– Moffat County Courts 970-824-8254; https://www.courts.state.co.us/Courts/County/Index.cfm?County_ID=46
If you are instructed to call in by telephone for a court appearance, you may be on the line with many people at the same time. The following steps will help keep the process efficient and timely for everyone: 1) mute your phone when you are not speaking; 2) if you are using headphones with a mic or speaker phone, you may be hard to understand; 3) wait until the judge or your attorney asks you to speak before speaking to avoid accidentally interrupting someone else and to minimize people talking at the same time.
Witnesses/Victims
Temporary emergency orders and procedures are necessitating the postponement of several hearings and trials, particularly those that require several persons to gather at a courthouse. If you are under subpoena from the District Attorney’s Office and are unsure as to the status of the dates, please be patient and await updated information – as trial and hearing dates are re-scheduled in individual cases our Victim/Witness Coordinators are updating witnesses. If you have a critical, time-sensitive concern about a pending subpoena date you have, contact the V/W Coordinator in the office where the case is pending, which is indicated on your subpoena. Victim contact and notifications pursuant to the Colorado Victim’s Rights Act remains operational and those procedures have not changed.
– Grand County V/W Coordinator Karen Nieto: knieto@14da.org
– Routt County V/W Coordinator Breann Dale: bdale@14da.org
– Moffat County V/W Coordinator Alejandra Ledesma: aledesma@14da.org